BUILDING YOUR SPIRITUAL HOUSE

A Biblical Pattern For Making Disciples

52 LESSON WORKBOOK

DARREN T. CARTER
FOUNDATION MINISTRIES P.O. Box 362 Cross Plains, TX 76443 www.foundationmin.org

Building Your Spiritual House

By Darren T. Carter Copyright 2000 Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved
All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Version of the Bible, 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation.

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FOUNDATION MINISTRIES
P.O. Box 362 Cross Plains, TX 76443 www.foundationmin.org

COVER DESIGN BY: Marcus Stallworth Stallworth Illustrations www.stallworthillustrations.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD

PAGE 5

SECTION ONE
INTODUCTION: THE ESTABLISHED FOUNDATION 1. WHO IS GOD? 2. WHAT IS MAN? 3. THE SEED OF THE WOMAN 4. THE BLOOD COVENANT 5. WHY THE LAW? 6. THE MESSIAH 7. THE CYCLE OF DEAD WORKS 8. THE CYCLE OF NEW LIFE 9. SAVING FAITH 10. A LIFESTYLE OF REPENTANCE 11. LIVING FAITH 12. THE VICTORY OF FAITH 13. BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY 14. BAPTISM INTO WATER 15. BAPTISM INTO THE HOLY SPIRIT 16. THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE 17. LAYING ON OF HANDS 18. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 19. RESURRECTION OF THE BELIEVER 20. LIVING THE RESURRECTED LIFE 21. JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND DEAD 22. RUN TO WIN PAGE 7 PAGE 13 PAGE 16 PAGE 19 PAGE 22 PAGE 25 PAGE 28 PAGE 31 PAGE 34 PAGE 37 PAGE 40 PAGE 43 PAGE 46 PAGE 49 PAGE 52 PAGE 55 PAGE 58 PAGE 61 PAGE 64 PAGE 67 PAGE 70 PAGE 73 PAGE 76

SECTION TWO
INTODUCTION: CREATED UNTO GOOD WORKS 23. THE SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES (PART I) 24. THE SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES (PART II) 25. THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE (PART I) PAGE 79 PAGE 89 PAGE 92 PAGE 95

26. THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE (PART II) 27. THE PLACE OF WORSHIP 28. THE SACRIFICE OF PRAYER (PART I) 29. THE SACRIFICE OF PRAYER (PART II) 30. THE SACRIFICE OF GIVING (PART I) 31. THE SACRIFICE OF GIVING (PART II) 32. WORKING UNTO THE LORD 33. STEWARDSHIP 34. RELATIONSHIPS 35. CIVIL AUTHORITY 36. A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE 37. A LIFE OF MERCY

PAGE 98 PAGE 101 PAGE 104 PAGE 107 PAGE 110 PAGE 113 PAGE 116 PAGE 119 PAGE 122 PAGE 125 PAGE 128 PAGE 131

SECTION THREE
INTRODUCTION: KINGDOM MINISTRY THROUGH THE CHURCH 38. THE DEMAND OF THE KINGDOM 39. THE YOKE OF THE KING 40. THE CALLTO SERVE 41. SPIRITUAL WARFARE (PART I) 42. SPIRITUAL WARFARE (PART II) 43. THE GREAT COMMISSION 44. KINGDOM MINISTRY 45. THE BODYOF CHRIST 46. THE LORDS SUPPER 47. ORDER IN THE CHURCH (PART I) 48. ORDER IN THE CHURCH (PART II) 49. EQUIPPING THE SAINTS 50. BODY MINISTRY 51. EDIFYING THE CHURCH 52. DOING YOUR PART APPENDIX 1: APPENDIX 2: APPENDIX 3: APPENDIX 4: GIFTS OF CHRIST MOTIVIATIONAL GIFTS GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED? PAGE 135 PAGE 145 PAGE 148 PAGE 151 PAGE 154 PAGE 157 PAGE 160 PAGE 163 PAGE 166 PAGE 169 PAGE 172 PAGE 175 PAGE 178 PAGE 181 PAGE 183 PAGE 187 PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE 190 193 196 199

FOREWORD

About 30 years ago, as a new believer, I was frustrated that I could not produce an ongoing demonstration of the power of God. Occasionally, I would have something exciting happen that was clearly the work of the Holy Spirit but not consistently. In my frustration, I prayed diligently about this matter. In answer to my prayers, Christ showed me by illustration what He wanted to do in my life. He showed me a house and asked me Do you put the carpet in a house before the roof is on? I answered No. It became apparent to me that Christ was going to systematically build something into my life but not going to build in the order that I expected. Christ was saying to me that I desired the details, the carpet, when I still needed something more essential that must come first, a roof. I realized that without a roof, the carpet would be spoiled. I took this seriously and over a period of time, the Holy Spirit led me to various written materials that I would describe as doctrinal and foundational. They were materials using Hebrews 6:1-2 as a basis. Additionally, I found myself working through theological books of systematic Christian doctrine. I found myself absorbed by dissertations of the doctrine of the Trinity, the study of Christ Himself, the inspiration of Scripture, the relationship between law and grace, the nature of faith, the nature of the Church and so on. I must have used a hundred different books in my quest to get the house built properly. Thirty years later, I do not regret my youthful hunger for doctrinal information and know that the formation of my character was highly dependent upon that quest. Today, I do see the details (the carpet) in the house that Christ built in me. Seldom a month goes by today that I havent seen at least a hundred people saved, healed and delivered in my service to Christ. What would have made my early quest easier would have been materials such as the workbook that you are reading. I suspect that the Christ could have been built quicker and perhaps even better if I had possessed a workbook like this. An obvious problem in the modern Church is Christians who do not understand some of the most foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. This creates a situation where Christians ought to be prospering in every area of life and yet they languish in defeat. This ignorance produces a situation where a Christian ought to be mature enough to become a leader and work in discipling others but simply cannot function in this capacity because their spiritual growth ceased and they were overcome by personal problems. Their foundations are unfinished and weak. Because Christ cannot build anymore on this weak foundation, the person simply stops growing spiritually and often begins a slow retreat back to their old lives. The missing elements are exceedingly difficult to discover at the point of defeat. Often the individual has lost their vision. The opportunity for discipleship has been greatly hindered. It is many times these same people who become problematic in the church because they are defeated and extremely vulnerable to enticing false doctrine and false ministry that promises an easy fix to their problems. Once they are infected by false doctrine, it is increasingly difficult to get them healthy again. It is so much easier to properly disciple people when they are first converted and still have great enthusiasm for learning new things about their Savior and His Kingdom. Nevertheless, every Christian should be encouraged to review their foundations no matter how long they have been believers.

Churches ought to make it mandatory for entrance into any sort of leadership function that all believers go through an intensive program such as this one. Pastors are often so busy dealing with the problems of weak Christians that they are unable to take the time to diagnose and discover just what is missing in the understanding and faith of the person that produces the ongoing problems and defeats by the devil. They are forced to focus on the fruit when the root is the real problem. This is why a comprehensive program of training and discipleship such as Darren Carters Building Your Spiritual House is so essential for every local assembly. This program systematically covers all the subjects that scripture reveals as foundational and all the subjects that a pastor would wish his congregation to understand. In a years worth of weekly lessons, a believer will discover the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith in a format that is easy to understand and easy to teach from. Additionally, a believer will discover other essential issues of discipleship such as prayer, financial support of the local assembly, submission, spiritual warfare and spiritual gifts. When a believer has been thoroughly instructed in the truth, they will continue to grow spiritually, be less vulnerable to false doctrine and certainly be more victorious. From the point of view of leadership, the thoroughly instructed believer will mature quickly, be more productive for Christ and a blessing to the local assembly of believers. The properly instructed believer will begin to demonstrate Christian maturity simply defined as giving more than they are receiving. When a local assembly is full of believers who are capable of giving more than they are receiving, the work of the Kingdom and the gospel of Christ will go forth with great power and new converts will be established quickly and become productive themselves. Christ may be waiting for a wineskin of discipleship to be in place before He pours many new converts into a local assembly. This program, this workbook, is that wineskin. A program like this may be the missing roof of a local assembly of believers. Perhaps, it is the missing element that will allow Christ to send many new people that He wishes to become His disciples. Christ knows that a local assembly with a wineskin program like this will not lose the new wine that He sends. He knows that local assemblies with a program like this, as a protective roof, will not have spoiled carpet when the storm comes. Thankfully, Darren Carter has provided local assemblies, small groups and individuals with an important tool that will ensure the continued growth of Christs disciples. I encourage you to make good use of his work. If you are committed to using this material, I encourage you to invite Darren Carter frequently to your assembly to help create a strong value of discipleship in your people. Darren Carter has great capacity to impart vision and enthusiasm for what discipleship will produce for each believer, for local assemblies, for the Kingdom, and for the King Himself, Jesus Christ. Dr. Roger W. Sapp All Nations Ministries & Publications

-- I NTRODUCTION -Section I: THE ESTABLISHED FOUNDATION

This is the first section of our book Building Your Spiritual House. This first section has been designed to establish believers on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. Over the years of my Christian life and ministry I have witnessed a problem, the same problem I faced as a new Christian: a lack of knowledge concerning what the Bible says and teaches. In my search I discovered the One and True foundation: Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Bible. Every disciple of Christ should become rooted in this foundation, which is the common bond that unites the church. It is these timeless truths that I would like to share with you in this first section. The result of completing this first section will be a basic understanding of Christian teaching, which will put you on the road to spiritual maturity. It will also help you to begin to study the word of God for yourself by providing a foundation for understanding the Bible. For spiritual growth to begin in your life there needs to be put in your heart a strong Biblical foundation which will help you to grow up as a Christian. That is why the main focus of this section will be Hebrews 6:1-2 which is an outline of the basic teachings of Christianity. You will see that in Hebrews 5:12 the author is correcting these Christians for still being immature. In the New Living Translation it says that, you have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures (Bible). If you have just committed your life to Jesus Christ then being a baby Christian is okay, but Gods ultimate desire for us as His children is to grow up. As we grow up as Christians, we will not only learn, but we will also learn to share the Bible with others. Babies just receive from their parents, but as a child grows he has something to share. The author of Hebrews says that we need to share with others what Gods word says. This is not saying that you have to stand in front of a pulpit or classroom and teach. It is saying, however, that as a Christian you should know the Bible well enough to share it with your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. You should be able to teach them what the Bible has to say concerning salvation, faith, baptism, judgment, etc...This should be one result of our maturing in the Christian faith. A FOUNDATION FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Doctors, educators and psychologists tell us that the first three to five years of a babys life are the most important. The foundation that a child receives in these formative years will stay with them the rest of their lives. This same truth applies to us as Christians, and this is why a solid foundation needs to be laid in new believers lives. Hebrews 5:12 says that we need to be taught the first principles of the oracles of God. The Phillips translation calls them the ABCs of Gods revelation to men. The Kenneth Wuest Translation says they are the rudimentary things of the very beginning in the oracles of God. 1 The phrase the first principle of the oracles of God reads literally in the Greek, ...certain principles of the beginning of the words of God. The Greek word for principles is stoicheia. This was used in classical Greek in the sense of walking in line and being in rows. Its like when my wife and I had our child. We put him on formula at 3 months old. He started out on infant formula, and then went to the next step of formula until we put him on regular milk. There was a progression in his growth. The author of

Hebrews calls these first principles of the oracles of God the milk of the Bible. Hebrews 6:1-2 list six different milk bottles and calls them a foundation of 1 repentance from dead works and of 2 faith toward God, of 3 instruction about washings (baptisms), and 4 laying on of hands, and the 5 resurrection of the dead, and 6 eternal judgment. A good nutritional foundation is needed for new Christians. II Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we become new people when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but just as a baby grows in stages and matures so do we as Christians. The apostle Peter who was instructed by Jesus to feed baby sheep (John 21:15) or new Christians, says that we should be like newborn babes, longing for the pure milk of the word, that by it we may grow in respect to salvation. It is the nutrients of the Bible that will cause us to grow and as new Christians we need to drink the milk of Gods word so we will grow into healthy mature Christians. Peter uses not only the example of a foundation of nutritional milk for spiritual growth, but also the example of a solid foundation in building a house. In I Peter 2:1-2 he talks about Christians being built into a spiritual house. It is common knowledge that when you build any type of structure the foundation is laid first. Peter says that Jesus Christ is the foundation and to have a solid Christian life we must build our lives upon a proper understanding of Him. Hebrews 6:1-2 gives us the foundation upon which Christianity is built. We are encouraged to be established in the foundation and then to build our lives on this solid ground. Once a builder has laid the foundation then it is time to build upon it. These six foundational areas must be laid down in each believers life but the purpose of all this well laid foundation is so that we can mature in our understanding of the Bible and fulfill the plan of God for our lives. A builder lays a foundation and builds upon it. Babies drink milk and develop into adults. A farmer plants seed in the field and it grows into a crop. In I Corinthians 3:2-10 Paul the apostle uses all of these examples to teach us that spiritual growth comes in stages. There is an old saying which says that, Rome was not built in a day. Spiritual growth will not happen overnight, but spiritual growth can be helped and nurtured if we have the right foundation. God has a destiny for our lives, but we need to grow up on a solid foundation so we can fulfill that destiny.

STAYING TRUE TO THE FOUNDATION

It is the desire of every parent to see their children grow up healthy and live productive lives. As some of you may already know, parents cannot control their children, but can only lay a good foundation in their lives and hope that they will stay true to it. However, in this world there will always be forces that will try to blow us off the right course. The Christian faith has been established for the last 2,000 years and Satan has tried with every wind of doctrine to blow it away from its original foundation. The main weapons of the enemy are enticing philosophies with a scriptural foundation that have been TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. Satans first assault against mankind was when he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden by twisting what God had originally said, which caused her to doubt and be confused about Gods word (Gen. 3:7). Satans main weapon against mankind and the church continues to be deception. In I Timothy 4:1 Paul the apostle said that, some will fall away from the faith, or you might say they will be blinded from seeing and understanding the truth by paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. In this verse it is quite obvious that the words spirits and demons are in the plural and not the singular. It is not often Satan personally who is the one blinding the minds of people, but the blinding comes from false concepts, ideas,

philosophies and teachings inspired by evil spirits. We see this especially in New Age philosophies, which are not new at all, but a resurgence of false religions and mystery cults of old. Also there are liberal Bible teachers who have denied the deity of Christ, sin, salvation, miracles and made the Bible just an Old Historical Book. Has just rational thinking influenced them, or are there evil spiritual forces behind their teachings? Then you have Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Baha'i, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses and the many other false religions and cults which may use portions of the Bible to their own advantage. This is why the Bible warns the believer in I John 4:1, to believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God. You see, the spirit of error is TRUTH that has been taken out of PROPORTION to the WHOLE BODY OF TRUTH. We cannot build our doctrines or teachings on just one portion of the Bible, or we will fall into error. This is why Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 2:15 to be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, HANDLING ACCURATELY the word of truth (Emphasis Mine). All the basic heresies concerning the person of Christ were manifested during the time of the early church and were dealt with in the Gospels and Epistles of the apostolic writers. Jude the apostle felt the necessity to write the early church which was being influenced by false teaching, and to appeal to them that they contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). The faith... delivered to the saints is the apostolic teaching given believers in the earliest days of the church. The foundational doctrines of Hebrews 6:1-2 are a pattern of sound doctrine we can use to measure our teachings by. A tailor making clothes always uses a pattern. This pattern must be followed, or the clothes will not sew together right. The foundational doctrines of Christ all fit together and form a pattern for understanding the Bible and can be used to test false teachings. Does the teaching produce freedom from sin and faith towards God? Is it causing me to identify more deeply with Christ or legalism? The word heresy is regularly thrown around too often, but we need to understand we do have a common foundation in Christ yet we need to give one another liberty to follow the Spirit for their lives and ministries. In the Bible, the Greek word that is translated as heresy is heiros, and it simply means sects, which you could say is a cult or a false religion. As defined in Websters Dictionary a sect is, a body of men who unite in holding some particular views, esp. in religion and philosophy; those who dissent (to disagree in opinion to differ) from an established creed or system. When we look at things from a Christian perspective the established foundation that a sect disagrees with is simply the basic Christian doctrines which are clearly set forth in the Bible. In II Timothy 2:1718 Paul talks of a group of men who have GONE ASTRAY FROM THE TRUTH saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and thus they upset the faith of some (Emphasis Mine). From the way heiros is used in the epistles, we can conclude that certain sects have doctrines and ways of spirituality that are deeply destructive. Paul said that these false teachings are like cancer and in Peters second epistle these groups are called destructive heresies (II Peter 2:1). Though it is true that some cults and false religions can bring greater bondage to our lives, anything that leads us away from the foundation of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is harmful to our lives. It is only by staying true to the established foundation of Jesus Christ that we can live healthy and productive lives as Christians. The word for sound in Titus 2:1 actually means to be healthy, sound and physically well. Sound doctrine always produces healthy living. We need to have the power of the Holy Spirit, but the Spirits teaching makes us of sound mind. You can always know a teaching by its fruit. What fruit do you experience in your life when you

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receive a teaching? Is it producing liberty or bondage? Is it producing sound living or chaotic ativity? You have a responsibility to test everything like the Bereans Acts 17:11.

THE UNITY OF THE FAITH

It does not take long to be a Christian to soon discover that there are many different parts of the Body of Christ. You have Presbyterians, Baptists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes, NonDenominational, House Churches and the list goes on. This can sometimes be quite confusing for unbelievers and new believers. The question I am sometimes asked is, If there is only ONE CHURCH of the Lord Jesus, why so many denominations and Christian groups? Ill give you an analogy. Its like going into a neighborhood where they were building new homes. If all they had in the neighborhood was the foundation of the homes, you could not really tell one apart from the other. The foundations are all made from concrete. Its not until the house is built that you see the distinction between each one. The foundation is made of the same substance, but the structure of the house is distinct. Our foundation is the common bond that unites the church together whether we are Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist or any Christian group. That common bond is the basic teachings of our faith in Christ, which bring us into fellowship with Him. Every local church, denomination or network of churches will have their own distinct house or type of ministry, but there is only one foundation of the Church. Paul the apostle says that, no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 3:11). In Acts 2:42 we see that the early church converts continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, and in fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers (Read also Acts 5:28; 13:12; 17:9). In the New Geneva Study Bible it says that the basic teachings of Hebrews 6:1-2 can all be found in the Book of Acts which are the ABCs of Christian doctrine. Its like when we go to school. In kindergarten we all learn the same basics or foundation, but by the time we are in college we have our own distinct focus of study. Though each local church, denomination or network of churches may have their distinct focus there is a foundational understanding that keeps us united in Christ. In Acts 2:42 we can see that it is the measure of common teaching between believers which will determine the measure of our fellowship with one another, resulting in our ability to fulfill the purpose of God for the Church. If this was true for them then how much more for us today? I think it is about time the walls of separation come down in the body of Christ and we return to the foundation of Jesus Christ where the unity of the faith is established (Ephesians 4:13). I am persuaded that if we will receive the revelation concerning Christ Jesus we will no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried around by every teaching (Ephesians 4:14) but we will work as a body fulfilling the Great Commission. In Colossians we see that Paul had the same desire. Paul showed us his desire for the Colossians when he prayed, that they may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that they may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work... (Colossians 1:9-10). Then he said in Colossians 2:2, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been KNIT TOGETHER in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding... The statement KNIT TOGETHER in the Greek is the word INSTRUCTED. So we can see that it was instruction that brought understanding so they could walk in the same purpose having fellowship with one another and so fulfill the will of God. We must be instructed in The Established

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Foundation of Christ as a member of the church because there is no other foundation, however the love of God is what ultimately binds us together. Every local church, denomination or network of churches may have their own distinct focus and that is fine, but there is only one foundation. We must agree on such foundational truths as the person and work of Christ, the Trinity, the way to receive salvation, the Second Coming of Christ in a resurrection body etc. As to the form of church government another ministry believes in, or their view of the end-times and other issues not made totally clear in the Bible, we must give liberty. A good policy to follow is 2 In essentials UNITY, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity. Another wise little word is to Major on majors and minor on minors.

TEACHING SOUND DOCTRINE

All religions, cults, isms and ideologies are based on various teachings or systems of belief and these teachings accepted, acted upon and continually practiced determine who we are, what we do and where we go. A person is formed by what they believe whether it is the vain philosophies of men, doctrines of devils, or the inspired word of God. In our postmodern world where relativism abounds there appears to be no absolutes, which makes teaching and learning sound doctrine a necessity in our day. As I have previously said that the word sound actually means healthy therefore sound doctrine produces healthy living. We must be established in our relationship with Jesus Christ because many forces will try and lead us away from Him. In the world you will find many different versions of who Christ is, but you must decide for your self who He is and how you will respond to Him. Discovering who He is and responding to Him will determine your eternity and your purpose in this life. This is why Paul told Timothy to pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching, persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you (I Timothy 4:16). This is why it is so important for you as a Christian to understand the Bible and to be able to teach family, friends, co-workers and neighbors the word of God. I am not saying that just agreeing with sound doctrine is going to give you a relationship with Jesus Christ, but we see in II Timothy 3:15b that the sacred writings (Bible) are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. It is the Bible, which gives us an understanding of how to have and grow in our relationship with God.

CONCLUSION
As we finish the introduction of this first section we want to see that Timothy was commanded to give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation and TEACHING (I Tim. 4:13). Let us understand that Paul was talking to a younger associate about building a local church. Paul knew that to build something with a lasting effect there had to be sound doctrine laid in the believers lives. We see Paul following this same pattern with Titus who was left in Crete, that he might set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as Paul directed him to do (Titus 1:5). Paul knew for Titus to accomplish this he would have to speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). Now if you look throughout the New Testament, you will never find an instance where an evangelist established believers. I am one hundred percent in favor of evangelism, and operate in that gifting myself, but it is not this gift that will establish

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new believers and churches to begin to be stable, to be consistent and to understand who they are in Christ, so they can grow up and fulfill the work they are called to fulfill. Paul also helps us to understand that we are not to desire just knowledge; knowledge by itself causes spiritual pride. He shows us that the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a clear conscience and a sincere faith (I Timothy 1:5 Emphasis Mine). You see it is only faith that will please God, not abiding by rules and regulations, or just agreeing with certain facts. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ or the word concerning Christ. So as we hear the word of God, we want to become obedient from the heart to the form or pattern of teaching that has been committed to us (Romans 6:17). Love must also be one of our main goals as we learn the word of God. In I Corinthians 13 we are told that if we know all mysteries and all knowledge...but have not love, we are nothing. It is important to try and avoid the pitfall of legalism, which can happen when we make learning sound doctrine an end in itself. In looking at the foundational doctrines of Christ it is important that we grow in grace and love, not just knowledge. It is our desire to see you become established in the Lord and the word of His grace, which is able to build you up (Acts 20:32) into a mature Christian. Knowledge is not our goal but being established in the love of God as revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ is one of our primary goals. Having a clear conscience should be another of our main objectives. The word of God should produce in us a clear awareness of ourselves in our relationship to God, so that we can fulfill His purposes in this life. If our conscience is not clear, then it will hinder our relationship with Him and spoil our testimony before the world. It should be our desire to have the same testimony as Paul the apostle had when he said, I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience (II Timothy 1:3). Whether you go through this section on your own, with someone else, or in a small group setting, be established in Jesus Christ who is the only true foundation. As you go along dont just be a student, but get involved so later you can teach others also ( II Timothy 2:2). I dont want to say that this section on sound doctrine is all there is to say concerning this subject. There have been many excellent books written about the foundations of our faith. I have attempted to cover the fundamentals of the Christian faith and relate them in such a way that believers can take them and be established in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my desire to see people established on the foundation of Jesus Christ and simply doing the word of God. I have tried to remain as non-technical as possible, yet at the same time orthodox in content. I know that there may be a few areas in this book that all sections of the body of Christ do not completely agree on, such as our view of the Trinity, baptisms and the final judgment. I think for the most part, however, our disagreements are very minor. I have attempted to present the word of God as it is, without any slant to a particular theological interpretation. It is my desire that not only new believers will be established, but also those from all backgrounds in the Body of Christ who have not been built into The Established Foundation will be built into Him who is the Cornerstone of the house of God, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

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LESSON 1: WHO IS GOD?

INTRODUCTION: As we look at the foundational principles of Christ, it is first of all very important to look at who God is. To come into a more intimate relationship with Him is the purpose of this book. However, to be able to accomplish this we must get a Biblical understanding of who He is. In the scripture God is revealed in many different ways. He is referred to as Creator, Redeemer, Provider, Healer and so on. The most intimate name given to God is Father. In the Bible God is revealed as One in Three and Three in One, that is, a tri-unity or Trinity. The word Trinity, though not mentioned in the Bible, describes the Godhead or Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To try and reduce our understanding of God into logical formulas would be like attempting to transfer the Pacific Ocean into a teacup. However, it is of utmost importance that we come to a basic understanding of the Godhead so that we can properly relate with the ONE and TRUE Living God. I. The Bible starts out by saying, In the beginning God.. A. Here in Genesis 1:1 the word for God is Elohim and in the Hebrew language this name has a plural form. B. To most conservative scholars, Elohim gives a clear indication of the Godhead in Unity or the Father, Son and Holy Spirit being One God but Three Distinct Identities. II. The Godhead as seen in the Old Covenant. A. In Genesis 1:2-3 we see the Trinity in the creation story. 1) God the Father, God the Son (The Spoken Word: I John 1:1) and God the Holy Spirit (Hovering). 2) They were all creating as the unity of the Godhead. B. In Genesis 1:26 God said, let US make man in OUR image... 1) This is Elohim, which is the Godhead speaking. 2) Not different gods, but three distinct identities in One. C. It is interesting to note that the very scripture in the Old Testament that speaks of Gods unity has the plural name for God in it. Jehovah our God (Elohim) is One Jehovah (Deuteronomy 6:4). III. The Godhead as seen in the New Covenant. A. At the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River we see the Godhead in open view (Matthew 3:16-17). Jesus ascends from the waters of baptism (The Son). The Holy Spirit descends from heaven (The Spirit). The Father speaks from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son (The Father).

NOTES

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NOTES

LESSON 1: WHO IS GOD?

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B. In John 14:16-26 you can see that Jesus speaks of the Father as He, of the Holy Spirit as He, and of Himself as I. C. The apostolic benediction in II Corinthians 13:4 demonstrates the doctrine of the early church. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (The Son), and the love of God (The Father), and the communion of the Holy Ghost (The Spirit), be with you all. Amen. D. Ephesians 2:18 again declares this truth. For through Him (The Son) we both have access by one Spirit (The Spirit) to the Father (The Father). E. Although the Bible never uses the exact word, Trinity it is a term that the church uses to understand God. It simply means threefold or three in One. F. In the 19th century Dr. Dale said:
From eternity to eternity GOD is FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT...There is but ONE GOD but in the GODHEAD there are THREE PERSONS. There are not three Gods, but in the life and being of the one God, there are three centers of consciousness and activity, and these are known to us as THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

IV. These are some illustrations of the Godhead: Water: The One substance water can be in the form of Ice, Steam and Liquid. In all of these forms they never cease to be water. They may come in different forms with different functions, but they are still H2O. Man: Man is One united or whole person. However, man is a threefold being made up of spirit, soul and body (I Thess. 5:23). There are three parts of the One man. V. A threefold understanding. A. Prov. 22:20 says that God has written to us in excellent things. The Hebrew word for excellent things in this scripture is shalosh and means a triple, a triangle, a three fold measure. Here are some examples: Exodus 23:14-16 I John 2: 12-14 I Thess. 5:23 Passover Children Spirit Pentecost Tabernacles Young Men Fathers Soul Body

B. When we look at the abundance of threes that God uses in His word it is evidence that God is 2 endeavoring to convey some truth concerning His own Triune Being.

15

LESSON 1: WHO IS GOD?

NOTES

VI. The divine Run-Around. A. The Christian author DeVerne Fromke has called the Trinity the Divine Run-Around. 1) The Spirit points us to the Son (Jn. 14:26; 16:14). 2) The Son points us to the Father (Jn. 5:36). 3) The Father says this is my Beloved Son...Hear Him! B. Its imperative that we keep a clear perspective of the Godhead. The Bible clearly shows us the relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is important that we understand and develop this relationship. C. The tri-unity of God is foundational to our faith and every time in Church history this teaching has been compromised, the other foundational truths have been abandoned or compromised. The divine Run-Around keeps us with a clear perspective in our relationship with God. CONCLUSION: Developing a deeper relationship with God should be the ultimate goal of our lives. However, to be able to pursue a more intimate relationship with Him you must get a firm foundation. To the natural mind the Unity of God and the Trinity of God are contradictions, but BOTH DOCTRINES are clearly taught in the Bible. God desires us to know Him. We need to know and experience the work of the Son of God on the cross. We need to be in constant communion with the person and power of the Holy Spirit. We must seek an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. If we will seek to know the person, plans, and ways of God then He will reveal them to us.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. II Corinthians 13:14

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION In your small group share what you have written concerning the Godhead. Discuss why you see things the way you do.

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is the Hebrew name used in the Old Covenant for the Godhead? ____________________________ 2. What is the first New Testament scripture that we have to teach the Godhead? ___________________ 3. In your own words write the importance of understanding the Godhead: ________________________ ___________________________________________
________________________________________________

16

NOTES

LESSON 2: WHAT IS MAN?

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

INTRODUCTION: As we take a look at the modern world and see all that man has accomplished over just the last 100 years it is amazing to ponder. We have gone to the moon, drive in cars at 100 kilometers per hour, can contact the other side of the world in seconds, and the list goes on. At the same time man is literally destroying himself through war, crime, addiction, etc. We need to stop and ask ourselves the question, What is man? Some say man is nothing but an intelligent animal, while others claim that man is a god. In the Bible, the author of Hebrews asks God the question, What is man that you should think of him? (Heb. 2:6 N.L.T.). The Bible gives mankind a very high value. Why is mankind such a high priority in the eyes of God? Maybe you have thought that mankind was just another one of Gods many creations. No, mankind is the crown of all that God created, second only to Himself! Let us look in the Bible and see man from Gods perspective, because that is the real viewpoint. I. Man the only one created in Gods image. A. When God created man in Gen. 1:26 He said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness; and let them rule...God created man in His own image. B. Then we see in Genesis 2:7 that, the Lord God formed man from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. C. There are two different words used here in the creation of man and they are created and formed. God formed, as a potter forms a pot and made the body of man from the dust of the ground. Then God created or breathed His very own Spirit into this body made from the dust and man became a living being or soul. II. What does it mean to be made in Gods image? A. The word likeness in the original Hebrew language means to operate or function like, not to look like. B. Here are some of the ways man is to function like God: 1) Man was created to bear Gods nature which is love, kindness, faith, patience, etc. (Gal. 5:22;I Cor. 13). 2) Man was created to rule. Man was to be Gods representative in the earth, and through man God was to rule the earth. 3) Man was created to multiply and replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28). This is not only the reproduction of children, but also the ability of man to create. When a man creates a painting he is reproducing what is inside of himself.

17

LESSON 2: WHAT IS MAN?

III. What happened to man? A. God created man in His image then took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die. B. This command in Genesis 2:16 was given to Adam and his wife as the requirement to maintain Gods likeness. C. In Genesis 3:1-7 we see that Adam and his wife forfeited their right to maintain Gods likeness and through the serpents suggestion ate of the forbidden fruit. Since that day man has forever been inflicted with death. D. In the Genesis story we dont see Adam and his wife suddenly struck by lightning and die. What kind of death was God talking about when He told them they would surely die in the day that they ate from the tree?
1) SPIRITUAL DEATH: Adam and his wife first partook of spiritual death. Spiritual death is a life independent of, or separated from the life of God. Its like when you take a plant out of the soil; it has been separated from its source of life. Spiritual death is a life dead in sin. 2) PHYSICAL DEATH: Physical death is simply a result of spiritual death. When man sinned it opened the door for death to come into the human race and even into the entire universe. Romans 8:20 says that the entire natural creation was subjected to corruption by Adams disobedience. 3) ETERNAL DEATH: The ultimate effect of death is eternal separation from God because of sin. Mans body can die physically, but the spiritual part of man, his spirit-soul can never be exterminated. Eternal death is the separation of the spiritual part of man from God for all eternity in the Lake of Fire ( Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:14).

NOTES

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E. When the man and woman disobeyed they died spiritual and were separated from the presence of God. As a result we see the man and woman hiding themselves from their loving Creator in Genesis 3:7-8. F. Now they are no longer ruled by God, but by deception and self-preservation (Gen. 3:7;9-13) and instead of being covered by Gods presence they cover themselves with fig leaves. This is the beginning of man trying to be right or accepted by God based on self-effort instead of simple trust in the loving kindness of God. G. In Genesis 3:14-19 we see that the man and woman are cursed with a future of pain and death, and expelled from Eden because of their disobedience.

18

NOTES

LESSON 2: WHAT IS MAN?

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

IV. Thats not the end of the story! A. In the midst of Gods judgment we see His hand of mercy extended to the man and woman. B. In Genesis 3:15 God promises them and the future generations of the human race that one day there would come a Man from the womans Seed to break the serpents head, or power, over mankind. C. It is this future hope of mankinds freedom from sin, Satan and death through the Seed Of The Woman which is one of the major themes which will help us to understand the entire Bible. CONCLUSION: Man in his existence has accomplished much, but he still struggles with lifes most basic problems. When God created man, he was given dominion to rule over the earth. However, when man was separated from God by spiritual death, he no longer sustained Gods likeness. The result has been the earth ruling over man. Yes, man may be the most dominant creature here in the earth, but he is still ruled by the earth. When you are ruled by addiction, sex, anger, money, etc., you are being ruled by the flesh, which is made from the dust of the ground. Man forfeited his right to rule and gave it to Satan who became the god of this world. God, however, has made a way to escape the corruption of sin through the Seed of the woman.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Now may the peace of God Himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved complete
I Thessalonians 5:23

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Who is the only one created in Gods image? O Monkeys O Man O Mangos

SUGGESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION

2. To be made in Gods image means _____________ _____________ _______ __________ _________. 3. When Adam and his wife ate of the forbidden tree they partook of: O Death O Life O Vitamins 4. The man and woman _______________ themselves from their loving Creator. 5. What is one of the major themes of the Bible? O The life of Enoch O The clothes Jesus wore O The Seed Of The Woman

How is man like God? Why did God give man a choice in the garden? In what ways can you see in your own life that you sometimes act like the man and the woman in hiding from God?

19

LESSON 3: THE SEED OF THE WOMAN

INTRODUCTION: A famous Christian author has said that, when Adam and his wife ate of the forbidden tree, they were destined to reproduce the fruit of that tree; consequently, death spread throughout their descendants. Yet, God in His mercy determined to reverse their mistake. The Lord promised the woman that a seed or man would come forth from her that would crush the head of the serpent that had deceived her (Genesis 3:15). The principle of the seed is a concept that helps us understand Gods purposes in this age and also helps us understand Gods words to man, which is the Bible. Lets take a look at the promised freedom we can have through the Seed Of The Woman. I. Every SEED reproduces after its kind (Genesis 1:11-12). A. Within every seed is the power of reproduction: 1) The seed of a tomato reproduces tomatoes. 2) The seed of a horse will reproduce a horse. 3) The seed of a man will reproduce a human being. B. God has installed within His creation the power to reproduce itself through its own seed. C. Sin entered the world through Adam and we can all trace our family tree back to the Garden of Eden because Adam is the father of us all (Romans 5:12). D. When man disobeyed, his penalty was death, which he passed on to all succeeding generations through the reproduction of the seed. E. Adam now had children after his own image (Gen. 5:3) which was marred with sin. Therefore, no longer was mans nature without sin like Gods (Romans 3:23). II. The promised victory of the Seed Of The Woman. A. Gods promise was that mankind could be free and victorious from sins power through the Seed Of The Woman. B. When God spoke to Adam and his wife it was a promise or covenant agreement, not only with them, but also with the future human race. C. The final fulfillment of that covenant agreement was manifested in Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of the Seed Of The Woman. D. Jesus Christ was not born of the seed of man ,but of the Holy Spirit through a virgin and so separate from the seed of Adam and Adams sin nature (Luke 1:35). E. In Christs life and death, Genesis 3:15 was fulfilled. The Holy Spirit divinely conceived him, yet He was fully human because He became a man through the

NOTES

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20

NOTES

LESSON 3: THE SEED OF THE WOMAN

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

virgin birth. As a man Jesus was able to identify with our sin, yet as God He was without sin; therefore, He was able to release us from sins power. F. Jesus is the Seed Of The Woman, who crushed the serpents head and reversed the effects of the fall. In its most specific sense the Lord Jesus has trampled Satan at the Cross and made victory from his power available. III. A personal understanding of the SEED OF THE WOMAN. A. The message of the gospel is the full revelation or understanding of the Seed Of The Woman and it is a message of new life. B. The apostle Peter tells us that, new life does not come from our earthly parents because the life they gave us will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God (I Peter 1:23 N.L.T.). C. Our parents may have supported us well and raised us with moral values, but they do not have the ability to give us eternal life. D. In I Peter 1:23 we see the comparison between the PERISHABLE seed of man and the IMPERISHABLE seed of the word of God. E. It is through the message of the gospel, which is divinely inspired of the Holy Spirit that new life is brought into our hearts and we are born from above. NOTE: To be born from above is necessary because all descendants of Adam have inherited his sin and are morally bankrupt. Jesus came to reverse the effect of Adams transgression and when we receive the gospel message, the Holy Spirits power gives us spiritual life. In John 3:3 and I Peter 1:23 this is referred to as being born from above and in II Cor. 5:17 it says we become new creations. IV. The very sons and daughters of God. A. In John 1:12 the Bible says that to as many as receive Jesus Christ, they are given the right to become children of God,...who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. B. As we ponder being a son or daughter of God it is an amazing reality, but the truth of the word of God. God has put His very own Spirit into our hearts. We have the very same Holy Spirit that Jesus had, which brings us into a joint participation of all that He did on our behalf. (Galatians 4:7; Romans 8:15-17).

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LESSON 3: THE SEED OF THE WOMAN

C. The power of the gospel is the power to reproduce Gods very own likeness in our hearts. The gospel is put into our hearts as a seed, but it will reproduce godly fruit in our lives, if we will keep it planted within the soil of our hearts (Galatians 5:22-23; Mark 4:20). D. We can never be God or even be a god, but we are called to be in the likeness of God. Gods plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. Through Christ we are placed into the family of God and as Christians we are to demonstrate Gods likeness to this world (Ephesians 1:5). CONCLUSION: The study of the Seed is one of the most basic truths in the word of God because it is here that we discover the nature of redemption. Redemption is a term that is used to discuss mans death penalty of sin being paid. Because man was bankrupt and unable to pay the price for his freedom, God made a way, as He promised He would, through the Seed Of The Woman. The promised one was Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin and became the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. In the book of I John 3:8 it says, the devil sinned from the beginning...; however, the Son of God appeared for this purpose, that he might destroy the works of the devil. If we receive Jesus, then we can be free from the power of the Seed Of The Serpent and become a part of the family of God.

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
Genesis 3:15

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Every seed reproduces after its _________________. 2. Who was the final fulfillment of the Seed Of The Woman? O Jesus Christ O Isaac O Abel 3. Jesus was not born of the seed of man, but of the ______________ ______________. 4. Can our natural parents give us eternal life? O Yes O No 5. To become the very sons and daughters of God we must be: O Baptized O Circumcised O Born from above

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

How has your new spiritual rebirth through Christ affected you in contrast to being born into Adams race?

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NOTES

LESSON 4: THE BLOOD COVENANT

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

INTRODUCTION: The word covenant is not a very well understood word in our day. However, in looking at the Bible we must understand this word, for it is part of the very core and foundation of our faith. A covenant is a legal agreement between two parties, which binds them together. When two people love one another, then they enter into a covenant of marriage with one another, which legally binds them together. The covenant of marriage consists of two hearts of love responding to one another, a ceremony of promises and the consummation of the marriage through the shedding of blood, by the womans broken hymen. The Christian author Richard Booker says that, the blood covenant is the scarlet thread that runs through the entire Bible. All other teachings are woven into it. Once you understand the blood covenant, your Biblical loose ends will come together. The basis of Gods dealing with man is on the basis of covenant. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we understand the Blood Covenant so we can understand Gods dealings with us. I. What does the word covenant mean? A. The word covenant means a binding agreement between two parties. Richard T. Booker says that, by definition, it is an agreement to cut a covenant by the shedding of blood. So the two divisions in the Bible are about an Old Blood Covenant and a New Blood Covenant. B. The blood covenant as revealed in the Bible is the binding agreement that brings man and God together. II. The beginning of covenant. A. After Adam and his wife disobeyed Gods instructions, immediately they made coverings from fig leaves to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:7). This was their way of covering their sin, but it was insufficient before God. B. God then reveals His way of dealing with the sin problem. Genesis 3:21 says, the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. C. It is important that we answer two questions. 1. Where did God get garments of skin? 2. Why would He do this? 1) Garments of skin come from animals, so God must have killed innocent animals to provide a covering for Adam and his wife.

23

LESSON 4: THE BLOOD COVENANT

2) God had to do this because Romans 6:23 says that, the wages or payment of sin is death. When Adam and his wife sinned their payment was death. Someone had to pay for Adam and his wifes sin, so God provided an innocent animal as a substitute to pay for their death. D. Man was separated from God by death and to be reunited the payment had to be made. Adam tried to pay with his own works (fig leaves) but it was not sufficient. It was like trying to pay a bank loan with Monopoly money. The God who loved the man and woman stepped in and shows the way to be reunited back to Him. The only way was through the blood or death of an innocent victim. E. God established a covenant with Adam and the woman when He promised them a future Redeemer through the Seed Of The Woman and killed the animals to cover their sin by the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). F. In Romans 5, Paul views Adam as not only a historical figure but as a representative of the entire human race. When God made the promise of deliverance to Adam, He made the promise to us also. IV. The covenant with Abraham. A. The most clear understanding of the covenant comes to us through Abraham, which lays the foundation for the New Covenant with man, through Jesus Christ. B. It is in Genesis 15:1, 9-18 where we see that God establishes a blood covenant with Abraham and promises him that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). NOTE: Charles Simpson comments on this text in Genesis 15 and says that, 12 the DIRECT REQUIREMENT of a blood sacrifice as the means of establishing covenant first appears in this passage of the Bible. The animals to be offered were selected, cut in halves, and arranged in proper order opposite one another. The covenant parties then passed between the halves INDICATING that they were irrevocably bound together in blood. The cutting in halves of the sacrifice spoke of the end of existing lives for the sake of establishing a new bond of covenant. The sacred nature of this bond was attested to by the shedding of life blood. C. In Galatians 3:16 Paul the apostle shows us that Jesus Christ is the seed of Abraham. He is the final fulfillment of Gods covenant with man, through whom God would bless all the nations of the earth.

NOTES

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NOTES

LESSON 4: THE BLOOD COVENANT

V. The covenant with Jesus Christ. A. The New Covenant is a binding agreement and through the One Man Christ Jesus, God has made available to mankind the invitation to enter into an eternal blood covenant with Him (Matthew 26:28). B. It is not a covenant based on our works, but based on the work of Christ on the Cross, shedding His blood for us, so we can be free from the guilt and power of sin. C. Forgiveness of sins is the MAIN THEME of the blood covenant and by it we are brought into a new relationship with God as covenant partners. CONCLUSION: Relationship is the basis of covenant. Gods blood covenant through Jesus Christ is the basis of our relationship with Him. Under the Old Blood Covenant, before the time of Christ the people of faith offered innocent animals as their substitute for sin. Now that Jesus has come as the very fulfillment of the Seed Of The Woman, we can enter into a new relationship with God based on the blood that He shed on the Cross (Colossians 1:20). When you enter into blood covenant with someone, you promise to give them your life, your love and your protection forever. Jesus Christ laid down His very life on our behalf because of His great love for us and if we will enter into this covenant with Him, He will protect us and keep us as His own (II Corinthians 5:18). The blood covenant we have with Christ is something we can always rely on and it is on this firm foundation that we can begin to build a strong and healthy relationship with our heavenly Father. It is reassuring that while we were sinners (Romans 5:8) God so loved us that He gave us His Son as a sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16).

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

What does it mean to you to be in a covenant with God? How does it affect your outlook on life?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The word covenant means a ___________________ __________________ between two parties. 2. Adam was not only a historical figure, but a ______________________ of the entire human race. 3. Who did God promise that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed? O Elijah O Abraham O King Saul 4. God has made available to mankind the invitation to enter into an eternal blood covenant with Him through _______________________________.

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LESSON 5: WHY THE LAW?

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: The question of Why The Law is an important question and needs an adequate answer. As you look in the book of Acts and the Epistles of Galatians, Romans and Hebrews you can see that the battle between Law and Grace is one of the most serious issues in the New Covenant. In this lesson when we use the word Law, we are not talking about the civil law of a country such as Canada, Brazil or France, but the Law of God, which was given through Moses to the nation of Israel. From the Bible we want to answer several questions concerning the Law so we may know how to treat the Law as New Covenant Christians. 1) Who was the Law given to? 2) What exactly is the Law? 3) What was the Law meant to accomplish? 4) What was the Law not meant to accomplish. 5) How long was the Law to be in effect? 6) How do believers in Jesus Christ relate to the Law? I. Who was the Law given to? A. While God was making a blood covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, He tells him that, your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years...afterwards they shall come out with great possessions. B. The book of Exodus opens up with the fulfillment of this prophecy to Abraham. It is a continuation of the Genesis account, dealing with the 430-year developof the family line of Abraham into a large nation. C. God raised up the prophet Moses and through his leadership and the hand of God, the children of Abraham were brought out of Egypt with great possessions. D. God brought the children of Abraham out of Egypt, so He could take them to the land promised to Abraham. To get to the Promised Land they had to pass through the wilderness of Sinai, and Exodus 19 shows us that it was here on Mt. Sinai that Moses was given the Law of God. E. The Law was given to the newly formed nation of Israel by the prophet Moses to govern them as a nation in the promised land and to instruct them about how they should worship God. F. Exodus 20-25, shows us the giving of the Law and shows us this was exclusively given to Israel as a nation.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

26

NOTES

LESSON 5: WHY THE LAW?

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

II. What exactly is the Law? A. When we speak of the Law there are three different areas: 1) Moral Law: Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) 2) Ceremonial Law: Order of Worship (Ex. 25:1-40) 3) Civil Law: Public Punishment (Exodus 21:1-24) B. The Moral Law was given to Israel to show mankind sin. C. The Ceremonial Law was given so they could atone for sin by sacrifice and ceremony. D. The Civil Law was given to rule the public life of the nation of Israel, the natural children of Abraham. III. What was the Law meant to accomplish? A. Romans 3:20 shows us that the Moral Law of God gives the knowledge of sin. F.F. Bruce says it was given to bring sin to light. B. The Moral Law defines sin. The holy Law shows man how far he has fallen from the likeness of God (Romans 3:9). IV. What was the Law not meant to accomplish? A. The Law was not given to make men acceptable to God, for by the works of the Law no one can be accepted by God (Galatians 2:16). B. The Law was not meant to bring life but to show man how dead in sin he really was. F.F. Bruce says it was to lead men to repentance. C. It was impossible for any man to fulfill the demands of Law. The Law demanded living right, but was powerless to provide the power to accomplish it. Its function was to make people conscious of their sin and their need of a Savior, as they practiced by faith temporary ceremonial cleansing under the law. V. How long was the Law to be effective? A. The Law and the nation of Israel were used by God to be somewhat like a fence or tutor to protect the promises of God until the Messiah came to fulfill them. B. Paul the apostle called the Law a tutor to lead us to Christ. 1) In Greek homes the young sons had a tutor to care for them until they came of age and became men. 2) At the age of 12 they were recognized as men and were released from the oversight of the tutor (Galatians 3:24). C. The Law was to point us to Christ, but once He came the Law was fulfilled in Him and its purpose complete.

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LESSON 5: WHY THE LAW?

VI. How do believers in Christ relate to the Law? A. Now that Christ has come, neither Jew nor Gentile (non-Jew) are under the Law, for Christ fulfilled the law. B. Romans 10:4 in the New Living Translation says that, Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law. All who believe in him are made right with God. C. We are to be dead to the Law (Romans 7:4). It was impossible for us to be right with God by the Law. In Christ we have been crucified and our right standing with God is based on faith in Christs work (Gal. 2:20). D. The Civil and Ceremonial Laws were of limited application to the nation of Israel, yet Gods moral law has an unchanging universal force. E. Through being born from above, Romans 3:31 tells us we establish the Moral Law of God by grace. In Romans 6:1 Paul refutes the ideal that grace gives us the right to break the Moral Law of God. The grace of Christ gives us the ability to not covet our neighbors house or wife. Gods grace restricts ungodliness; it does not permit it. CONCLUSION: The place of the Law was one of the greatest disputes in the early church. The issue of circumcision and the keeping of the Ceremonial Law was a major debate. Circumcision was given to Abraham and the children of Israel as a sign that they were covenant children of God. At the age of eight days all male Israelites had their foreskin cut. Certain Jewish Christians began to teach that for a Gentile or non-Jew to be sure they are accepted by God, and covenant partners with Him, they too must be circumcised and obey the Ceremonial Law. Paul the apostle who was born a Jew (Philippians 3:4-6) refuted this false teaching. He taught that both Jew and Gentile are saved on the basis of faith in the free gift of Christ. In Colossians 2:11 Paul says that it is not the circumcision in the flesh that matters, but the circumcision of the heart. It is faith in Christ, which places us into the family of God, not the keeping of the Law.

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 5:14

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Who was the Law given to? ___________________ 2. What did the Law give us the knowledge of? O Sin O Mercy O Life 3. Is the believer in Christ under the Moral Law? O Yes O No 4. How does the believer fulfill the Law? O Self-effort O Grace O Sacrifice

What does it make you feel like when you are being judged? How should we see others?

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NOTES

LESSON 6: MESSIAH
INTRODUCTION: But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem... mankind (Galatians 4:4). It was by the predetermined plan and purpose of the heavenly counsel that Christ was to step into time as the God-Man. God had promised that a Redeemer would come who would reunite Mankind with Him by His sacrificial death. The Old Covenant, written over a 1,000-year period, contains 332 distinct predictions of the promised Redeemer and they were literally fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Peter Stoner, who writes in Science Speaks, computed that the coincidence of scientific probability that any one person fulfilling just eight of these prophecies, would be 1017. Thats ten to the 17th power! Or 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Stoner gives an illustration by supposing that we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them across the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state to a depth of two feet. Now mark one of these dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he must find the marked silver dollar. What chance would he have of getting the right one? This is the same chance the prophets had of these prophecies coming true in any one man. Amazing, but true. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the one that was foretold by 332 Old Covenant Prophecies and He is the ONLY PERSON IN HISTORY to fulfill all of them. I. The book of Hebrews, which gives us the foundation for seeing the fulfillment of the Old Covenant in the Person of Christ, starts out by saying, Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets [in visions, dreams, and even face to face], telling them little by little about His plans. But now in these days He has spoken to us through His Son... (Hebrews 1:1-2 T.L.B.). A. It had been over 4,000 years since God told Adam and Eve that the Seed Of The Woman would deliver mankind when Jesus Christ stepped into time as Immanuel, born of a virgin (Matthew 1:22-23). B. Abraham had been promised nearly 2,000 years before, that his seed would bless the nations of the earth, then Christ came as the Seed to fulfill the promise (Galatians 3:16). C. It had been over 1,000 years since the Law was instituted, with the forming of the nation of Israel, the natural seed of Abraham. The prophets spoke of one that was coming who would be a Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

29

LESSON 6: MESSIAH
and a King like David (Ps. 132:11). In the fullness of times God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to the nation of Israel, to fulfill His promise. II. Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of all that the Old Covenant foretold of the Messiah. A. In Jesus life, ministry, death, resurrection and future Second Coming, prophecy after prophecy from the Old Covenant is fulfilled by Him. 1) Matthew 1:23 is a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 and Genesis 3:15 concerning the virgin birth. 2) Matthew 2:6 is a fulfillment of Micah 5:2 concerning Messiah being born in Bethlehem of Judea. B. The prophecy of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 was one of the most misunderstood prophecies, yet it is the one that most graphically displays the cross of Christ. C. The one thing that the teachers of Israel failed to understand was that the Messiah first had to suffer as the Lamb before He could deliver them from their enemies. The enemy that Jesus delivered Israel and the world from was not the Roman government, but the government or power of sin (Luke 1:68-75). 1) The beating of Christ by the soldiers and His silent reply in Matt. 27:30-31 was a fulfillment of Is. 53:7 2) Jesus dying on the cross with other criminals in Matthew 27:38 was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12. D. Jesus Christ who existed in the form of God...emptied Himself, taking the form of man. He humbled Himself to the place of death on a cross so that through His death, He might render powerless Him who had the power of death, that is, the devil (Phil.2:8; Heb. 2:14). 1) Jesus being buried in the rich man Josephs grave in Matthew 27:57-60 was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9. 2) Jesus being raised from the dead in Matthew 28:10 was a fulfillment of Psalms 16:1-8. E. In Luke 24:26-27 we see that after Jesus rose from the dead, He met two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. While walking down the road with them He explained to them that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory. Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all of the Bible. III. Jesus Christ the High Priest and King. A. Through the resurrection, Jesus was raised up and

NOTES

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30

NOTES

LESSON 6: MESSIAH
seated at the right hand of the Father. Hebrews 5:6, 10 says that Jesus is now the High Priest of the New Blood Covenant which is a fulfillment of Psalms 110:4. 1) A priest is someone designated by God to stand between Himself, a Holy God, and a sinful people offering up sacrifices for the sins of the people. 2) Jesus was the sacrifice and now He is the High Priest who presents His cleansing blood on our behalf. B. Jesus was born (Luke 2:11) and died as the king of the Jews (Luke 23:38). However, the prophecies concerning the Messiah ruling the earth will not be fulfilled until Christs Second Coming as foretold in Revelations 19:11-16, which will fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah 11:4 and Daniel 7:13-14, when Christ will rule as King of the earth. CONCLUSION: Understanding Jesus is the most important thing in this life, because it is in understanding Him on which eternal life is based. In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks His disciples, Who do you say that I am? Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. In this life we must be able to answer for ourselves, Who is Jesus? Jesus was more than a prophet, a good man or even a martyr; He was God manifested in the flesh (Matthew 1:23; I Timothy 3:16) to take mankinds sin once and for all. As the seed of the woman He came to redeem man by crushing the serpents head with His bruised body. Jesus Christ fulfilled all that the prophets predicted concerning the Messiah and now by the grace He has given, we can enter into His finished work on the cross. As we partake of the grace shown to us through Christs first coming, we need to expectantly look for the second coming of Christ. This will be the final fulfillment of all the prophets spoke, when Christ will return to the earth and rule the nations as the King of kings.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY
The Son of God

appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil
I John 3:8

SUGGESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION

How did God prepare the world for the time of Christ? Do you think God is involved with the history and future of mankind? Why or Why not?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Who is the fulfillment of all the Old Covenant foretold of the Messiah? O Mohammed O Joseph Smith O Jesus Christ 2. What is the enemy that Jesus delivered Israel and the entire world from? O Sin O Rome O Babylon 3. The prophecies concerning the Messiah ruling the earth will not be fulfilled until ___________________ Second Coming.

31

LESSON 7: THE CYCLE OF DEAD WORKS

INTRODUCTION: 4 Since man lost his original place of fellowship with God, he has tried through his own works to regain this place of intimacy. Every false religion is built upon some type of dead work. Basically, a dead work is doing something so you can be seen as good, or doing religious or non-religious activity to try and gain Gods or mans approval. What makes it totally dead is that it has no eternal value in the eyes of the one and true God. They are works motivated by the desire to ease a guilty conscience, or to promote self. A dead work will not help you get to God or receive His forgiveness and acceptance. Dead works end up in bondage, and not life! Hebrews 6:1 is the only place in the New Covenant using the term dead works, but the idea is throughout the Bible. Lets look at dead works from a biblical viewpoint. I. Dead works are usually done in sincerity. A. In the world there is a common saying and it goes, If I want it, then I must work for it! B. Religion is based on this notion. If I want Gods approval then I must be good, or I must do something for Him. C. There is a whole list of things people do for God: 1) Contribute time and effort to charities. 2) Donate money to organizations. 3) Fast regularly, eat healthy & abstain from bad foods. 4) Stop smoking, drinking or doing drugs. 5) Pray and chant as an attempt to get to God. 6) The keeping of religious holidays. D. Some of the things in this list may be noble activities done with sincere motives but what makes them dead works is that they are an attempt to deal with a guilty conscience through our own strength or works. E. Rick Joyner says that, Paul the apostle wrote of his Jewish brethren in Romans 10:2, I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. No one on earth prayed more, fasted more, gave more money, read the Bible more, had a greater hope in the coming of the Messiah than the Pharisees. Yet, they were the greatest opposers of God and His Messiah when He came. F. Sincerity is a good thing, yet no matter how sincere we are there is no amount of works which can cleanse our sins. II. What gives man a guilty conscience? A. It was through Adams transgression that sin entered the

NOTES

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32

NOTES

LESSON 7: THE CYCLE OF DEAD WORKS

world. According to Romans 3:23 the result is that, all have sinned; all fall short of Gods glorious standard. B. By definition sin simply means, to miss the mark, come short of the goal and not share in the prize. C. By our own personal sin we reinforce the fact that we are sinners. The result of personal acts of sin is guilt, which is a knowledge that we deserve punishment. D. Its like the little boy who hits his sister and the mother says, You will be punished when your father comes home. Within that boy is a knowledge that he has done wrong, and therefore will be punished for his actions. III. The motivation of dead works is fear. A. In Genesis 3:7 the motivation for making the garment of fig leaves is the fear of punishment. The response Adam gave to God for not answering His call was, I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself. B. A guilty conscience, which is afraid of punishment, will try and work to cover the guilt that comes from sin. C. What about the little boy who hit his sister? He could have responded to his mother, I will do the dishes for a week if you dont tell dad! Dead works is a guilty conscience trying to get out of the punishment it knows it deserves, through self-effort or works. IV. The fruit of dead works is hypocrisy. A. The religious leaders of the Jewish people, the Pharisees, prayed, fasted, gave money, studied religion, yet Jesus called them hypocrites. B. The word hypocrite in the Greek language means to be an actor. Jesus called the religious people hypocrites or actors because they appeared to be godly in front of men, but their hearts were still evil (Matthew 6:2; 7:5; 23:13-29). C. There is a pattern in the religious actors life. He wants to show people how righteous he is through his own self-effort, yet he remains in sin (II Timothy 3:5). D. When we perform dead works it does not remove our guilt. Dead works are like a drug. When you do them, you feel a temporary relief from guilt. However, it only puts you into a deadly cycle. V. On the following page you will see an illustration of the cycle of dead works:

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LESSON 7: THE CYCLE OF DEAD WORKS

Commit Sin Perform Works SelfEffort Pride In Self Commit Sin Perform Works Pride In Self

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

A. The cycle of dead works is living like a yo-yo. We take pride in ourselves when we do good, but when we sin we go into despair and guilt, only to perform more works. B. The cycle of dead works is built on self-effort to try and live up to a code of conduct by which we gain approval before God or man. C. When we base our lives on keeping a code of conduct we become prideful in our self-effort and look down on others that arent as good as we. When we fail to keep the code of conduct we go into despair and guilt, only to perform more works, so we can be accepted. CONCLUSION: Dead works are based on self. As you can see in the illustration above, self is the center of the cycle of dead works. Self is living independent of Gods ability and trusting in our own ability. When we try to conquer sin through our own works it will always result in defeat. In the next lesson we will look at the only way we can be free from sins power over our lives. We do not have to live in the cycle of dead works but can base our lives solidly on the grace of God and turn away from reliance on self. Its time to be done with dead works and to live our lives on the foundation of Christs work.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. Galatians 2:16

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Dead works are usually done in: O Anger O Ignorance O Sincerity 2. The fruit of dead works is ____________________. 3. Dead works are like a drug. O True O False 4. What is the cycle of dead works built on? O Faith O Self-effort O Kindness

Do you go to church to please others? Do you do things to get others approval?

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NOTES

LESSON 8: THE CYCLE OF NEW LIFE

INTRODUCTION: The cycle of dead works can only be broken through true repentance. Repentance always means turning around and changing from our own ways to God. No self-effort can be substituted for true repentance. However, true repentance is not based on self, but on Gods goodness. As the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to see the love of God, which has been poured out freely upon us through Christ, then through His power we can turn away from sin and dead works. The common saying in the world that goes, if I want it, then I must work for it, does not apply to freedom from sin. Freedom from sin only comes through receiving the free grace of God and allowing Gods grace to liberate us to serve God from a heart of love and thankfulness. I. The wonderful grace of God! A. Grace is a small word, but it has a very powerful effect, which can change a man from a sinner to a saint. B. The Lexical Aids to the New Testament say that Grace is, a favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and free heartedness of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor. C. Grace is not earned or worked for; it can only be received. Ephesians 2:4-5 says that, God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by Gods special favor that you have been saved!). N.L.T. D. Simply put, grace is the free gift of Christ (Rm. 5:15). Our salvation is not based on works, but on grace. Only Christ can save us from our sins, and it is His grace that we want to live by, not our own self-effort. II. Grace the foundation of freedom. A. Romans 3:25 says that we have been, justified as a gift by His grace... In the New Living Translation it says that, God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty, He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins (Emphasis Mine). B. To be justified is to be declared by God not guilty. Through grace God clears us of the guilt of sin, apart from works. III. Grace is the foundation of fellowship. A. At the very core of grace is a restored relationship with God. Sin separated us from God, but He has, reconciled us to Himself through Christ (II Corinthians 5:18).

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35

LESSON 8: THE CYCLE OF NEW LIFE

NOTES

B. The word reconcile is used to explain the work of the cross. By taking upon Himself our sin and becoming an innocent sacrifice for us, Christ took the sin that separated us from God. Since our sin has been dealt with by Him, then we can have peace and fellowship with God. C. Ephesians 1:7 further explains that in Christ, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, or as the New Living Translation says, He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son and it is all because of the riches of His grace. D. The basis of our relationship with God is the blood of Christ. Though once you were far away from God, now you have been brought near to Him because of the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13 N.L.T.). E. Sin is what separated man from God. However, Jesus Christ came as the Lamb of God to pay for our sin. Jesus was without sin, yet in II Corinthians 5:21 it says that, God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. The basis of our relationship with God is not our works, but Gods grace. IV. Grace the foundation of faith. A. Grace has freely been poured out through Christ, but how do we become partakers of this mighty outpouring? B. Let me use the example of Niagara Falls, which is an awesome sight! There are literally millions of gallons of water rushing over the edge of the falls every minute. To the common sightseer it is just a wonderful sight to see, but to the power plant operator, it is the power which lights a city with electricity. C. Faith is the channel by which grace is used. Grace is the source, but faith takes the power of grace and becomes the channel by which Gods grace can be experienced. D. Ephesians 2:8 says that, BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED through faith. V. Living by the grace of God. (II Timothy 2:1;Romans 6:1;Romans 8:1) A. Grace and faith are the center of our Christian lives and when they are at the hub of our lives, then we live in the cycle of new life:

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NOTES

LESSON 8: THE CYCLE OF NEW LIFE

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

Forgiven

Sins Power Broken

Grace

Jesus
Faith

Reconciled

Justified

B. When by faith we tap into the grace of Christ, then we will be empowered by the cycle of new life. C. Grace is the power to live the Christian life. By Gods grace the power of sin has been broken. Grace does not give us the right to continue in sin, but to repent and turn away from a sin-ruled life, to a God-ruled life. CONCLUSION: There is an old Christian song that goes, Oh the blood of Jesus, it washes white as snow. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse our hearts from sin. Hebrews 9:14 says that the blood of Jesus not only cleanses us from sin, but also cleanses our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Dead works are trying to get to God through our own self-effort. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves except open our hearts to the grace of God. Grace is the foundation of our relationship with God. Gods heart of forgiveness and acceptance is poured out upon us through Christs abundance of grace. It is only as we learn to abide in the cycle of new life that we can serve God, from His power source of grace.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Grace is not earned or worked for, but can only be received. O True O False 2. The basis of our relationship with God is the blood of Christ. O True O False 3. What separates man from God? O Sin O Love O Peace 4. Faith is the channel by which grace is used? O True O False

SUGGESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION

What is the one act we must do to be free from sin? How is this not a dead work?

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LESSON 9: SAVING FAITH

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: When we talk about the subject of faith many people think it is something that they have to muster up or produce on their own. Faith is simply a result of grace. Remember the example of Niagara Falls? Grace is Gods favor and free love that has been poured out on us through the cross of Christ. God so loved us that He gave us Christ to literally become sin on our behalf, that we might be free from sins power. However, we have to open our hearts up to this grace for it to change us. Niagara Falls would produce no energy, if it was not channeled into a power plant and used. Grace can only change us when it is channeled into our hearts and faith is produced to save us from our sins. Ephesians 2:89 says that, by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. Lets learn how to channel Gods grace into our lives and experience Gods saving faith. I. A picture of the channel of faith:
The river of Gods grace The Channel Of Faith SAVED NEW LIFE RECONCILED SSS JUSTIFIED FORGIVEN

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

A. Ephesians 2:8 says that by grace you have been saved THROUGH FAITH. B. The word through in the Greek language is defined as denoting the channel of an act. FAITH IS THE CHANNEL by which Gods saving grace brings us salvation and all the benefits that come with grace. C. Romans 3:24-25 tells that we are justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiatory sacrifice in His blood THROUGH FAITH. The New Living Translation says, Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sinsWe are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us. II. We are saved from our sins by faith, not by works. A. In Romans 3:27-28 Paul asks us, Can we boast...that we have done anything to be accepted by God? He

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NOTES

LESSON 9: SAVING FAITH

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

answers this question himself by saying, No, because our acquittal or justification is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law or a code of conduct (N.L.T.). B. Just as Abraham the father of faith was justified by (Rom. 4:3) believing Gods word spoken to Him, so we are made right with God by believing in the message of the gospel. III. The gospel is the power of God that works for us. A. Paul said that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). So within the gospel is the power to be justified, reconciled, forgiven and to have eternal life. B. Then in Romans 10:17 Paul says that we receive faith as we hear the message of the gospel. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God. C. The gospel is like a seed planted in the heart. Within the seed of the gospel is the power of God for salvation. In Mark 4:20 Jesus likened the heart of man to the soil and His words to a seed. Within the seed is the power to reproduce a tree. All there needs to be is good soil which is open and available to be used for the seed to bear fruit. D. The point I am making here is that faith is produced when we open up our hearts to hear and receive the grace of God through the message of the gospel. It is not a salvation based on our ability but on Gods power working in us. E. Does the soil have to struggle and strive for the seed to grow into a tree? No, because within the seed is the power! If you will keep the word of God planted in your heart then it will produce the power of God in you for salvation. IV. Salvation is a covenant agreement with God. A. Through the gospel message we are invited to enter into a binding agreement or covenant with God. B. When we receive the message of the gospel, which is Gods grace extended to us, Romans 10:9 says all we have to do is believe with our hearts and agree by a confession of our mouths that Jesus is our Lord, then Gods power does the rest. C. The blood covenant is not based on our works, but based on the work of Christ on the cross, shedding His blood for us, so we can be free from the guilt and power of sin.

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LESSON 9: SAVING FAITH

D. Lets look at Romans 3:25 in the New Living Translation again: For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins...We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us. E. In Romans 10:9 the word confess, means to come into agreement with God. Its like marriage. When two people make their vows to one another they are confessing to one another or coming into a binding agreement together. F. Salvation is coming into agreement with the blood covenant God has made with us through Christ. As we do this then we become covenant partners with Him. G. As covenant partners it is our part to work out our salvation by allowing Him to work in us. As we agree with God we will have faith to do His will. (Phil. 2:12). CONCLUSION: What a glorious salvation God has provided for us. All we have to do is receive what Christ has already done for us and it is ours. By simply receiving the message of the gospel and believing with our hearts, our sins can be washed away and we can be declared not guilty. It is astounding to think about! Jesus went to jail for me and paid for my crime when I was guilty. I deserved punishment, but He took my punishment. I dont have to punish myself or try and work for my forgiveness. Freedom from the power and guilt of sin is a free gift. When our eyes are open to see the free goodness of God, how can we not repent and make Jesus our Lord, because He is a Heavenly Husband that can be trusted. This is why Peter could say, Behold I lay in Zion a Choice Stone, a Precious Corner stone, And He who believes in Him shall not be disappointed. (I Peter 2:6)

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The word through in the Greek language is defined as _______________ the ______________ of an act. 2. How are we saved from our sins? O Faith O Works O Death 3. Does the soil have to struggle and strive for the seed to grow into a tree? O Yes O No 4. Salvation is a ____________________ agreement with God.

What steps led to you receiving the good news? What is different in your life now that Gods word is planted in your heart?

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NOTES

LESSON 10: A LIFESTYLE OF REPENTANCE

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INTRODUCTION: We have relationships with many different people: working, school, friend and family relationships. All have different levels of intimacy and commitment. However, the most important relationship that we have is the one we have with God. Our relationship with God is the key to living a fulfilled and meaningful life in this body. There are many things in this world, which can hinder our relationship with God from growing. Repentance is an important key, which will help keep our relationship with God growing. Just like any relationship, at times there will come difficulties, which will test the strength of the relationship. When it comes to our relationship with God the problem is not God, but our hearts. Living in a lifestyle of repentance will help keep our hearts humble, adaptable and changeable which will cause us to grow in the grace of God. I. The THREE MAIN HINDRANCES to growing in the grace of God: A. Emotionalism B. Hedonism C. Legalism II. Emotionalism is living life by feelings and circumstances. A. When we base our lives on feelings and circumstances then we are not rooted and grounded in grace, but are up and down with every wind that moves our feelings or affects our circumstances (Ephesians 4:14). B. The result of a life based on feelings and circumstances is insecurity and instability in our relationship with God. III. Hedonism is basing our life on ease and pleasure. A. When having an easy and pleasurable life becomes the focus of what we do, Mark 4:19 says that our hearts become thorny and will not grow in grace. B. Hebrews 11:25 talks about the passing pleasures of sin. Sin brings temporary pleasure, but also spiritual death. C. In Luke 15 Jesus told the story of a young man who wanted his inheritance and spent it all ending up in slavery because of his desire to live a life of ease and pleasure. D. The result of a life based on ease and pleasure is slavery to sin, which hardens our hearts to God (Heb. 3:13). IV. Legalism is basing our life on works and self-denial. A. Paul said in Galatians 5:4 that we sever our relationship with God and fall from grace, when we are trying to be

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LESSON 10: A LIFESTYLE OF REPENTANCE

NOTES

right with Him based on a code of conduct, or the law. B. Denying ourselves for the sake of following Jesus is a must; however, self-denial is a different story. Colossians 2:18 (N.L.T.) says, dont let anyone condemn you by insisting on self-denial. When self-denial becomes our focus for being acceptable to God we have departed from the grace of God. C. The result of a life based on works and self-denial is a relationship based on legalism, or guilt and shame. VII. Love is the basis of repentance. A. At times every Christian will struggle with Emotionalism, Hedonism and Legalism. As long as we live in this world we will struggle with these areas. All the sins of the flesh found in Gal. 5:19-21 are rooted in these three areas:

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

EMOTIONALISM

HEDONISM

LEGALISM
Enmities Factions Dissensions

Strife Sexual Immorality Outbursts of Anger Impurity / Sensuality Fighting Sorcery / Idolatry Jealousy Drunkenness / Partying

B. If we find ourselves overcome by any of these sins the only way to get free is repentance. C. Repentance is simply responding to the Holy Spirits loving conviction which draws us back to the Father. The Holy Spirit will remind us of the work of Christ on the cross and the commitment we have made to Him. D. Repentance is renewing our covenant relationship with God. I John 1:9 says that If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. E. Repentance does not change Gods love for us, because He never stopped loving us. It changes our direction from a life of sin back to the foundation of Gods love and forgiveness. VIII. To grow in grace we must live by Gods love. A. When we base our lives on Emotionalism, Hedonism or Legalism it hinders our relationship with God. B. God never leaves us, but we leave Him when we base our lives on these things. When this happens we must repent and turn back to the foundation of Gods love. C. To grow in grace our lives must be based on the solid foundation of Christ. In Ephesians 3:17 Paul says, I

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NOTES

LESSON 10: A LIFESTYLE OF REPENTANCE

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of Gods marvelous love. (N.L.T.). D. Every healthy relationship is based on love. Love is the foundation of our relationship with God. As we learn to have our heart secure in the love of God then we will grow in grace and faith. CONCLUSION: Repentance is for those times when we are taken off course by the works of the flesh. In this world there is an enemy to our relationship with God. Satan, who works through this world system, tries to take us off the foundation of Gods love through Emotionalism, Hedonism and Legalism. Even if we do yield to the flesh we can be assured that Gods love never changes. The son who left home in Luke 15 and wasted his life through Hedonistic living finally responded to the convicting love of the Holy Spirit. To his surprise, when he returned back to his father, the fathers heart was open wide. Gods love is not based on our works or whether we feel like He loves us or not. Gods heart toward us will never change. God has so loved us that He has given us Christ, who has poured out His grace on us so we can be free from sin. Gods grace will empower us to walk on the firm foundation of His love. As we allow this to happen then we will have the victory over sin through faith and grow in the grace of God.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. When we base our lives on feelings and circumstances, we are living by: O Faith O Emotionalism O Love 2. When our lives are based on ease and pleasure, we are living by: O Hedonism O Self-control O Doubt 3. Legalism is basing our lives on _________________ and ________________ - __________________. 4. Repentance is the way to escape the trap of emotionalism, hedonism and legalism. O True O False

SUGGESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION

What kind of road blocks or sins try to take you off course?

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LESSON 11: LIVING FAITH

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: In Romans 1:16-17 Paul the apostle says that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes...For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, But he who is righteous by faith shall he live. From beginning to the end our lives as Christians we are to live by faith. The Bible goes so far as to say that it is impossible to please God without faith. Faith is simply allowing the power of Gods word, which has been planted in our hearts, to fully grow. Does the soil have to struggle and strive for the seed to grow into a tree? No, because within the seed is the power! If you will keep the word of God planted in your heart then it will produce fruit. The fruit of faith is a living faith, which will touch and affect other peoples lives. As the word of God grows in our hearts we will be more and more conformed into the image of Christ and will do the good works God has created us to perform. I. The seed grows in good soil. A. In Mark 4 Jesus tells the parable of the sower. The seed is the word of God and the soil is different types of hearts. B. Mark 4:20 says that the good soil is a person who hears the word and allows it to be planted in their heart. This person develops a close intimate relationship with the word of God, and they will bear fruit. C. The word of God will produce faith in those who allow it to be planted in their heart. Hebrews 4:12 says that the word of God is full of living power (N.L.T.). D. The living power of the word of God will produce results, if we learn how to keep it planted within our hearts, so it can bear fruit. II. Cooperating with the principles of growth. A. There are principles of growth that we must cooperate with so the word of God can grow in our hearts. B. We must learn how to cultivate our hearts like a farmer does the soil of his field, so the word will grow. 1) The Principle of Preparation: James 1:21 tells us that we must receive the word of God with humility. Our hearts must be humble to accept what God says. 2) The Principle of Planting: It is not enough to just accept what God says; it must be planted in our hearts. James 1:21 uses the word implanted. If someone receives a heart transplant, that heart is planted in them. 3) The Principle of Watering: Psalms 1:3 says that those who meditate on the word of God become like

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NOTES

LESSON 11: LIVING FAITH

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tree firmly planted by streams of water. 4) The Principle of Light: Psalms 119:130 says that, the unfolding of thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. As we meditate on the word of God we will receive understanding and wisdom. This will help us to live by what the word of God says. 5) The Principle of Time: Psalms 1:3 says that the tree will yield its fruit in its season. It is through faith and patience that we will see fruit grow. Abraham believed what God had said, but it took a season for him to receive the promise. III. Hindrances to growth. A. Mark 4:15-19 shows us three hindrances to growth. 1) Satan : When the seed is sown, the enemy will try to steal the word from us. He will try and blind our minds to the truth, which will cause unbelief. 2) Persecution: If the enemy cannot steal the word, then once we begin to hide the word of God in our heart, he will try and get us to quit by sending difficulties our way. He wants us to think it is not worth the trouble, or that the word of God wont work for us. 3) Worldliness: Spending our time meditating on our problems, or how much money we can make and putting other things before the word of God, chokes the power of Gods word to grow in our hearts IV. Faith in action. A. If we will put Gods word first and allow its power to work in us, then we will bear fruit. B. We will bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and we will do good works (Eph. 2:10). Good works is faith in action. C. James says that our faith needs to have action. Faith without action helps no one else (James 2:14-17). D. Faith in action is the demonstration of Gods love and grace working through our lives. Meditating On Gods Word MEDITATION IS THE KEY FOR THE WORD OF GOD TO FULLY DEVELOP IN OUR HEARTS. ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE ARE THREE WAYS TO MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD:

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LESSON 11: LIVING FAITH

NOTES

1) Memorization: This is the aspect of hiding the word in our hearts (Ps.119:11). This is a disciplined intake of Gods word. 2) Confession: The word meditate also means to mutter. Taking the word of God hidden in our hearts and saying what Gods word says about us and our situations (Romans 10:10) . 3) Application: As the word is in our hearts and we mutter it to ourselves, the Holy Spirit will teach us how to apply the word of God to situations in our life (John 14:26).
5

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I Am Significant In Christ
John 1:12 I am Gods child John 15:15 I am Christs friend Romans 5:1 I have been justified Ephesians 1:1 I am a saint I Cor. 6:17 I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit I Cor. 12:27 I am a member of Christs Body Ephesians 1:5 I have been adopted as Gods child I Cor. 6:20 I belong to God

SCRIPTURE MEMORY II Corinthians 6:1 I am Gods co-worker Ephesians 2:10 I am Gods workmanship Eph. 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Christ II Corinthians 5:17-20 I am forgiven of all sins in Christ

I Am Accepted In Christ
Romans 8:1-2 I am free from condemnation Romans 8:35 I cannot be separated from the love of God I Corinthians 3:16 I am Gods temple II Timothy 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind Rom. 8:28 I am assured that all things work together for good

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is one way the word of God is pictured as in the Bible? O Ice O A seed O Fertile soil 2. List the five principles of growth: 1) _____________________________ 2) _____________________________ 3) _____________________________ 4) _____________________________ 5) _____________________________ 3. The three hindrances to growth are Satan, persecution and worldliness. O True O False

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Have you ever experienced any hindrances to your spiritual growth? How will you deal with hindrances in the future?

46

NOTES

LESSON 12: THE VICTORY OF FAITH

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INTRODUCTION: 6 True faith is of the heart, not of the mind. The eyes of faith see what others cannot see. True faith comes by having the Lord open the eyes of our hearts so that we may see Him more clearly than this present world. True faith gives us victory! I John 5:4 tells us that, every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God (N.L.T.). The New American Standard Version says, this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. The Greek word for victory is the word nike. This word is defined as conquest or the means of success. Success from the Bibles perspective is not having a million dollars, a large home, three cars or anything we desire. Success is doing and completing the will of God. We not only start our Christian walk by faith, but we are to run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. I. Faith pleases God. A. God is the God who operates by faith and He expects His children to follow His example. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) 1) Faith brings us into relationship with God. 2) Faith is trusting God as our Heavenly Provider. B. What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It the evidence of things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 N.L.T.) II. Where does faith come from? A. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. The Wuest translation says that, faith is out of the source of that which is heard, and that which is heard [the message] is through the agency of the Word concerning Christ (Romans 10:17). B. Faiths source or power comes from the seed (word) put into our hearts. As we give Gods word place in our hearts then Gods power will work in us. III. Faith brings us into relationship with God. A. Faith is the channel by which we have relationship with God. Paul the apostle says that the life which we now

47

LESSON 12: THE VICTORY OF FAITH

NOTES

live in the flesh we are to live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and delivered Himself up for us (Galatians 2:20). B. In Ephesians 3:17 we are told that by faith Christ dwells in our hearts. Faith is the channel by which Christ comes to live and dwell within us. IV. Faith is trusting God as our Heavenly Provider. A. 2 The Greek and Hebrew words for salvation imply the ideas of deliverance, safety, preservation, healing and soundness. B. Gods grace is the source of salvation. Romans 8:32 says, He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? C. God not only desires a relationship with us His children, but He also desires to provide for our every need. 1) Financially: We need to trust God to be involved with our necessities of life because God wants to meet our needs (Phil. 4:19). 2) Physically: The healing of our bodies has been made available through Christs death (I Peter 2:24). 3) Emotionally: We do not have to be emotionally crippled. Through Christ we can be forgiven, our needs met, healed in our bodies; and the wounds of our souls can be made whole, so we can be at peace with ourselves and relate well with others (Lk. 4:18). D. The word of God is the source of our faith by which we receive from our Heavenly Provider. Jesus said man is not sustained by bread only, but by Gods word (Matthew 4:4). V. How to walk in Gods promises by faith: A. A Word From God: The Bible is Gods word; however, faith is out of the source of that which is heard (Romans 10:17 Wuest). When Gods word becomes our word, then faith is activated to walk in the promises of God. B. A Fully Persuaded Position: Funk & Wagnals Dictionary defines faith as a union of belief and trust; it is a belief so strong that it becomes a part of ones own nature. 1) Faith is being so persuaded on Gods promises to us, that nothing can move us away from them. 2) Faith sees with the eyes of the heart (Rom. 4:19). Faith respects Gods word and trusts in what God

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48

NOTES

LESSON 12: THE VICTORY OF FAITH

says more than what the five natural senses say (Romans 4:21). 3) Faith is a confident assurance that what we hope for is going to come to pass, although we cannot yet see it with our natural eyes (Hebrews 11:1). C. Patience: We are exhorted to ...not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). 1) The word patience means continuance. The root word means...to stay under. Tom Mc Daniels, a friend of mine comments by saying, God wants you to STAY UNDER the promise He has made for you. 2) Patience will take you where God has promised! When difficulties come, and they will, patience doesnt quit but under girds your faith, until you fully walk in the will of God (Hebrews 6:15). CONCLUSION: The athletic competitions of the Greeks provided a common illustration used in Pauls epistles and in Hebrews 12:1 to describe the Christian life. Like a runner, the Christian must be in constant motion toward the goal despite opposition. This is why we are encouraged to run with endurance (steadfastness) the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish (N.L.T. Emphasis Mine). Faith is living life in relationship with God, trusting completely in His extended arms of love to us, through what Christ has done for us. Faith draws from the never-ending river of Gods resources. We must continually be refreshed, by reminding ourselves of the great promises He has made to us; then we will be strengthened to finish the race that has been set before us.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY This is the victory that has overcome the world our faith.
I John 5:4

SUGGESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is the one thing that pleases God? O Anger O Faith O Lust 2. Faiths source of power comes from the seed (word) put into our hearts. O True O False 3. Faith brings us into ________________ with God. 4. List the three areas God desires to provide for us: 1) ___________________ 2) ___________________ 3) ___________________

Is faith something you feel like you can apply in your daily life?

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LESSON 13: BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: In Hebrews 6:2 the Bible talks about the doctrine of baptisms. Take note, that baptisms is not singular, but plural. Baptism can be a very controversial subject in the body of Christ. I believe the Bible teaches three main baptisms. There are a number of other times the word baptism is used in the Bible, but I feel they could come under the category of the three main baptisms. What I want to look at first is what I see as the initial baptism, which is being baptized into one body, or you might say being baptized into Christ. The word baptism in the Greek simply means the process of immersion, submersion and emergence. It means to dip, to plunge, to cover completely. 7 An example of this would be that of dying a garment. A garment of one color is baptized into the dye of a different color. The garment must be completely immersed, or submerged, into the new color in order to totally change. This total immersion is Biblical baptism. Lets look and see how we are changed as a result of being baptized into the one body of Christ. I. For by one Spirit we were all BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY... A. Here in I Corinthians 12:13 it says that every true believer has been baptized into Christs body. B. To understand being baptized into Christs body there are several questions that we must answer: 1) When were we baptized into one body? 2) How does being baptized into one body change us? 3) How does being baptized into one body affect us? II. When were we BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY? A. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord, we received the Holy Spirit and were baptized into Christs body (John 3:7; I Cor. 6:19-20). B. At the moment we received the new birth, by the renewing of the Holy Spirit, right then we were baptized into Christ, becoming part of His body. III. How does being BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY change us? A. To be baptized into one body is not a physical change, nor a physical act. It is the work of the Holy Spirit which transforms our hearts. B. The prophet Ezekiel described the new birth when he said, I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU...I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU (Ezekiel 36:26).

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50

NOTES

LESSON 13: BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY

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C. Ephesians 1: 13 says that when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit (N.L.T.). D. The apostle John calls this being born from above. Paul in II Cor. 5:17 says we become new creations; in Titus 3:5 he calls it the washing of regeneration; in Ephesians 4:24 it is called the new man, and then in Galatians 3:27 he uses the term baptized into Christ. All of these terms and there are some others, basically mean the same thing. E. The basic meaning is that by the Holy Spirit, Christ takes up residence in our hearts. To be baptized into Christs body means that Christ now lives in us (Colossians 1:9). IV. How does being BAPTIZED INTO THE BODY affect us? A. Understanding being baptized into the body affects us in two main ways: 1) In our relationship with God. 2) In our relationship with the one body of Christ. B. IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. 1) Paul says in II Cor. 6:17 that we are the temple of the living God. As God said: I will live in them and walk among them, I will be their God, and they will be my people (N.L.T.). 2) When we began to comprehend that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, our relationship with God takes on new meaning (I Corinthians 6:20). 3) Paul in Romans 8:15-17 encourages us to not be like cowering, fearful slaves. Instead we should behave like Gods very own children, adopted into His family - calling Him Father, dear Father. For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are Gods children. And since we are His children, we will share His treasures - for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too (N.L.T.). 4) By Christ coming to live in our hearts we have been changed from a sinner to a child of God. The Spirit of Christ has clothed our inner man with Himself. When the Father sees us, He sees Christ in us. C. IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ONE BODY OF CHRIST. 1) Romans 12:5 tells us that we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

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LESSON 13: BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY

NOTES

2) The body of Christ is the instrument of Jesus life on this earth. Paul describes Christians in his writings as the body of Christ in which the resurrected Christ is the head (Eph. 4:15;5:23; Col. 1:18). 3) All Christians have been cleansed by the same blood, filled with the same Spirit and given the same name. Our new identity as a people is under the banner of Jesus Christ our Lord. We are no longer our own, but we are now His and since we are all His, then we also belong to one another. 4) It is impossible to say we have been baptized into Christ without also saying we are members of Christs body on this earth, the church. CONCLUSION: To be baptized into one body is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14). Being clothed in Christ is to live by our new identity as children of God. Christ in us brings us into an intimate relationship with God as our Father. It is important that we are continually renewed in our mental attitude and that we put on the new nature, which is the Spirit of Christ living in us (Ephesians 4:20-24). By allowing this to happen, we will grow up in every way toward Him who is the Head of the body, who is Christ. Also, the word of God tells us to encourage and build up one another (I Thessalonians 5:11), to pray for each other (Ephesians 6:18) and to help one another (Galatians 6:2). There are no lone rangers in the body of Christ and as each single part fulfils its proper function then the whole body will be benefited. Being baptized into one body brings us into union with Christ and makes us a member of the one body of Christ.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. I Corinthians 12:13

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. How are we baptized into the one body of Christ? O Through water O By the Spirit O By communion 2. When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord, we received the Holy Spirit and were baptized into Christs body. O True O False 3. To be baptized into one body is not a ___________ change, nor a ________________ act.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

As you have come to understand baptism into the body of Christ, how has it affected your outlook as a Christian?

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NOTES

LESSON 14: BAPTISM INTO WATER

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

INTRODUCTION: If you have ever witnessed a marriage, what you witnessed was two hearts that had already been united together, making a public declaration of their commitment to one another. Baptism into water is a symbolic act, which declares our union with Christ, before public witnesses. The early church immediately baptized into water those who received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They took baptism into water seriously. Water baptism is a symbolic ritual of being united with Christ. 6 The wedding ceremony is not the actual marriage but rather a ceremonial commitment to marriage, water baptism is a ceremonial commitment to union with the Lord in His death, that day by day commitment to take up our crosses, to lay down our own lives and self-interests for the sake of the gospel. It is also a declaration of the new life we have received by receiving the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. Our immersion in water is a ceremonial ritual meant to symbolize our commitment to make our total commitment to Jesus a reality, that we will no longer live for ourselves but for Him who has been raised from the dead and who has come to live within our hearts. I. What is BAPTISM INTO WATER? A. The Bible shows us that baptism into water is a full submersion UNDERNEATH water. B. Jesus as our example, when He was baptized, went into the Jordan River and then up from the water (Matthew 3:16). C. Another example of baptism into water is when Philip baptizes the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:38). 1) They both go down into the water. 2) Then the Eunuch is baptized into water. D. This is a list of other places in the book of Acts where people were baptized into water: Pentecost Acts 2:38 Samaria Acts 8:16 House of Cornelius Acts 10:48 Ephesus Acts 19:5 II. When should we be BAPTIZED INTO WATER? A. In all of the examples we see in the book of Acts, they were baptized after they made a confession of faith that Jesus Christ was their Lord. B. In Acts 8:37 you can see that the Ethiopian asked Philip to baptize him into water and Philip gave him the requirement of believing in Jesus Christ with all his heart. C. Receiving Christ as our Lord and making a covenant commitment to Him comes before baptism into water.

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LESSON 14: BAPTISM INTO WATER

III. BAPTISM INTO WATER is symbolic of our union with

NOTES

Christ. A. Baptism into water speaks symbolically of our: 1) Union with Christs death and burial. 2) Union with Christs resurrection life B. OUR UNION WITH CHRISTS DEATH AND BURIAL (ROM. 6:4). 1) Water baptism is symbolic of our being united with Christ in the very likeness of His death. 2) To be baptized into water is to declare that our lives are now dedicated to the purpose of His death, which is no longer living life for ourselves but for Him. 3) To have a resurrection there must first be a death. If we want to walk in the resurrection life of Jesus, we must be willing to lay down our lives for Him. C. OUR UNION WITH CHRISTS RESURRECTION LIFE (ROM. 6:5). 1) Water baptism is symbolic of our being united not only with Christs death, but also with His resurrection. 2) As we come up out of the waters of baptism, we are demonstrating our faith that the same Spirit which raised Christ from the dead now lives in us. 3) Through our union with Christs resurrection, we can now walk in the newness of life we have been given through the power of the Holy Spirit. IV. BAPTISM INTO WATER declares our victory in Christ. A. In I Peter 3:21 Peter uses Noah being saved through the flood as a type of baptism into water. Noah and his family had to enter the ARK of safety first, then the water delivered them from an evil world. B. Jesus is the ARK of safety which we enter and baptism into water declares our deliverance from this present evil age. The Amplified Bible says it is through baptism into water that we demonstrate what we believe to be ours through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. C. Our victory in Christ does not come through being covered in water. Baptism into water simply declares that we are no longer the same person. Through going under the water we declare the old man is dead and we now have a new beginning, identity and life in Christ. V. BAPTISM INTO WATER is a public commitment to Christ. A. Baptism into water is to be a public confession of faith, that we are covenant partners with Christ. B. When two people enter into marriage they publicly declare their separation from all others to one another. In

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NOTES

LESSON 14: BAPTISM INTO WATER

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

baptism into water we are publicly declaring that we are separated from the world and are set apart to be Christs alone (Romans 6:11;13). C. By baptism into water we are visibly incorporated into the community of faith and are declaring that we are committed to a life of discipleship. NOTE: In countries where religions other than Christianity are dominant, a new believer may confess Christianity without much rejection from his family. However, this is not so with baptism into water! The line is drawn at baptism into water; he is many times cast out of the family and treated as a commitment, which cannot be reversed. They know the line has been drawn; there is no going back. CONCLUSION: As you have seen, the truth of baptism into water, and if you have not been baptized into water after making your confession of faith, it is time to do it. Why wait? Baptism into water will not give you eternal salvation, but it is an open proclamation to the world that you have already received eternal salvation and your conscience is now clean before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Come and identify with Christs life in you through the ceremonial act of baptism into water. In the book of Acts we can see that in the early church they immediately baptized into water those who received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They took baptism into water seriously and so should we. It is time to declare your union with Christ, before public witnesses by baptism into water.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I Peter 3:21

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The Bible shows us that baptism into water is a full submersion _____________________ water. SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 2. Baptism into water comes after: O Joining the church O Taking communion O Making Jesus Christ your Lord 3. Baptism into water is symbolic of our union with Christ. O True O False 4. Baptism into water speaks symbolically of our: 1) _________________________ 2) _________________________

Was baptism into water a special time for you? Why do you postpone being baptized into water?

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LESSON 15: BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

INTRODUCTION: 8 There probably has been no other experience within Christianity which has been more controversial than the subject of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. At the same time, there could be no other experience more important for a Christian to experience than the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is my opinion that God is bigger than the theological boxes we try to put Him in. One of the reasons there has been such division over the baptism in the Holy Spirit is because we have tried to put strict definitions on something the Bible does not define so strictly. When it comes to looking at the baptism in the Holy Spirit I think we will find that we can have diversity and yet still unity. I. Differing views on the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. A. The two main views of baptism in the Holy Spirit are: 1) THE CONSERVATIVE VIEW 2) THE PENTECOSTAL/CHARISMATIC VIEW
THE CONSERVATIVE VIEW The majority of Conservatives say, this truth is first spoken of by John the Baptist (Mt. 3:11). Then it was confirmed by our Lord (Acts 1:4,5) with reference to the initial endowment of the Spirit at Pentecost. Basically, it is the receiving of the Spirit by the believer (Acts 2:38; I Cor. 12:13). It is the act and experience whereby the believer is united with Christ and incorporated into the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:12; Gal. 3:27:28). Further, IT INVOLVES THE RECEPTION OF POWER, since the Spirit is the powerful presence of God in us (Acts 1:5,8). It occurs at conversion to all believers. THE PENTECOSTAL / CHARISMATIC VIEW The majority of Pentecostal/Charismatics say, all believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the INDUMENT OF POWER for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of ministry (Luke 24:29; Acts 1:4,8; I Cor 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:4446; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). The baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:42).
8 8

NOTES

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II. When does the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT take place? A. Baptism in the Holy Spirit can occur at the time of conversion, (Acts 2: 1-13; Acts 10) which is when we

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NOTES

LESSON 15: BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

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are baptized into the body (I Cor. 12:13) and can be followed by tongues and prophecy. B. It can also happen after water baptism with the laying on of hands, followed by tongues and prophecy (Acts 19). C. Baptism in the Holy Spirit can also take place after water baptism with the laying on of hands and no tongues occurring (Acts 8). D. In Acts 4:31 and Acts 9 it says that these believers were filled with the Holy Spirit yet tongues are not mentioned. NOTE: One author notes that, 8 there does appear to be at work here a God who likes diversity, and I suggest we need to learn to like diversity. In fact, I believe if we could learn to appreciate this biblical diversity, it would enable us to appreciate the diversity within the body of Christ which usually divides us. III. What is the result of the BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT? A. Jesus sets the example. He was born of the Spirit (Matthew 1:20) yet before He accomplished the work He was sent to do, He was baptized into water and then filled with the Spirit (Luke 3:22). From that moment on we see He went about doing good, healing the sick and casting out demons in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 4:14-19). B. If we look at the ministry of Jesus and compare the gifts of the Holy Spirit found in I Corinthians 12:8-10 we will see that Jesus operated in all of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, except for tongues and interpretation which were given on the day of Pentecost to His body. C. The two main results of the baptism in the Holy Spirit: 1) The receiving of power. 2) The receiving of gifts. D. THE RECEIVING OF POWER. 1) In Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8 Jesus says that we receive power or are endued with power when the Holy Spirit COMES UPON US. 2) Jesus stated the purpose of the power. He said it was so we can be witnesses of His saving grace. E. THE RECEIVING OF GIFTS. 1) With the indument of power from the Spirit comes the availability of the gifts of the Spirit (I Cor. 12:8-10).

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LESSON 15: BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

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2) In the book of Acts we see the disciples operating in the gifts of healing (Acts 3:6-8), praying for Gods hand to be stretched to heal and that signs and wonders would be done in Jesus name (Acts 4:30). We see the word of knowledge (Acts 5:3), the word of wisdom (Acts 15:13) discerning of spirits (Acts 16:18) and many other supernatural manifestations of the Spirit. F. The Spirit Filled Bible says that Jesus is the prototype of the Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life (Acts 10:38). The Book of Acts is the story of the disciples receiving what Jesus received in order to do what Jesus did. G. The distinct purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit COMING UPON the believer and empowering the believer for ministry. CONCLUSION: You may take the Conservative view, which says the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and baptism into the body happens simultaneously at conversion. However, you may take the Pentecostal/Charismatic view which says the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience and follows being baptized into the body at conversion, which is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues. Whichever position you take there is a common agreement among both views, and it is that the baptism in the Holy Spirit involves the reception of power. The Bible reflects a diversity of experiences pertaining to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. However, we need to remember the words of Jesus who said we shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon us (Acts 1:8). If power is a major purpose and evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, then we must acknowledge that the Bible indicates that people can receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit with diverse experiences and yet receive the same power.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you Acts 1:8

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. We are endued with power when the Holy Spirit ______________ ____________ _____. 2. In the book of Acts the disciples of Jesus operated in the gifts of the Spirit. O True O False 3. What is the common agreement between the Conservative and Pentecostal views concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit? O Power O Tongues O Prophecy

Why do you think it is important to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit?

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NOTES

LESSON 16: THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE

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INTRODUCTION: Living the Spirit-filled life is living life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Dr. R.A. Torrey in his book The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit writes, [The Spirit] guides in the details of daily life, and service as to where to go and where not to go, what to do and what not to do. It is possible for us to have the continual guidance of the Holy Spirit at every turn of life. Not only in Christian work, but in all the affairs of life - business, study, everything we have to do. To be sons and daughters of God is to have our lives governed by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). His power working in us helps and strengthens us to live like Christ, while His power upon us empowers us to do the works of Christ. Lets take a look and see how we can personally live the Spirit-filled life. I. Recognizing our need for the power of the Spirit. A. One author has noted that if there are any conditions to receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, it seems that the first possible condition is to become aware of our need, and the second is a hunger for this condition to change. B. Jesus Himself said, he who hungers and thirsts... shall be filled (Matthew 5:6 K.J.V.). Whatever we are hungry and thirsty for, we will be filled with! C. The Holy Spirit is called the Helper in John 14:16. This word means one who will come along aside you. W.E. Vine says that the entire thought behind this word suggests the capability or adaptability for giving aid. It is the aiding power of the Holy Spirit that helps us. D. We need the Holy Spirit! He is the one Jesus sent to be with us. Oswald Chambers writes, The Holy Spirit is the one who makes everything Jesus did for you real in your life. II. To be filled fully, we must surrender wholly. A. R.A. Torrey said, It is only through true surrender that we can know and experience the fullness of Gods loving intent for our lives. B. The question is not how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us does the Holy Spirit have? C. Jesus was submitted totally to the Fathers will and He was filled with the Spirit without measure. For us to be empowered by The Holy Spirit we must completely surrender our will to His will. III. Empowered to be ourselves. A. The Holy Spirit gives us power. The word for power is dunamis in the Greek which means inherent power. It

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stems from duna whose basic meaning is capable. B. The Holy Spirit imparts power, but how that power will be manifested depends upon the work to which God has called us and no efficient work can be done without this power (Acts 1:8). C. Dr. R.A. Torrey says that it is not for us then to select some gift and look to the Holy Spirit to impart the self chosen gift. It is not for us to select some field of service and then look to the Holy Spirit to impart to us power in the field which we have chosen. D. We each have been uniquely called, and the Holy Spirit will give us His inherent power, making us capable to fulfill our specific calling. IV. Fulfilling our purpose through the Spirits power. A. It is only through the Holy Spirits power that we can fulfill our purpose in life. If we surrender ourselves completely to His will, then He will impart the power and gifts that will be needed for the field of service He has chosen for us (I Corinthians 12:11). B. You may be called to be a businessman, missionary, homemaker or policeman. No matter what vocation you fulfill, you will need the Spirits power, wisdom, strength guidance and insight, helping you fulfill your purpose. C. If you look at the life of Christ, and the disciples in the book of Acts, you will see they lived their lives dependent on the Spirits power and ability working through them. V. Empowered to proclaim Christ and do His works. A. Although we all have a specific calling, we are all also specifically called to proclaim Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20). B. Peter the apostle says we proclaim the gospel by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven (I Peter 1:12). As we are obedient to share the gospel with others the Holy Spirit works on their hearts to bring them to Christ. C. In Acts 4:31 the disciples came together and prayed for Gods power to be demonstrated through boldness to preach, and for signs and wonders to be done in Jesus name. They were then filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word with boldness. D. It is important that all believers, not just evangelists and teachers seek to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. If we are to be empowered to proclaim the word

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NOTES

LESSON 16: THE SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY Do not get drunk with wine...but be filled with the Spirit
Ephesians 5:18

of God with boldness and see people delivered, healed and set free we will need the aiding support of the Holy Spirit. CONCLUSION: There is a high priority placed on being filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. It is second only to the emphasis of the work of the Cross-in paying for our sins. Whole chapters in John are given to the Holy Spirit, and the book of Acts has been termed the Acts of the Holy Spirit. We cannot neglect nor under-emphasize the importance the Bible places on being filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself says, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive. In the New American Standard they say this verse shows a continuous action, literally saying, let him keep coming to Me and let him keep drinking. We need to continually drink in the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. If we are to have power to live the life of Christ, do His works and fulfill our purpose in this life, we must surrender all to the Spirit of God.

STUDY QUESTIONS
SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. To be filled with the Holy Spirit we must become aware of our need and hunger for the Spirits in filling. O True O False 2. Who is called the Helper in the Bible? O John the Baptist O Peter O The Holy Spirit 3. Who said that it is only through true surrender that we can know and experience the fullness of Gods loving intent for our lives. O R.A. Torrey O Jesus O Paul 4. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be _____________. 5. It is only through the Holy Spirits power that we can fulfill our purpose in life. If we surrender ourselves completely to His will, then He will impart the power and gifts that will be needed for the field of service He has chosen for us. O True O False

Have you ever sensed the Holy Spirits leading? How can you know when it is the Holy Spirit who is directing?

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LESSON 17: LAYING ON OF HANDS

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: 1 In the late 1960s, a biochemist and enzymologist, M. Justa Smith, did extensive research on the biochemical effects of energy imparted through the laying on of hands. Tests were arranged in which enzyme trypsin solution in several flasks had hands laid upon them for 75 minutes a day. Another flask was exposed to a high magnetic energy field, and a fourth flask was kept untouched in its natural state. The results showed that the two flasks that had hands applied to them demonstrated similar effects to the flask exposed to the high magnetic energy field. In this case secular science proves the Biblical truth of what Gods word has proclaimed for several thousand years that there is an actual impartation which occurs in the laying on of hands. Since the practice of laying on of hands has not been limited to Christians, we want to look at what the Bible says concerning laying on of hands. We want to practice and follow what the Bible says, not what Science, New Age or any other false religion says. I. LAYING ON OF HANDS under the Old Covenant. A. Laying on of hands to IMPART SIN. 1) Those who offered sacrifices imparted their sins to the sacrificial offering by the laying on of hands (Lev. 1:4). 2) This was to show that they were totally identified with the sacrifice, and the animal was taking their place for a sin offering (Exodus 29:10,15, 19). B. Laying on of hands to IMPART A BLESSING. 1) Jacob laid his hands on Josephs sons and spoke a blessing over their lives (Genesis 48:13-18). 2) This is the first time the Bible mentions a blessing being accompanied by the laying on of hands C. Laying on of hands to IMPART WISDOM AND AUTHORITY. 1) At the ordination of Joshua by Moses, Moses laid his hands upon Joshua and imparted wisdom and authority to Joshua. 2) Deut. 34:9 says Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands upon him. 3) The ordination of Joshua set a pattern for those who would lead the Jewish nation. They believed that through the anointing of oil and laying on of hands, there was an actual impartation of Gods wisdom and authority to lead.

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NOTES

LESSON 17: LAYING ON OF HANDS

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II. LAYING ON OF HANDS under the New Covenant. A. Laying on of hands to IMPART A BLESSING. 1) In Mark 10:16 Jesus took the little children in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them. 2) Embracing one another is a form of laying on of hands, which also releases the blessing of God to one another (Acts 20:37). B. Laying on of hands for HEALING AND DELIVERANCE. 1) In Lukes gospel he records that, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one (Luke 4:40 N.L.T.) 2) Not only did Jesus practice the laying on of hands but part of the Great Commissioning in Mark 16:18 says that we will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. 3) Some claim that Mark 16:18 is not in some of the original texts, but the practice of Jesus disciples laying hands on the sick is confirmed in the book of Acts. Here is a list of some of these scriptures:
1) Acts 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. 2) Acts 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul. 3) Acts 28:8 the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux; to whom Paul entered in, and prayed and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

C. Laying on of hands to IMPART THE SPIRIT and spiritual gifts. 1) Acts 8:18 records that through laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Spirit was given. 2) In Acts 9:18 Ananias laid his hands on Saul and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 3) In I Timothy 4:14, Paul was reminding Timothy of the spiritual gift that was given to him through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands. D. Laying on of hands for ORDAINING AND RELEASING
MINISTRY

1) Laying on of hands was regularly applied in the commissioning, ordaining and sending forth of ministry. 2) Here are three examples:
1) Choosing deacons: When these 7 men who became deacons were commissioned, they were brought before the

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LESSON 17: LAYING ON OF HANDS

NOTES

after praying, they laid their hands on them (Acts 6:6). 2) Sending forth ministry: Paul and Barnabas, the first missionaries in Antioch, were set apart by the Holy Spirit. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away (Acts 13:3). 3) Ordination: The laying on of hands was and should still be used in the ordination of ministers to the gospel ministry (I Timothy 4:14). Through laying on of hands the call of God is confirmed and established in the ministers life.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY They began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit Acts 8:17

NOTE: I Timothy 5:22 says, Do not lay hands on upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others. 1 This verse does not mean that we should be afraid to lay our hands on people when we pray for them. Rather, this warning is given because when we lay hands on someone to commission, send forth into ministry or ordain, we are identifying ourselves with them. In context, this scripture is warning leaders to be responsible for who they release into ministry, through the laying on of hands. CONCLUSION: Laying on of hands plays an important part in our ministering for God. The hand is a point of contact so that the very life of the Spirit of God within us can be imparted to others. The ministry of the laying on of hands may be looked upon as an extension of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, through His church. When we lay hands on others for healing, deliverance, and blessing or for ministry purposes, we should expect Gods Spirit to touch them through us. Each time you lay hands on others see Jesus touch others through you, because that is what is happening. The treasure of Christ is in our earthen vessel (body) and when we open up our hands to lay them on others we must trust God to meet every need.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. That there is an impartation from the laying on of hands has been proven scientifically. O True O False 2. List four ways the laying on of hands is used under the New Covenant: 1) __________________________________ 2) __________________________________ 3) __________________________________ 4) __________________________________

Describe how you have been blessed or how others have been blessed through you by the laying on of hands.

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NOTES

LESSON 18: THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

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INTRODUCTION: 6 Charles Spurgeon was called the prince of preachers and is considered one of the best preachers of all time. He once made the remarkable observation that There are very few Christians who believe in the resurrection. There is a difference between giving intellectual and doctrinal assent to the fact of the resurrection and having faith in the resurrection. If we really believe in our hearts the truth of the resurrection then our lives will become a fire that cannot be put out. As we finish up this book we are going to take a look at resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment. It is my goal that we will begin to see this life from Gods heavenly perspective. It is only when the eyes of our hearts are opened to eternity that our lives become radically different. Lets first of all take a look at Christ, the first fruits of those who will be raised from the dead. I. The resurrection of Christ is foundational to our faith. A. Paul told the Corinthians, I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (I Corinthians 15:3-4). NOTE: 2 The resurrection of Christ is one of the great fundamental
doctrines of the Christian faith. There are about 104 references to the resurrection of Christ in the New Testament. A balanced gospel always includes Jesus saving death and His saving resurrection life. We are saved first by His death, and then we are saved by His life. The resurrection was the foundation for apostolic preaching and practically every sermon in the book of Acts refers to it.

B. In Acts 2:38 Peter pointed to the resurrected Christ as the source of our salvation and Paul says that we must confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). II. What did the resurrection of Christ accomplish? A. Through the resurrection of Christ, the power of death was broken. Jesus as the God-Man took upon Himself our sin at the cross yet God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life again, for death could not keep Him in its grip (Acts 2:24). B. In Acts 2:23-33 we see that it was the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God for Jesus to die for

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LESSON 18: THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

NOTES

our sins and to be raised up again. It is the glorious risen Christ who: 1) REPRESENTS MANKIND:
Jesus was raised from the dead and now lives in the very presence of God representing those who trust in His name. He is the Mediator between man and God (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6).

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2) BLESSES MANKIND:
As our representative Jesus pours the blessing of the Spirit out upon our lives. It is through the power of the risen Christ that we receive the blessings of salvation (Eph. 1:19-21).

C. The resurrection of Christ is the seal on mans salvation and the defeat of Satan. Through the resurrection, Jesus took the keys of death and of Hades away from Satan and opened up heaven for all who believe (Rev. 1:18). D. Through Christs resurrection, we can now enter into His life through the Holy Spirit He has poured out upon us. III. Christ the firstfruits of those who will be resurrected. A. I Corinthians 15:20 says that , Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. B. The firstfruits are the first ripened part of the harvest, furnishing actual evidence that the entire harvest is on the way. Jesus was the first man to be raised from the dead. Since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that, when Jesus returns the dead in Christ shall rise first, then those who are alive will be caught up and given resurrection bodies (I Thessalonians 4:17). NOTE: Jesus resurrection body was not a spirit, but had a physical form and could perform the functions of a human body. He walked for miles and talked with two of His disciples; that evening He ate a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb. We also see that He was able to enter a closed room, and to appear and disappear at will, and remain unrecognized until He disclosed Himself (Luke 24:13-45). This gives us a hint of what our resurrection bodies will be like when Jesus returns and changes our bodies to be like His (Philippians 3:21). IV. Relating with the risen Christ. A. Jesus is no longer the man who walked the shores of Galilee. He is now the life-giving Spirit (I Corinthians 15:45).

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NOTES

LESSON 18: THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

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NOTES: 13 The words life-giving Spirit are most probably a reference to the Holy Spirit. By virtue of Jesus' resurrection and ascension, Christ and the life-giving Spirit are closely identified. The Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Christ. Paul views this relationship as so close that he can even say the Lord is the Spirit (Romans 8:9-10; II Corinthians 3:17).

SCRIPTURE MEMORY But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who are asleep (dead) I Corinthians 15:20

B. We are now to relate with the risen Christ by the Spirit which He promised He would give to us (John 14:16). C. This takes us beyond a mere intellectual understanding of Jesus to partaking of the very life and power of the resurrection (Ephesians 1:19-20). D. It is the very same power that raised Christ from the dead which has broken deaths hold over our lives. It has been put within our hearts and will change our bodies at Christs Second Coming to be like His (Philippians 3:20-21). CONCLUSION: To believe in our hearts the resurrection of Christ from the dead is essential to our faith. The resurrection of Christ is not merely a doctrine, but it is the person of Christ. Jesus Himself said, I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). Jesus is not just a doctrine, but also the living, risen Christ, and when our lives come into fellowship with His resurrection life, we will never be the same. It is because He lives forever that we will live forever. Since we do not have to be afraid of death any longer we should be able to face life fearlessly. This is what made the church in the book of Acts fearless. The most powerful grip upon this world is the fear of death. Because of this, there is no truth, which will set us more free than the truth of the resurrection. A man released from the fear of death will be free indeed.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. It is the glorious risen Christ who: 1) _______________________ Mankind 2) _______________________ Mankind 2. Christ is the __________________ of those who will be resurrected. 3. Jesus is no longer the man who walked the shores of Galilee. He is now the life-giving Spirit. O True O False

As Christians can we just dismiss the resurrection, or is it a central piece to the foundation of the faith?

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LESSON 19: RESURRECTION OF THE BELIEVER

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: As we looked at The Resurrection of Jesus Christ we saw that He was the firstfruits of those that will rise from the dead. In I Corinthians 15 Paul had to remind the Corinthian believers, who began to question the doctrine of the resurrection, that the resurrection of Jesus cannot be separated from the resurrection of those who are His. People have mocked and scorned the resurrection of the dead, but as sure as day follows night, a day is coming when all will rise from the grave. Jesus was the first to rise from the dead (Acts 26:23), rising as our representative. His resurrection caused us to be raised spiritually and at the same time guarantees that we will be raised bodily with Him at His Second Coming. I. The New Birth is a resurrection into eternal life. A. Jesus said in John 5:25 that there comes an hour and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those having heard, shall live (Wuest Translation). B. This is not a physical resurrection but a spiritual resurrection. Ephesians 2:1 says that we were dead in our sins but when we received the gospel message and believed we became alive to God. C. This resurrection has happened through the power of the Holy Spirit coming to live within our hearts. The Holy Spirit has made us: 1) Alive with Christ: To be alive with Christ is to receive His life-giving Spirit (Ephesians 2:5). 2) Raised Up With Christ: To be raised up with Christ is the power of the Holy Spirit raising our lives out of a sin dominated life, to a God centered life (Ephesians 2:6). 3) Seated With Christ: To be seated with Christ is to be joined to all that Christ has accomplished on our behalf. As children of God we can now approach the Father for all that we need (Ephesians 2:6). III. The guarantee of bodily resurrection is the Holy Spirit. A. When we received Christ and were resurrected spiritually, we were given the Holy Spirit, who is the down payment for our future resurrection body (Ephesians 1:13-14). B. Romans 8:23 says that we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit are eagerly waiting for our resurrection bodies.

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NOTES

LESSON 19: RESURRECTION OF THE BELIEVER

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

NOTE: The present possession of the Holy Spirit is a down payment on our future resurrection body. It is also a foretaste of the glories that will follow when we are given new bodies at Christ Second Coming. The fullness of life awaits the Coming of Christ; but until then God has given us His Spirit, which is the guarantee of a future resurrection. III. The bodily resurrection of the believer. A. Salvation for the believer is on three levels, which are referred to as: 1) JUSTIFICATION: We have been saved from the penalty of sin by the blood of Jesus. 2) SANCTIFICATION: We are being delivered from the power of sin by Gods Spirit living in us. 3) GLORIFICATION: We will be delivered from the presence of sin and given a new glorified body at Christs Second Coming. B. The final fulfillment of our personal salvation will be the gift of a brand new body. C. Our new resurrection bodies will be uncontaminated by our sinful past, unaffected by disease, decay or death. 1) Philippians 3:21 says that, our new bodies will be likeHis glorious body. 2) I John 3:2 says that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. D. Jesus will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him (Hebrews 9:28). At last, Christians will receive that full hope of their salvation, a new resurrection body. IV. When does this bodily resurrection take place? A. The resurrection of the believer happens when the Lord Jesus Christ descends from heaven (I Thess. 4:16-17). 1) Those who have died before His return will be resurrected from the grave and given new bodies. 2) Those who are alive at His coming will be changedin a moment, the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (I Cor. 15:52). B. All believers, whether dead or alive will be given a new resurrection body just like their Lords when He returns. V. Looking forward to our new bodies. A. The present body of the believer is mortal (Rom. 8:11). 1) Our present body is still subject to sin, suffering,

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LESSON 19: RESURRECTION OF THE BELIEVER

NOTES
____________________ ____________________ ____________________
________________________ ________________________ ________________________

sickness and death. 2) There is provision in Christs work on the Cross to be free from sin and sickness, but death and suffering cannot be avoided by the Christian. B. While in this body we groan, longing to be clothed with our new resurrection body (II Cor. 5:2-4; Rom. 8:23). 1) We should look forward to the day when we are going to be clothed with immortal life because this is the ultimate hope of the Christian. 2) The Message Translation says,
Compared to whats coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and were tired of it! Weve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God wets our appetite by giving us a taste of whats ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that well never settle for less (II Corinthians 5:4-5).

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God I Corinthians 15:50

C. Philippians 4:21 tell us that we are eagerly waiting for Him (Jesus) to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like His own (N.L.T.). CONCLUSION: When we look at The Resurrection of the Believer then it should put much hope in our hearts and something to look forward to. We all look for that day when Death is swallowed up in victory and we can all say, O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? (I Cor. 15:54-55). Until then we have the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts and we eagerly wait for the time when we will receive our resurrection bodies. The day we see Christ face to face then we will be changed to be like Him, and we will become partakers of the full power of His resurrection.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is the guarantee of bodily resurrection? O The Holy Spirit O Death O Church Membership 2. List the three levels of salvation: 1) _____________________ 2) _____________________ 3) _____________________ 3. Bodily resurrection takes place at: O New Birth O Christs Second Coming O Easter Sunday

What do you think it will be like when you have a resurrection body? Do you look forward to this event?

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NOTES

LESSON 20: LIVING THE RESURRECTED LIFE

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INTRODUCTION: So if youre serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Dont shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ thats where the action is. See things from His perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life even though invisible with spectators is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, youll show up, too the real you, the glorious you (Col. 3:1-4 Message Translation). The early church had a great expectation and understanding of the resurrection. We can see this produced in them a lifestyle that was truly Christian, causing them to be totally separated unto the gospel. May we also lay hold of this understanding so we can live the resurrected life. I. The message of the resurrection. A. A message of new life. 1) Romans 6:4 says that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in NEWNESS OF LIFE (Emph. Mine). 2) The Message Translation says, If the alive - and present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, Hell do the same thing in you that He did in Jesus, bringing you alive to Himself. When God lives and breathes in you (and He does, as surely as He did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. (Romans 8:10-11). B. A message of victory over death. 1) Paul says, Christ rose from the dead and He will never die again. DEATH NO LONGER HAS ANY POWER OVER HIM (Romans 6:9 N.T.L. Emphasis Mine). 2) Since Jesus Christ, the Captain of our Salvation has been victorious over death, we can wear as a helmet the hope of our salvation (I Thess. 5:8). This future hope is that whether we are dead or alive at the time of His return, WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS OVER DEATH (I Corinthians 15:54). C. A message of judgment. 1) When Paul was discussing the resurrection of the believer, in II Corinthians 5, he summed it by saying, (VS.9) therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

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LESSON 20: LIVING THE RESURRECTED LIFE

NOTES

2) Also, when addressing Felix the Roman ruler he said, there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a CONSCIENCE WITHOUT OFFENSE toward God and men (Acts 24:15-16). Paul knew that at the resurrection he would stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for his life. II. The focus of the resurrection is like running a race. A. We are to run the race in view of the coming resurrection. 1) The aged Paul who was at the end of his life said to the Philippians, I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven (Philippians 3:12-14 N.L.T.). 2) Pauls whole life was lived in view of the coming resurrection. He uses the illustration of a race and its prize to emphasize the need for single-mindedness, determination, and perseverance in fulfilling Gods heavenly calling upon his life. B. Disciplining ourselves to finish the race set before us. 1) In I Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul says, if an athlete disciplines himself to obtain a temporal prize, how much more should we Christians discipline ourselves to obtain a crown that lasts forever. 2) Paul told Timothy physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next (I Timothy 4:8 N.L.T.). 3) To know Christ more and to complete His calling upon our lives we must, strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. WE DO THIS BY KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS, on whom our faith depends from start to finish (Heb. 12:1-2 N.L.T.). 4) When Jesus is our focus from start to finish then we will be strengthened to finish the race before us. III. Living in the presence of the future by faith & wisdom. A. We are to LIVE LIFE THROUGH THE EYES FAITH. 1) In II Cor. 4:18 Paul told us NOT TO LOOK AT THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN. This means because Of faith in the future resurrection (v. 14) and the

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LESSON 20: LIVING THE RESURRECTED LIFE

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY Indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. II Corinthians 5:2

present experience of Gods renewing power, we can continue with courage in the face of opposition and suffering (v. 1). 2) In this same passage we are then encouraged TO LOOK AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN. By faith we are to hold on to the promises of God and have an unmovable conviction concerning things unseen with an expectation for future reward (v. 18). B. The wisdom to LIVE WITH THE FUTURE IN VIEW. 1) Paul in Ephesians 5:14-16, when speaking about rising from the dead, tells these Christians to WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, not as fools but as WISE, REDEEMING THE TIME, because the days are evil. 2) To walk circumspectly means to walk cautiously as a person would walk through thorny terrain, and to redeem the time is to capitalize on every opportunity on the way. While in this present age we live in thorny terrain, and to capitalize on every opportunity we must be filled with the Holy Spirit (vs. 18). This will help us to understand what the will of the Lord is (vs. 17) so we can finish the race which has been set before us. CONCLUSION: The cry of Paul the apostles heart was that he might know Christ and the power of His resurrection. Paul was always going forward like a runner on the course straining every muscle as he runs toward the goal, his hand stretched out to grasp the prize, which for Paul was Christ Himself. From beginning to end, the object of Pauls faith was Jesus. The energizing force that kept him going toward the goal was the very power that raised Christ from the dead and would raise him up also, granting him the end of his faith, total union with Christ.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The message of the resurrection is a : 1) Message of ___________ _______________. 2) Message of __________ _________ _________. 3) Message of ________________. 2. We must ____________________ ourselves to finish the race set before us. O Discipline O Indulge O Harm 3. To finish the race set before us we must focus our complete attention upon Jesus. O True O False

What things in life matter to you most? Are these desires in line with the will of God for your
life?

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LESSON 21: JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND DEAD

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: 9 Human beings will be judged on this earth-by a human being! During His life on earth, Jesus frequently claimed to have authority to decide the eternal destiny of nations and individuals (Matt. 7:21-23; 13:41-43; 25:30-33). Such a claim can only be explained in one of three ways that He was mad, bad or God; lunatic, liar or Lord. Only if He was the God-Man, divine as well as human, is He perfectly qualified to be the Judge of all. He is! That is why Paul the apostle could say that God has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed (Acts 17:31). Jesus has lived in our circumstances, under our pressures, with our temptations, yet without sin. He knows us through and through and His judgment will be absolutely just. I. In Christ, CHRISTIANS HAVE ALREADY BEEN JUDGED FOR SIN. A. II Corinthians 5:21 says that, God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. B. This verse tells us that Christ is our substitute, accepting the judgement for our sin. We also see in I Peter 2:24 that Christ suffered the punishment our sins deserved. C. The great prophet Isaiah said, We ourselves esteemed Him (Christ) stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:4). D. In Christ, WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUNISHED FOR ALL OUR SINS! Jesus, by the grace of God, did taste death for every one who receives Him as their substitute for sin. E. It was on the cross when Jesus tasted this death and cried out, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?. At that moment Jesus endured the wrath of Gods judgment on sin. On the cross Jesus endured the penalty that we deserved (Matthew 27:46). F. Since God punished mankinds sin through our representative, Jesus, we can be FREE FROM THE FEAR OF PUNISHMENT as we put our faith in the work of Christ. G. When we see that God so loved us that He gave us Jesus to take our place as our sin substitute, we can allow love to cast out the fear of judgment (I John 4:18). H. At the cross of Christ, Gods MERCY HAS TRIUMPHED OVER JUDGMENT, and we can be free from the judgment of sin. III. Open fellowship is the result of judgment. A. Since the sentence of sin has been paid for in Christ, We can have open fellowship with the Father (Jn. 5:24).

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NOTES

LESSON 21: JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND DEAD

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B. 10 The single most liberating truth in the believers life is this - judgment has already been passed on him. It is because God has already punished all sin in Jesus perfect sacrifice that He can be merciful to sinners. C. Gods wrath against sin was fulfilled in Christ, and when we remain IN HIM we are free from judgment and have direct access to the Father (Heb. 10:19-22). D. As we realize that the judgment for our sin has already happened in Christ, then it brings peace to our hearts which is the main ingredient of a lasting relationship with God, growing in the roots of His love (Eph. 3:17). E. There is no condemnation for us who are in Christ Jesus. John 5:24 says, He who hears my word, and believes Him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come INTO JUDGMENT, but has passed out of death into life. Does this mean we can live anyway we want to and be eternally secure? See APPENDIX 4, Pg. 199 IV. What happens to the unbeliever? A. It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment (Heb. 9:27). Time is heading for the event when all sin will be confronted, dealt with and judged accordingly. B. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, believers in His free gift of life will stand uncondemned, BUT those who have rejected the blood of the covenant, must give an account for their sin. C. 9 That the unbelievers are to come up for judgment is necessitated by the very nature of the history of man, for many things have escaped judgment in this life. The character and deeds of the ungodly, which so often escape judgment during this life, will be accounted for at the coming resurrection of condemnation (John 5:29). D. Revelations 20:11,12 shows us that every unbeliever will appear before the great white throne of judgment. Jesus called this the resurrection of condemnation, but in Revelation 20:14 it is called the second death. E. Those who appear before the great white throne of judgment will have to face the consequences of sin. V. The FINAL JUDGEMENT and ETERNAL STATE of the unbeliever. A. 10 God sends no man to hell, they choose to go there of their own free will. Those who reject the free gift of

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LESSON 21: JUDGE OF THE LIVING AND DEAD

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salvation by faith in Gods provision bring self inflicted judgment upon themselves and abide under the wrath of God (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 1:18) as a consequence of their sin. B. At the same time God becomes actively involved in judging unbelievers according to their works. The judgment of their works will determine the degree of punishment, but because their names were not found written in the Lambs book of life, they will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15). C. The Bible clearly teaches that hell is a place of eternal punishment. Hell is a self-chosen and self-inflicted curse, the inevitable outcome of those who refuse to turn away from sin (Matt. 5:29-30; 13:42,50; 23:1415,33; Mk 9:43-49; Rev. 14:9-11; 19:20; 20:10, 14-15). D. The lake of fire is a punishment of eternal, conscious, torment without any break, day or night. Hell was never intended for man, but for the devil and his angels according to Matthew 25:41. CONCLUSION: What great joy and rejoicing believers in Christ should have as they see that judgment for sin has already happened. This should give us such confidence before the Father to know that He is not out to get us, but out to love us. With this understanding the fear of judgment should lose its grip over our minds as we see that we have not been destined for wrath, but for salvation in Christ. His blood has saved us, and we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him (Rom. 5:9). With this confidence in Christ we should take this message of salvation to the lost, who only have eternal fire to look forward to and the fear of judgment on them while they carry their own sins. We must preach this message of good news, that the unbeliever can receive eternal life, and we must warn them that unless they repent they will suffer eternally.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY There is no fear in love: but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. I John 4:18

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. In Christ the believer has already been judged for his sin. O True O False 2. The great white throne of judgment will be a judgment of condemnation and in Revelations 20 it is called the: O Judgment seat of Christ O Second death O Time of rejoicing

How does it feel to know that you will not be judged for your sin? Does this give you the right to do anything you want?

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NOTES

LESSON 22: RUN TO WIN

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INTRODUCTION: When the Grecian games were celebrated running was one of the main events. At a race, a wreath of pine or ivy was hung at the goal and awarded to the victor. The Lord often spoke of the rewards He will give to His saints. He uses this as a motivating force and encouragement to all believers who run in the race of faith, and who work faithfully, fulfilling His purposes. II Corinthians 5:10 specifically mentions the judgment seat of Christ. Paul likened the coming judgment seat of Christ to the ancient seat in Greece where the Judge rewarded the winner of the games. This was the beginning of our present day World Olympic competitions. Just as these athletes were and still are rewarded for their performance, so Christ as the Judge will award His own for their faithful service in His kingdom, when He returns at His Second Coming. I. Present day judgment of the believer. A. In the book of Hebrews chapter 11 the author describes to us the race of faith. Then he begins chapter 12 with the exhortation to strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. B. We are then given the picture of God as being our Father and Coach who gives us godly discipline and instruction so that we can finish the race set before us. C. Hebrews 12:5-6 exhorts us to not ignore it when the Lord disciplines...and dont be discouraged when He corrects...For the Lord disciplines those He loves and He punishes those He accepts as His children (N.L.T.). D. Since we know that it is Gods desire for us to finish the race set before us, then we can be totally confident and secure that Gods instruction is for our benefit (Hebrews 12:1). E. Gods discipline is to cut us off from the things that are keeping us from running a straight course. The Message Bible says that through discipline God is educating us; thats why we shouldnt quit. Its like training from a coach which has the purpose of strengthening us to finish the race (Hebrews 12:7-8). F. What are the avenues by which God brings His presentday judgment or discipline into our lives? 1) THE WORD OF GOD: Hebrews 4:12 says the word of
God is like a sharp two-edged sword. If we will give ourselves to the instruction of the word of God, allowing the word of God to judge our hearts, it will cut away the sin which keeps us from running a straight course. 2) CIRCUMSTANCES: We can also see Gods discipline

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LESSON 22: RUN TO WIN

NOTES

in difficult circumstances. When we experience difficulties it is a time to take inventory of our lives and adjust our course from any bad decisions we have made. This is a time of growing stronger in our character (Rom. 5:3-4; John 15:2 Gods pruning). 3) PERSECUTION: When the believer experiences rejection and persecution from the world, Peter calls it judgment (I Peter 4:17). Believers are to be prepared to follow Christ's example of suffering. This should cause us to be focused on living totally for the will of God (I Peter 4:1-2).

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III. The future judgment of the believer. A. II Corinthians 5:10 tells us that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be REWARDED FOR HIS DEEDS IN THE BODY (Emphasis Mine). B. The judgment seat of Christ will be like the judges stand at a Fair, or Race Track, where rewards are distributed to the successful contestants. It will not be a judgment in the sense of a trial to see whether the judged are innocent or guilty, but IT IS THE PLACE OF REWARD. C. 11 After the Grecian games were all over the runners, wrestlers, and successful contestants assembled before the Bema, or Judges stand, which was an elevated seat on which the umpire sat, and the winners received a crown of laurel leaves. D. At the Second Coming of Christ every believer will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to be rewarded for how they did in the race of faith. E. Believers will be rewarded for the QUALITY of their work and FAITHFULNESS (Matthew 25:19). 1) QUALITY: We will be judged according to how well we used the talents the Lord entrusted us with. It is on the basis of quality that the believer will be rewarded or lose his reward for his good works. 2) FAITHFULNESS: The Lord will reward those who faithfully finish the race set before them. Its not how fast we go and how much we do, but how faithful we are to the Lords will for our lives. F. The judgment seat of Christ will be a time for the believer to receive his reward. The New Testament mentions Five Crowns which the believer can win. These Fives Crowns could be literal or merely symbolic of the believers future rewards.

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NOTES

LESSON 22: RUN TO WIN

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G. The result of this judgment is reward or loss. All our bad and dead works, represented by the wood, hay and stubble, will be consumed, and only our good works shall remain (I Cor. 3:11-15) to be rewarded. IV. Saved as through the fire! A. I Corinthians 3:15 says that if a persons work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but will be SAVED THROUGH THE FIRE. See APPENDIX 4, Pg. 199 B. This kind of a believer will not be judged for his sin but he will be judged for allowing sin to keep him from the will of God for his life. C. This is not a judgment unto damnation. These Christians will receive no reward, but they also will not be cast out. They suffer the loss of their works but they are still saved and receive eternal life. CONCLUSION: We must run the race of faith to win and not stop short of the prize. We must keep working toward that day when we will stand before Christ. Paul the apostle said, I am focusing all of my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. Each Christian has been called to walk with God by faith and fulfill His will. Just as an athlete focuses all of his energy on the race set before him, so the Christian is encouraged to do the same. Paul says, in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. In the race of faith we are not in competition with others, but there is a prize for each Christian. Paul said that, all athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize (I Corinthians 9:24-26 N.L.T.). Since this is so, may we run the race with purpose in every step, and not stop short of the prize set before us.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. II Corinthians 5:10

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

What does being saved through the fire mean to you? Have you made it your aim to accomplish the will of God for your life?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The judgment seat of Christ is a place of _________________________ for the believer. 2. Believers will be rewarded for the _______________ of their work and ________________. 3. How many crowns are mentioned in the New Testament? O Two O Ten O Five

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-- I NTRODUCTION -Section II: CREATED UNTO GOOD WORKS

Welcome to Section II of Building Your Spiritual House. In this section you will be brought into a new place of knowing God. Created Unto Good Works will take you beyond The Established Foundation and help you develop your relationship with the Lord. God is seeking a people who will not only be redeemed from their sins but who will become His very dwelling place, His body, His priests. In the book of I Peter 2:5 it shows us that we are:
Living stones, being BUILT UP INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, a HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer up SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (EMPHASIS MINE)

It is Gods desire to take us beyond the point of just knowing about Him. He is at work in our hearts and His desire is it to LIVE IN US and WORK THROUGH OUR LIVES. Philippians 3:13 says, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Then we see in Ephesians 2: 10 that,
We are Gods masterpiece. He has CREATED US ANEW IN CHRIST Jesus, SO THAT WE CAN DO the good things He planned for us long ago (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION; EMPHASIS MINE).

The heart of God is that we would come to know Him in a very intimate way. However, our relationship with God has a practical side to it also. This section is designed to help you discover a New Testament pattern for worship and good works. Worship has to do with our personal devotion and spiritual relationship with God, while good works are the practical outworking of this relationship with Him. This is not a calling for just a few elite people in the body of Christ, but it is the call of each Christian. Each person in the body of Christ is a living stone who is being built together with the other members into a spiritual house or dwelling place for Gods Spirit. At the same time we are each also called to be priests who offer up spiritual sacrifices. The Spirit of God is calling each member of the body of Christ to become His very dwelling place, His body, His priests. Will you heed the call?

THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD

God has created man for fellowship and His ultimate goal is to have His dwelling place among men. To be the very place where God dwells is the ultimate calling of each of our lives as Christians. To be His dwelling place should be purpose for which we strive for in this life. In this section I want to begin by using the Tabernacle of Moses as a blueprint to teach spiritual truth from the Bible. A blueprint is a pattern that we can look to and learn how to do something. What we want to learn from the Tabernacle of Moses is a pattern for worship, which results in good works. In the book of Exodus we see God bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders. After this mighty display of power they soon found themselves in a wilderness. It was here in the wilderness where Moses was commanded to build a Tabernacle for the Lord according to the pattern shown Him on Mt. Sinai where he received the Old Covenant

80 Law (Exodus 19 through 30). The Tabernacle of Moses demonstrates the first step in establishing a dwelling place for God among men. The Tabernacle of Moses was movable, or transient. This speaks of the fact that the Old Covenant, by which came the Tabernacle of Moses, was temporary. The Law was not meant to be established as permanent, but to lead us to Christ and the New Covenant of the Spirit, which would be eternal (Look at Section I Lesson 5: Why the Law?). It was never Gods desire to dwell in something that man made, but in man himself. After the resurrection of Christ Stephen quotes from Isaiah saying:
The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: Heaven is My Throne, And Earth is The Footstool of My Feet; What Kind of House Will You Build Me? says the Lord; ACTS 7: 48-49

The Tabernacle of Moses where God dwelt temporarily was simply a blueprint pointing to the time of Christ. God finally took up His permanent dwelling place in the man Christ Jesus so that He could transform mans heart into His dwelling place (Ephesians 1:13-14; I Corinthians 6:19). If you look at DIAGRAM A1 on this page you can see a picture of the outside of the Tabernacle of Moses. 1 The Tabernacle of Moses was basically a tent and a courtyard with certain furnishings, designed by God and constructed by Moses as a dwelling place for the manifest presence of the Lord, that He might dwell among His people whom He had called out of captivity in Egypt. Since we are under a New Covenant, why is the Tabernacle of Moses important today? It is through looking at the Copy and Shadow of the Tabernacle of Moses that we can learn about the heavenly things of Christ (Hebrews 8:8:5). The law was to teach us and lead us to Christ. DIAGRAM A1
The tabernacle was to provide a place where God might dwell among His people. The term refers to the tent, including the HOLY PLACE and the HOLY OF HOLIES, which was covered with embroidered curtains. But in other places it refers to the entire complex, including the curtained court in which the tent stood.
TABERNACLE sometimes

81 The 1 first tabernacle was the focal point of the Law of Moses, with its sacrifices, rituals, feasts, priests, etc. It was simply a blueprint for heavenly realities to be found in the New Covenant. The purpose of this book is not to do an in-depth study of the Tabernacle of Moses, but to use this blueprint to show how we as Christians are the dwelling place of God and a holy priesthood who offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Him. This all pointed to Christ, who took upon Himself human flesh and dwelt among us. In John Chapter 2:13-22, when Jesus was cleansing the temple in Jerusalem and the Jews were arguing with Him, He declared to them that He was the new temple. God tabernacled among us in the man Jesus Christ. In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 1:19; 2:9). Jesus is the Cornerstone of the church, the new temple and we as living stones have been laid on Him and are being built together with Him to be a dwelling place for the Living God. 1 The writers of the New Covenant continually refer to the Lord Jesus in the terminology of the Tabernacle, (High Priest, Lamb of God, etc.). Countless references are made to the Tabernacle to expound upon and explain the ministry of Jesus. It would have been interesting to hear exactly how Jesus taught the disciples on the road to Emmaus as he, beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (Luke 22:27). As New Covenant Christians we cannot forget the heritage of the Old Covenant Law. The Law, including every letter and stroke, was a prophecy that would be fulfilled. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the Law, Psalms and Prophets taught (Luke 24:25-27). To get a full grasp of what the Bible teaches we need to see how the Old and New Covenants work together. The apostle Paul showed us in I Corinthians 10:11 that all that happened to Israel was for our example and learning. There is a popular saying that goes, The Old Covenant is the New concealed or hidden and the New Covenant is the Old revealed or made manifest. Our Christian journey has much resemblance to the journey of the children of Israel. Just as they were brought out of Egypt by the blood of the lamb, we have been delivered from this present evil age through the blood of Jesus, however thats not the end of our journey. After the crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army, the children of Israel found themselves in a wilderness. It was here in the wilderness that they were commanded to build the Tabernacle of Moses and learn how to worship God. As Christians we soon discover that following Jesus many times leads us into a wilderness of persecution, temptation and difficulties. In this place we must learn how to worship God. We can only overcome by worshipping God with our whole heart, obeying His word and allowing His Spirit to dwell within us. As we grow in the understanding that we are the dwelling place of Gods Spirit, then we will be empowered to fulfill His purposes for our lives. The central person in the Old Covenant worship was the High Priest. He was the most important person in the entire nation because he represented Israel before God in offering sacrifices in the Tabernacle of Moses where God dwelt among His DIAGRAM A2 people. God chose Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests. The Old Covenant priesthood was to be exclusively theirs. No one else was allowed to function in the priestly office and the priestly office could only be entered by family birthright (Exodus 28:1; 29:9; Numbers 4:3; Hebrews 5:4). As you look at DIAGRAM A2 you can see a picture of the Aaronic High Priest. However, in all the beauty and glory of the Old Covenant High Priest he was still just a blueprint, which pointed towards the Messiah yet to come in human flesh.

82 The book of Hebrews is all about the contrast between the Old and New Covenants. This book shows the superiority of the New Covenant established by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 5:10 says that Jesus Christ was designated by God as a High Priest 2 according to the order of Melchizedec. Melchizedec is first mentioned in Genesis 14 in connection with Abraham. The Hebrew word for Melchizedec is Malkiy-Tsedeq which means:
1) (#4428,4427 STRONGS) KING ROYAL, TO REIGN, TO ASCEND THE THRONE, TO INDUCT INTO ROYALTY. 2) (#6664, 6663 STRONGS) TO RIGHT, EQUITY, PROSPERITY JUSTICE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, CLEANSE, JUSTIFY.

This word Melchizedec is found in Psalms 110:1-4; Hebrews 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1, 10, 11, 15, 17, 21. Thus the word is found two times in the Old Covenant and nine times in the New Covenant for a total of eleven times. The book of Hebrews provides the primary Scriptural basis for the study of Melchizedec. On the basis of these scriptures we can see that Jesus is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedec. Lets take a look at the differences between the New Covenant High Priest Jesus and the Old Covenant High Priest Aaron. The Aaronic priests were born by natural means, but Jesus was begotten by the power of the Holy Spirit born through the virgin birth (Luke 1:35) to become the Great High Priest. Hebrews 1:5 and 2:17 says:
Thou Art My Son, Today I Have Begotten Thee...Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, His brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God... (N.L.T.; EMPHASIS MINE).

A priest is someone designated by God to stand between Himself, a Holy God, and a sinful people offering up sacrifices for the sins of the people. The Aaronic priests were ordained to offer up the sacrifices prescribed by the Law of Moses.
For every High Priest is taken from among men is APPOINTED ON BEHALF OF MEN IN THINGS PERTAINING TO GOD, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins...according to the Law HEBREWS 5:1; 8:4 (EMPHASIS MINE)

These priests offered up to God the blood of goats and calves (Hebrews 9:12). However, there was a problem with the priest and the sacrifices under the Old Covenant. FIRST OF ALL, the Aaronic priests were only men. SECOND OF ALL, they were under a temporary sacrifice system until the fullness of times (Galatians 4:4). Yes, the Aaronic high priest was set apart for a holy service, but he like other men needed daily to offer up sacrifices, FIRST FOR HIS OWN SINS, and then for the sins of the people. For the Law appoints men as High Priests who are weak (Hebrews 7:27-28). So we see that the Aaronic priests were mere men and they were under a temporary system. The Law had a glory, but it was fading in comparison to the coming time of the Messiah (Hebrews 9:10). Chapter 10:1-4 of Hebrews shows us the weakness of the sacrifice system under the Old Covenant. The New Living Translation says: The old system in the law of Moses was only a shadow of the things to come, not the reality of the good things Christ has done for us. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshippers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But just the opposite happened. Those yearly sacrifices reminded

83 them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. The Law could only give a knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20) and through the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, man could approach a Holy God by faith in the blood that was shed which pointed to the future Messiah (For more detail refer to Section I, Lesson 5: Why The Law?). This provided a temporary atonement but did not have the power to cleanse the inner thoughts from sin. God ordained the Old Covenant Law for a season but it was just a blueprint of the good things that were coming to mankind through the New Covenant High Priest Jesus Christ. Paul describes the coming of Christ as the fullness of times (Gal. 4:4) when God established a New Covenant with mankind through His own Son. CHRIST STEPPED INTO TIME, NOT AS A REPLACEMENT OF THE LAW BUT AS THE VERY FULFILLMENT OF THE ENTIRE OLD COVENANT PREDICTED CONCERNING THE MESSIAH. It was in the fullness of times when the pre-existing Christ took upon Himself human flesh (Phil. 2:6-7). I John 1:14 says that, the Word became flesh, and dwelt or tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. He came into the world as Immanuel, which means GOD WITH US (Matt. 1:23). Hebrews 2:14 says that because, we are human beings made of flesh and blood Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form (N.L.T) to become our High Priest. Jesus was just like any other man except for the sin nature. He was made like us in all things, was tempted like us yet without sin and it was so He could sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15). He not only sympathized with our weaknesses but literally took them upon Himself (II Cor. 5:21) at the Cross. The Son of God humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross (Philippians 2:8). However, what appeared to be defeat and failure at the Cross was really the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23). It was through the death of the Son of God on the Cross-that Satan was stripped of his power and authority over mankind (Hebrews 2:14). JESUS TASTED DEATH FOR EVERYONE, but:
God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power...He was neither abandoned to Hades nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up again...having been exalted to the right hand of God... (Acts 2:24, 33).

Unlike the Aaronic priest, JESUS AS OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST DID NOT ENTER INTO AN EARTHLY TABERNACLE MADE WITH HANDS, A MERE COPY OF THE TRUE ONE, BUT INTO HEAVEN ITSELF, NOW TO APPEAR IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR US (Hebrews 9:24). Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, which is established on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). JESUS UNLIKE AARON WAS HOLY, INNOCENT, UNDEFILED, UNSTAINED BY SIN AND EXALTED ABOVE THE HEAVENS (Hebrews 7:26). The Old Covenant priests always had to offer sacrifices for their sins and the sins of the people, but JESUS OFFERED UP HIMSELF ONCE AND FOR ALL. It is the ONE sacrifice of Christ that has dealt with the sin problem forever:
He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God...And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Now where there is forgiveness for these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. HEBREWS 10:12,17

We also need to recognize that the Aaronic priesthood was limited to the nation of Israel, but JESUS CHRIST THE HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEC HAS AN ETERNAL MINISTRY TO ALL NATIONS (Revelations 5:5-9). The ministry of Jesus is universal, ministering to all men without prejudice or partiality. The ministry of Jesus as our High Priest is also an eternal

84 ministry. Because of death, the Old Covenant priests were prevented from continuing, but JESUS, BECAUSE HE ABIDES FOREVER, HOLDS HIS PRIESTHOOD PERMANENTLY (Hebrews 7:23-24) seated forever on the throne of grace. This throne is not a big chair somewhere in outer space, but is a symbolic picture of the supreme authority given to Christ through His resurrection from the dead. He entered Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us. As our High Priest He exercises every function of His office in endless life and power. This endless life and power never ceases for a moment. It will never end, for He will never end. Jesus came to bridge the gap between God and sinful man. Man needed someone to stand in the gap so he could get back to God. Jesus filled that gap as the perfect holy sacrifice for our sins. Now through His resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven He ministers before God the Father as our merciful and faithful High Priest. It is because of Him that we can now enter into the very presence of God.

A PATTERN FOR PERSONAL DEVOTION

In understanding our High Priest Jesus Christ we come to realize that we are now a holy priesthood that is born of His Spirit to offer up spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God (I Peter 2:5). We have entered this priesthood by divine birthright (John 1:12-13). It is our privilege and right to enter into the very presence of God through the One Sacrifice of Christ. DIAGRAM A3

I want to go back to the blueprint of the Tabernacle of Moses to teach you how you can use this as a pattern for your personal devotion unto God. Just as the Tabernacle had to be made in a specific way, so the priests had to perform their service in a prescribed way, which was the pattern of worship for the priest under the Old Covenant. If you will look at DIAGRAM A3 You will seethe furniture that was used in the Tabernacle of Moses. It will also help you if you turn back to DIAGRAM A1 on page 80 so you can see a view of the Tabernacle from the outside. What I want to do now is walk you through the Tabernacle of Moses taking you to every piece of furniture.

85 Under the Old Covenant the priest had to follow the prescribed order of worship in their daily service to God. IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH THIS WITH THE PRIEST BECAUSE YOU ARE A NEW COVENANT PRIEST. Allow this to develop in you an understanding of how to enter into the manifest presence of God. It is Gods desire to bring us into a more intimate relationship with Him where we live our lives in His very presence becoming His dwelling place. I am not laying down any law that you must follow, but I am presenting a pattern you can use when having your daily time of prayer and Bible study. First of all, the priest could not come to God empty handed. He had to have an offering to present to God. Under the Old Covenant there were five prescribed offerings. Each of these offerings has a symbolic significance of its own, but ultimately they pointed to the One Sacrifice of Christ. For the priest to enter into the tabernacle he first had to go to the Altar of Burnt Offering and offer up his sacrifice there. The Altar of Burnt Offering was a very large grate almost like a barbecue. As a matter of fact, it was so big that all of the other pieces of furniture together could fit into this one piece. This spoke of the all sufficiency of the Altar of the Cross of Christ. There is no other way to enter into the presence of God without first accepting the One Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me (John 14:6). We must first of all look to the all sufficiency of the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all of our sins. There is no other way to enter into the presence of God except through the blood of the Cross. We cannot approach God based on our works, but based on our faith in the work of Christ for us. After the priest offered up his sacrifices he then went to the Bronze Laver. Basically this was like a big bathtub made out of solid bronze. The Aaronic priests were ordained and entered into service at the age of 30. When this happened they had to come to this Bronze Laver and be baptized in it. This was a once and for all thing. Jesus was baptized at the age of 30 and when we received salvation we followed our Savior into the waters of baptism. However, as the priests daily ministered in the Tabernacle they daily had to come to this Bronze Laver and clean themselves. As we walk in this world ministering as a priest of God, we get dirty spiritually...we sin. Therefore, we need to be cleansed. We dont have to be reborn again or be baptized again; we only have to wash our hands and feet, which represents our service to God and our walk with Him. The washing that we submit to is not natural water, but the living word of God. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to wash us clean. When we look into the Bible, it is like looking into a mirror. The Bible is Gods holy looking glass that reveals our sin. 3 At the same time, the Bible is also like a tub of hot water that the Holy Spirit uses to cleanse us, as we allow Him to. The Holy Spirit scrubs us down real good where were dirty with the Word of God. It is here at the Bronze Laver where we look at the reflection of the word of God and allow it to renew our minds; reminding ourselves of the great promises God has given us in Christ (Romans 12:2). As we allow the power of Gods word to renew us we will be strengthened to fulfill our duties as Gods priests. Next, the priest enters into the tabernacle itself. There were two sections to the Tabernacle of Moses. As the priest opens up the first curtain he enters into the Holy Place. No outside light is allowed here, but only the Gold Lampstand lights it up. Daily the priest had to fill this Gold Lampstand or Candlestick with the proper oil so the Holy Place would have light. When Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to the throne of God He sent His Holy Spirit to those who would believe. As priests before our God we must be filled with His Spirit daily. The Holy Spirit is our power source. Romans 8:14 says we are to be governed by the Holy Spirit. He is the

86 One who illuminates our hearts to walk in the way of the Lord; therefore we must continually be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). As the priest turned around, directly across the Holy Place was the Table of Shewbread. On this table there were 12 loaves of bread and daily the priest had to take the old bread out and put 12 new loaves on the table. This bread was called the bread of presence because it sat before the presence of the Lord. The priests were allowed to eat the old bread of presence as they replaced it with new. In John 6:35 Jesus said, I am the bread of life. The New Covenant meal for the New Covenant priest is the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ (John 6:53-57). As priests we must daily acknowledge the blood and body of Christ as our very life. Paul said, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). It is here where we say, not my will but thy will be done, I surrender all to you Lord! The priest has now come to the Altar of Incense and is right in front of the curtain, which leads into the second room of the Tabernacle, the Most Holy Place. Here at the Altar of Incense the priest takes the incense that has been crushed and blended together as a perfume of a sweet smelling aroma. Upon this altar the priest lays the incense and it goes up into the very presence of God. As a holy priesthood we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to Him. The incense that we offer up to Him is prayer and praise. This incense of our hearts lifted up in worship is well pleasing to Him. Behind the second curtain or veil was the Most Holy Place or as it sometimes was called the Holy of Holies. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was, which represents the manifest presence of God. The High Priest alone entered this place only once a year (Hebrews 9:7). However, Jesus entered into the heavenly Holy Place and calls us as His New Covenant priest to come in with Him:
Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the Holy of Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus. By this fresh new and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh, And since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, Let us all come forward and draw near with true honest and sincere hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction produced by faith...having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water HEBREWS 10:19-22 AMPLIFIED BIBLE

His blood has given us a direct access unto the Father (Ephesians 2:18). The veil has been rent and there sits One who now calls us to follow in His steps. Jesus is already seated, and is perfected. He has entered into His rest (Hebrews 3-4). He is calling us through the gospel of His free grace to lay everything aside and draw near to Him. Let the cry of our hearts be that we might know Him. Not just knowing facts about Him but having an intimate relationship with Him. God has a purpose for each one of our lives as His priest, however it is only through knowing Him that we can fulfill that purpose.

CREATED UNTO GOOD WORKS

To be the very place where God dwells is our ultimate calling and it is out of this relationship with Him that we do good works. Many people get confused between what the Bible calls DEAD WORKS and GOOD WORKS. Basically, a dead work is doing something so you can be seen as good, or doing religious or non-religious activity to try and gain God or mans approval. What

87 makes it totally dead is that it has no eternal value in the eyes of the one and true God. They are works motivated by the desire to ease a guilty conscience, or promote self. A dead work will not help you get to God or receive His forgiveness and acceptance (For more detail refer to Section I, Lesson 7: The Cycle of Dead Works). Dead works are based on self. Self is living independent of Gods ability and trusting in our own ability. Ephesians 2:19-20 says, it is by grace that you are saved, through faith. This does not depend on anything you have achieved, it is the free gift of God; and because it is not earned no man can boast about it. For God has made us what we are, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO THOSE GOOD DEEDS WHICH HE PLANNED FOR US TO DO (Philippians Translation). It is only by resting from our own dead works and entering into the grace of God that we can fulfill His plans for our lives. Good works are not motivated by self, but motivated by the Holy Spirit. Good works are the result of having a relationship with God. They are not done to try and get to God or gain His approval, but are the result of an obedient heart being directed by His Spirit. The good works of the New Covenant priest are not only offering up our spiritual sacrifices unto God, but also loving and serving others (Heb 13:16). We have been brought into a holy priesthood and as priests we are called to stand between God and a sinful world. Just as Jesus came and partook of our humanity, when we were born again we partook of His divine nature (I Peter 1:4) and entered into the same priesthood as He. We have already seen that Jesus Christ is the word made flesh and through Him God dwelt among us. However, Jesus left this world and sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper and causes the word to become alive in us. We are called to be representatives of Christ in this world. It is through our lives that the Risen Christ who not only lives in heaven interceding for us, but also lives in our hearts by His Spirit and living word, touches others. When talking about faith the apostle James stresses the importance of our faith having a practical side. He says,
Dear brothers and sisters, whats the use of saying you have faith if you dont prove it by your actions? That kind of faith cant save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well but then you dont give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isnt enough just to have faith. FAITH THAT DOESNT SHOW ITSELF BY GOOD DEEDS IS NO FAITH AT ALL IT IS DEAD AND USELESS JAMES 2:14-17 N.L.T. (EMPHASIS MINE).

Works cannot give us salvation, but good works will help others. Our faith in Christ is demonstrated by what we do and when we dont reach out to others in love, our faith is dead and useless to this world. To walk in the manifest presence of the lord and be light in the midst of a dark world is our calling. As priests we have been called to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9). We proclaim Christs excellencies in may ways: through our prayers, praise, worship, giving, relationships, marriages, godly conduct, mercy shown to others or simply obeying the governments of our land. Through my attempt to explain the truths of the New Covenant priesthood I hope that you take the time to develop a deeper passion to know God. We must go beyond knowing about God to truly knowing Him. Also, I pray that as you set your mind on things above you will also reach out to those who are bound by sin and in need of Christs touch through you. We need to be heavenly minded and earthly good. It is time to go beyond just hearing the word to becoming the word and walking in what it says to do. If we do, we are promised to be blessed and that is my desire for you.

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PART I
LESSON 23: THE SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES
INTRODUCTION: When the word sacrifice is mentioned, what mental pictures go off in your mind? You could think of the hard work of an athlete or maybe a Satanist. It might even be that you think of the hard work someone does at a job or the sacrifice of a mother for her child. As I use the word sacrifice I want you to think of it as an offering. An offering is something we freely give. Jesus freely offered Himself upon the Cross-for our sins. I have already said that the Old Covenant sacrifices pointed towards the Cross. However, the New Covenant also speaks about spiritual sacrifices that we as New Covenant priests should offer up to God. These sacrifices are not to add to the sacrifice of the Cross, but are the result of a thankful heart which has been given eternal life through the One well-pleasing sacrifice of Christ. I. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1). A. In this text we are urged by the Mercies of God to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto Him. B. The motivation for offering our bodies to God is His mercy. Mercy gave to us when: 1) We did not deserve it (Ephesians 2:4-5). 2) We did nothing to work for it (Titus 3:5). 3) We were enemies of God (Romans 5:10). C. Mercy triumphed at the Cross and reconciled us back to the Fathers heart so we could worship Him with our whole lives. II. Our bodies are to be LIVING SACRIFICES. A. Under the Old Covenant, the animal was killed and placed on the Altar of Burnt Offering, then the freshly poured out blood was to be placed on each corner of the altar as an atonement for sin. B. The Bible says in Leviticus that the life is in the blood. The very life of the sacrifice was completely offered up at the altar. C. Jesus poured out His life at the Cross so we could have life but He also calls us to offer up our lives at the altar of the Cross. Jesus said if anyone wishes to come after Me let him: 1) Deny himself (Matthew 16:24a). 2) Lay down his life (Matthew 16:25). 3) Take up his cross (Matthew 16:24b). 4) Come follow me (Matthew 16:24c).

NOTES

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LESSON 23: THE SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES
III. Our bodies are to be HOLY SACRIFICES. A. One of the words for holy is set apart. As a holy sacrifice we are to be set apart wholly unto God. B. There are two aspects of being set apart: 1) We are to be SET APART FROM SIN TO WORSHIP GOD. 2) We are to be SET APART FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY. C. We are set apart from the shackles of sin to worship God with our whole lives. 1) When Israel was brought out of the House of Bondage (Egypt) then they were commanded to build a Tabernacle by which they could worship their Holy Father. 2) By the power of the blood of Jesus we have been cleansed of all of our sins and called out of the world so we may worship the Father in spirit and in truth. D. We are set apart to the work of ministry. 1) Israel was not only commanded to build a Tabernacle by which they could worship God, but they were also commanded to conquer the promised land. 2) As members of the Body of Christ we each have a ministry to fulfill while we are still in this body (Romans 12:6). There is a promised land (ministry) for each one of us to conquer and enter into. IV. Offering our bodies up as living and holy sacrifices is well pleasing to the Father. A. When Jesus came into the world to offer up His body as a living and holy sacrifice, the Father said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17) B. This is part of our spiritual worship: to offer up our bodies so that they may bring glory to the cause of Christ. As sons and daughters of God we should desire to be pleasing to Him, by offering our lives completely to Him. V. Offering up our bodies helps us to not be conformed to this present age (Romans 12:2). A. The word for conformed in the original Greek language is Suschematizo (Strongs # 4964). It basically says, not to follow the fleeting fashions of this world or be molded into their image. B. Man was created in the image of God to worship Him, be like Him and bring glory to His name.

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NOTES

C. Man who has rejected God and not offered up his body as a living and holy sacrifice to Him will end up worshipping the creature instead of the Creator. D. In Romans 1:23-25 we see that those who worship the creature instead of the Creator ultimately turn themselves over to the defiling of their bodies through idolatry, sexual sin or both. VI. Offering up our bodies is the first step to the transformation of our minds. A. We can only fulfill Gods will as we allow Him to have full control of our lives. The offering up of our bodies is the first step towards giving God full control of our lives. B. As we offer up our bodies to God and allow our minds to be transformed through the word of God, then we will begin to walk in His purposes for our lives. CONCLUSION: God desires our worship and the beginning of our spiritual worship is the offering up of our bodies. Our bodies are to be the temple of the Holy Spirit, but if we do not present our bodies unto Him wholly then we will not be filled fully. Jesus presented Himself fully unto the Father and was filled without measure by the Holy Spirit. We must follow His example so we may be filled with the fullness of the Spirit.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship
Romans 12:1

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What are we to do with our bodies? O Exercise O Offer them up as sacrifices O Inflict them with punishment 2. What is one of the words for holy? _________________ 3. List two reasons why we are set apart: 1) ____________________________ 2) ____________________________ 4. When we offer up our bodies as living sacrifices it is: O An offence to God O A dead work O Our spiritual worship

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

What type of things do you offer your body up to? Sports, exercise, sex, work, eating, etc? Do you put any of these things before the offering up of your body unto God? If you do would you call this idolatry?

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PART II
LESSON 24: THE SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES
INTRODUCTION: If you want to turn back and look at diagram A2 in the introduction of this section you will see a picture of the Old Covenant high priest. When he was dedicated into office at the age of thirty he was baptized in the Bronze Laver and then all of his priestly clothes were placed back upon him. They then took a flask of anointing oil and poured it from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. As New Covenant priests we should desire the oil of the Holy Spirit to be poured upon our lives. You will see also that upon his head was a hat, which was called a mitre. On the front of this mitre there was a gold plate, which said Holiness unto the Lord. In I Peter 1:15-16 it says that, like the Holy One (Jesus) who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY. God is looking for a Holy priesthood. I. The offering up of our bodies is the starting point for holiness. A. Our bodies will either become the instruments of sin or the instruments of Gods holiness (Romans 6:12-13). B. We are to present the members of our body as slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:19). Righteousness is simply being forgiven and put in a right relationship with the Father by the cross of Christ. We must devote continually ourselves as sacrifices to this relationship. 1) The end result of presenting our bodies to the understanding of the cross will be sanctification or holiness. In Romans 6:19 the word in the Greek used for sanctification is hagiasmos (Strongs #38). 2) Hagiasmos means not only the activity of the Holy Spirit to SET MAN APART unto salvation, but also ENABLING HIM TO BE HOLY EVEN AS GOD IS HOLY. II. The renewing of the mind gives us power to be holy. A. Under the New Covenant we are not merely to have Holiness unto the Lord written on our foreheads but as priest we are to have the mind of Christ (I Cor. 2:16). B. Colossians 3:2 tells us we should set our minds on things above, not on things of the earth. C. What does it mean to set our minds on things above? 1) To set our minds on things above is to look to our heavenly High Priest and remind ourselves of the promises He has given us in His word (Heb. 2:1). 2) Hebrews 4:11 encourages us to be diligent to enter

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

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LESSON 24: THE SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES
into the finished work of Christ (To see some of the promises that we should remind ourselves of look at Section I: Lesson 11). 3) When it comes to the promises of God there is the POSITIONAL TRUTH and PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
POSITIONAL TRUTH In Christ we are holy (I Cor. 1:30) We have been chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless (Eph. 1:4) By accepting Christs death we are holy (Col. 1:22) Christ has made us holy (I Cor. 1:2) PRACTICAL HOLINESS We must present our bodies as holy sacrifices daily (Rom. 12:1) Abiding in a relationship with Christ brings us into holiness (Romans 6:19) The church is made holy by the washing of the word (Eph. 5:27)

NOTES

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4) Renewing our minds with the positional truth will give us the power to enter into the practical application. D. What does it mean to be earthly minded? 1) To be earthly minded is to walk according to the course of this world (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 2:2-3; Col. 3:5) which is simply the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). 2) If we live as earthly-minded people it will bring spiritual death to our lives. III. How do we live holy lives? A. The first step to living holy is presenting our bodies. B. The second step is renewing our minds through the word of God. 1) As the priests daily entered into the presence of a Holy Father, they had to wash themselves at the laver. We must DAILY WASH OUR MINDS WITH THE WORD OF GOD to cleanse ourselves from the dirt of this world so we are not conformed to its ways, but transformed into Gods dwelling place. 2) Through this renewing we discover Gods will. C. The renewing of our minds will cause us to be a Spirit filled person. 1) It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we put to death the sinful deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). 2) If we will walk by the power of the Holy Spirit then we will not carry out the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

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LESSON 24: THE SACRIFICE OF OUR BODIES
IV. Why is there still a struggle with holiness? A. The struggle with holiness is that we have become new creations in Christ, but we still live in a natural body. B. The body has not been changed yet (Eph. 1:14); therefore, it must be brought under the power of God. C. We live in a sinful worldly system in which Satan is the god (II Corinthians 4:4). His system operates by: 1) The lust of the flesh (I John 2:16a). 2) The lust of the eyes (I John 2:16b). 3) The boastful pride of life (I John 2:16c). D. Since the body is made of the dust of the earth it has a tendency towards sin, if it is not presented to God. E. As long as we live in this earthly body we must decide if we are going to be filled with the spirit of the world or the Spirit of God (I Cor. 2:12). F. It is up to us to put on the provision made available to us in Christ and give no room to the sins of the flesh (Romans 13:12). CONCLUSION: The body is to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. We are not to allow our bodies to be used as instruments of sin, but as instruments of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are not for sexual sin, anger, drugs, drunkenness or any work of the flesh, but are for the Lord. As a holy priesthood we must present our bodies unto God, allow our minds to be renewed and be filled with the Holy Spirit. This will set our feet on the path of Gods will for our lives bringing us into the plan He has for us.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Romans 6:20

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is the beginning of holiness? ______________________________________ 2. We are to present our bodies as slaves to _____________________________. 3. The end result of presenting our bodies to the understanding of the cross will be: O Self mutilation O Holiness O Bondage 4. Do we still have a struggle with holiness? O Yes O No

James 5:16 says to confess our sins one to another and pray for one another. As a group you may want to do this or you might divide into groups of 2 or 3 to confess and pray.

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PART I
LESSON 25: THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE
INTRODUCTION: The book of Hebrews, which gives us, such a wonderful view of the Old and New Covenants points us to the superiority of Jesus Christ. According to the flesh Jesus was a descendant of King David who was of the tribe of Judah. The word for Judah means, Praise and David was one who praised God with his whole heart. The last chapter of Hebrews encourages us, based on the one sacrifice of Christ, to continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15-16). Just as the incense in the altar was to continually ascend up to God so He desires our hearts to continually speak, sing and shout His victorious praises. I. What is praise? A. To get an accurate definition of praise from the bible we will have to look at the Old Covenant. B. There are three main words in the original Hebrew language which are used for the one English word praise. 1) Halal (Strongs #1984): The basic meaning is to be bright, to praise, to celebrate, glorify. It is from this word that we get the word hallelujah which calls for giving glory to God. 2) Yadah (Strongs # 3034): The basic meaning is to speak out, to confess, to give thanks, to sing. The name Judah comes from this word. 3) Tehillah (Strong's # 8416): The basic meaning is a song of praise. C. The basic meaning of these words shows us that praise means to celebrate by speaking out, giving thanks, confessing and singing songs unto God. D. The word praise used in the New Covenant has not changed, since it means to praise God, to celebrate in song, or to sing songs with musical instruments. II. How are we supposed to praise? A. The best picture of praise in the Bible is David and Acts 15: 16 shows us that God has restored the Tabernacle of David in the New Covenant. B. The Tabernacle of David was the tent that he set up in Jerusalem (II Samuel 6:12-17). 1) The Tabernacle of David was an open tent with only the Ark of the Covenant under it. 2) It is through the Tabernacle of David that we learn the importance of praise and worship. 3) The significance of the Tabernacle of David is that they had priests who praised and worshiped God 24 hours a day (I Chronicles 16:37).

NOTES

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4) David appointed singers, with instruments of music, harps, guitars, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy before the Ark (I Chron. 14:16). C. David was a man after Gods own heart and he taught the people to praise God with: 1) Singing ( I Chronicles 16:9) 2) Giving of Thanks (I Chronicles 16:8) 3) Instruments (I Chronicles 16:42) 4) Clapping (Psalms 47:1) 5) Lifting of Hands (Psalms 134:2) 6) Dancing (I Chronicles 15:29) 7) Shouting (Psalms 32:11) D. Praise should be very expressive, vibrant and upbeat because it is giving our whole heart to God, a wellpleasing sacrifice. Note: When it comes to praise there is a cultural context. Some cultures are by nature more expressive than others. Also, there are many different parts of the Body of Christ, some more conservative and others expressive. I have given you what the Bible teaches about praise and we should practice the word of God. However, the way you express yourself is between you, the church you attend and God. If others do things differently, then give them the liberty as long as they stay within the boundaries of the word of God. You cant make others express themselves the way you may and you shouldnt judge others for the way they do. III. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). A. The Ark of the Covenant is the place where Gods manifest presence dwelt and as we lift up the sacrifice of praise God will manifest Himself to our hearts. B. As believers we have the down-payment of the Spirit in our hearts and always have Gods Spirit dwelling within us (Ephesians 1:13). However, there is a difference between the abiding presence of God and the tangible or manifest presence of God that comes when we praise, worship and pray to God. C. Praise enthrones God to the place of highest honor so He can come on the scene of our lives and be our very present help in times of need (Psalms 46:1). IV. We are called to enter into the presence of God through the sacrifice of praise. A. In Hebrews 13:15 it says that the sacrifice of praise is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 1) The word for GIVE THANKS in the Greek means to confess.

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2) Praise is simply making confessions of faith to the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Heb. 3:1). B. Whether we have musical instruments or not we can still lift up our voices and begin to confess Gods goodness, mercy, saving power, love towards us, etc. C. We can lift up shouts of triumph or just begin to sing of His grace reminding ourselves of what Christ did for us at the Cross and what He can do for us and others right now. Note: We can make a ritual out of anything. Praise is an offering of our hearts. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and dont think you have to do things the same way every time. CONCLUSION: Let the praises of God be in your heart and on your lips. Lift up the sacrifice of praise and let the power of God come into your life. When we begin to praise it is like opening up a window and allowing the wind of the Spirit to come into our hearts. Paul the apostle encourages us to be filled with the Spirit and to speak out to one another...offering praise with voices [and instruments] (Eph. 5:19 Amplified). This is a place of great power as God manifests Himself to our hearts.

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY Continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips that give thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The basic meaning of praise is to: a. ___________________________________ b. ___________________________________ c. ___________________________________ d. ___________________________________ 2. God ____________________ the praises of His people. 3. Can we enter the manifest presence of God? O Yes O No 4. David was a man after Gods own heart showed us 7 ways to praise God: 1) 3) 5) 7) ________________ 2) ________________ ________________ 4) ________________ ________________ 6) ________________ ________________

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Do you ever experience Gods presence when you praise? Is it more when you are alone, or in a corporate setting praising Him with others?

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INTRODUCTION: There is power in praise! God has given us spiritual weapons and praise is one of those mighty weapons to destroy the works of the enemy. To the natural man praise can seem silly, fake or a waste of time, but to the spiritual man praise is a mighty weapon. Put the sacrifice of praise on your lips and use it as a sword to release captives, fight spiritual battles or to encourage and protect wounded soldiers. When you praise the Living God He will manifest Himself in times of need and fight your battles for you. Let us use the sacrifice of praise to defeat the enemy and build up the saints. I. King David, the man after Gods own heart. A. David was of the tribe of Judah and he was both a WARRIOR and a WORSHIPPER (I Samuel 16:18). B. It was David who wrote much of the Book of Psalms, and many of these were songs of praise about victory over the enemy and a passionate love for God. II. Davids hands were anointed to do warfare. A. When David would play his instrument to worship God the power of the Holy Spirit would come and set people free from the powers of darkness (I Sam 16:23). B. It was David who wrote, my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes I will sing praises to the Lord. (Psalms 27:6) C. Through Davids heart of praise God was able to come onto the scene and fight his battles for him. It was David who said, the battle is the Lords (I Samuel 17:47). III. Through praise God is able to fight our battles. A. There was another King of Judah who recognized the power of praise, and his name was Jehoshaphat. B. This king was being invaded by foreign armies and he was told he would not even need to fight, for the battle was not his but the Lords (II Chronicles 20:15). C. This king, appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised God to go out before the army. D. As they went out singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the enemy (II Chronicles 20:22). E. It was through the power of praise that the enemy was defeated. 1) God inhabits the praises of His people and when God arises His enemies are scattered (Psalms 68:1). 2) The enemies of the Lord cannot stand when Gods people lift their voices in praise to Him.

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IV. Praise opens prison doors! A. Paul and Silas were following the Lord and doing His work when they found themselves beaten and put in prison for preaching the gospel (Acts 16:22). B. In this prison they had the opportunity to get down and become defeated by the schemes of the enemy. However, these men of faith saw the attack of the enemy as an opportunity for the Lord. C. It was at the midnight hour when, Paul and Silas began praying and singing hymns of praise to God when there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyones chains were unfastened. D. What can we learn from this lesson of praise? 1) When the enemy attacks us and we are in a difficult place we should not come under our circumstances but look to Him who helps us. 2) We serve a God who is abundantly available in tight places (Psalms 46:1) and when we lift up a voice of praise He comes on the scene of our lives to help us. 3) As we lift our voices up to sing praises to God it will not only affect us, but all those who are around us. V. Praise not only defeats the enemy but also builds up the saints. A. Ephesians 5:18-19 encourages us to, be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. Speaking out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments]. (Amplified Translation) B. When we are together as the people of God praising Him we are also to build up and encourage one another. C. The SIMPLE GIFT OF PROPHECY found in I Cor. 14:1 is to simply DECLARE TRUTHS THROUGH THE INSPIRATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. D. As we praise God His manifest presence will come and we should prophesy to one another because it builds, encourages and comforts us (I Corinthians 14:3, 31). VI. PRAISE and PROPHECY transforms our hearts. A. In I Samuel 10:5-6 when King Saul was anointed to become king, he met a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they were speaking and

NOTES

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praising God. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was changed into another man. B. In this text we see that through praise the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon us and change our lives. C. When we lift up the high praises of God our lives become more open to the Holy Spirit because we give Him more of our lives. D. Through the sacrifice of praise the Holy Spirits fire is able to come and transform our hearts (II Cor. 3:18). If we will lift up our voices in praise then God will consume us with His presence and change our lives to be more like Him. CONCLUSION: In the Tabernacle of David they continually offered up the sacrifice of praise before the Ark of the Covenant, which was symbolic of Gods manifest presence. As a holy priesthood we must continually offer up the sacrifice of praise and the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself to us. As we do this we will be changed, set free, and able to declare that the battle is not ours but the Lords. The power of the Holy Spirit is available to all, we just have to surrender all to Him. Come before the Lord with singing, clapping, shouting, dancing, giving of thanks and you will declare along with Nehemiah who said, the joy of the Lord is my strength. The enemy will try and steal your joy, but take the weapon of praise and lift up the voice of triumph found at the Cross of Christ! Jesus is our VICTORY.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. Psalms 30:4

STUDY QUESTIONS
SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. David was anointed as a ____________________ and a _________________________. 2. Through praise God is able to ___________________ our battles for us. 3. Praise is used to defeat the enemy and ________________ up the saints. 4. Praise and prophecy __________________ our lives.

Have you experienced a healing, deliverance, or have something supernatural happen to you as you praised God?

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NOTES

INTRODUCTION: Man was created to worship God. You can go to places in Africa and around the world today and find people up on high mountains sacrificing animals to their gods. Let me take you to a South American soccer game and you will see the people literally worshipping the players. What about an American teenager that worships a Rock Star? This is worship because the word worship in both the Old and New Covenant simply means to bow down or to humble yourself before someone as an act of respect before a superior being. Man will worship that which he most fears, adores and respects. We are created to worship, but the question is, WHO DO YOU REALLY WORSHIP? I. Who are we supposed to worship? A. One of the Ten Commandments of the Moral Law is that we Shall have no other gods besides the Lord for we shall worship the Lord ONLY (Exodus 20:3). B. We are to give our complete obedience unto Him, bowing our hearts to worship the only One True God. II. Where are we supposed to worship? A. Worship is not the giving of sacrifices, but bowing down in obedience and submission to God. B. Worship is not a physical place for true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. (John 4:23) C. God never has been and still is not limited to one physical place for heaven is His throne and earth is His footstool. D. Through Jesus Christ we have become sons and daughters of God, born of His Spirit to worship Him in spirit. III. How are we supposed to worship? A. Worship must be done in spirit and truth (John 4:23). 1) To worship in spirit is to worship by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. a. The Holy Spirit within us will bring our hearts to a place of humble obedience as we surrender all. b. It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can truly humble ourselves before the Father. 2) To worship in truth is to be honest when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. a. God is a jealous God and His Spirit within us will draw us to worship only Him (James 4:4).

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b. To worship in truth is to base our worship on the truth of Christ and be done with all false worship. c. True worship is to give God first place. IV. What is false worship? A. False worship is putting other things in the place of God. B. Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek first the kingdom. It does not say second or third, but it tells us to put God first. C. When Paul the apostle came to the city of Athens he was examining their objects of worship, finding many altars they bowed down to and worshipped many gods (Acts 17:22-31). 1) He told them that they should not think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 2) Paul declared to these people that gods made with the hands and thoughts of man are no gods at all. D. We may look at this example and say these were backward people compared to our modern mindsets, however our modern world has much in common with the Greeks. E. What are some of the things that the modern world worships? Money Sports Nature Possessions The Human Body Sex Relationships Occupations

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F. None of these thing are necessarily bad in themselves, but when they become the center of our attention they can become idols in our lives. G. An idol is something we: 1) Give our time to. 2) Give our money to. 3) Put our trust in. H. An idol cannot save us, deliver us, or give us any lasting satisfaction, but takes us away from the One True God. V. What does worship do to us? A. Worship changes us to be like the person or thing that we give our complete attention to. B. There is a principle that when we BEHOLD WITH OUR

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NOTES

COMPLETE ATTENTION we will be changed to be like that which we behold (II Corinthians 3:18). 1) An example of this would be teenagers who worship a rock star and pretty soon they look, sing and act like the one they worship. 2) This is what being conformed to the world means. It means our lives are controlled by an ungodly culture. Is there any distinction between you and the world? If not then you are being conformed to its image. C. We are encouraged in II Corinthians 10:5b to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. It is important for us to do this if we are to worship God in spirit and in truth. D. If we will give our hearts completely to God and worship Him, then the Spirit of the Lord will change us to be like Christ (II Corinthians 3:18). E. True worship will bring spiritual and moral growth to our lives, because true worship is giving our whole heart to God.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY The true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24

CONCLUSION: We are to be those who worship God in the spirit and put no confidence in the flesh. God is a jealous God and loving Father who knows that idols cannot satisfy the deep longing of our hearts. Worshiping the Father in Spirit brings life and lasting fruit. If we will yield ourselves to the Spirit of the Lord and humbly submit to Him, then we will be changed more and more into the likeness of Christ. The more we humbly bow in complete surrender to the Lord, the more we will sense the liberty of the Spirit. In this world there will be many temptations to worship other things, but as New Covenant priests we are called to worship the Lord only.

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. We are supposed to worship the ______________ only. 2. God never has been and still is not limited to one ________________ ________________. 3. What are some of the things that the modern world worships: 1) _________________ 3) _________________ 5) _________________ 2) _________________ 4) _________________ 6) _________________ SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

What kind of things do you give most of your attention to? Do you have any modern idols that are between you and God?

7) __________________

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INTRODUCTION: The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight (Proverbs 15:8). God takes great pleasure when we pray to Him. In Revelations 5:8 we can see a heavenly viewpoint of prayer and it is seen as golden bowls full of incense. Prayer is a sweet aroma that pleases God. This is a heart that is completely surrendered to Him and trusting that He will answer. Prayer is fellowship and asking requests from our Heavenly Father. As a holy priesthood we are called to come boldly before the very throne of God for He takes delight in our spiritual sacrifices. I. The main word used for prayer in the Greek is Prosechomai. This word embraces all that is included in the idea of prayer: thanks, asking, requesting special things, meditations and intercession. A. There are many different types of prayer: 1) PETITIONS: This is an individual asking for circumstances to change in their own personal life. 2) MEDITATION ON GODS WORD: Turning Gods word into conversation with Jesus. 3) DEVOTION: Asking for spiritual growth, communion with God and worship. 4) INTERCESSORY PRAYER: Intercession is making request to see Gods hand move on behalf of someone else. We can do this in both a corporate setting or alone with God. B. All of these types of prayer should be used, and each one has its place for a specific purpose and place to fulfill the purposes of God in the earth. We should also regularly combine our prayers with FASTING. I encourage you to find a good book on prayer and fasting. II. The prayer of petitions. A. All of us face some sort of difficulty in life and Paul told us in Philippians 4:6 to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. B. We can trust God for our every need. He desires to care for our personal needs, protect us and make straight paths for us to walk in. We just have to ask. C. To be able to ask in faith we must know the word of God. It is important that we study the word of God and use the promises of God as the basis for our request.

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NOTES

II. The prayer of meditation. A. David the psalmist said that he meditated on God as he was lying in bed. Joshua was commanded to meditate on the word of God and was promised that it would bring success to his endeavors (Joshua 1:8). B. The prayer of meditation is taking the word of God and making it personal to your life. Romans 10:8 says that the word of God should be in our mouths and our hearts. C. The word of God that we have studied must be put within our hearts and we should: 1) MEMORIZE the word. 2) CONFESS the word. 3) APPLY the word. D. The prayer of meditation makes the word of God become our personal word to our everyday situations. III. The prayer of devotion. A. The priest in the Tabernacle of Moses had to offer up the morning and evening sacrifice. As a holy priesthood we should find a time in the morning or night to offer up the sacrifice of prayer. B. When Jesus taught us how to pray He told us to first of all acknowledge our Heavenly Father (Matt. 6:9). Personal devotion is about having a personal relationship and experiencing fellowship with God on a daily basis. C. This is a time when we should be alone with God (Matt. 6:9) seeking His very heart and listening to His voice speak to our hearts. D. Our time of personal devotion should be: 1) In a quiet place. 2) Preferably at the same time every day. 3) Given adequate time to spend waiting on the Lord. 4) A combination of petitions, meditations, praise and worship. 5) Done with a pen and paper in hand to write down anything the Lord speaks to your heart while praying. IV. Intercessory Prayer: A. Intercession can be done during personal devotions or in a group setting. B. Intercession is making request on behalf of others and

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through this form of prayer we are joining in and helping others. C. Jesus as our Great High Priest intercedes for us, and we are called to stand in the gap and pray for the will of God to be done in the church and in the nations of the world (Acts 4:24-31; I Timothy 2:1). D. Though people may be hundreds of miles away, through intercession peoples lives can be changed (II Corinthians 1:11). E. God has ordained intercessory prayer as the way of releasing His sovereignly ordained blessing into the nations, individual lives and ministries. VI. We need to use all the types of prayer to see personal growth in our own lives, and growth to Gods purposes. A. In Ephesians 6:18 Paul says, with all prayer and petition pray at all times. B. Whatever the occasion, we need to pray, trusting God in every situation and at all times. CONCLUSION: You cannot just think about praying, but you must take the time to develop an intimate relationship with your heavenly Father. This does not just happen, but you must give yourself to pursuing the heart of God. Any relationship takes time to develop. Prayer is first of all a discipline, but as you give yourself to praying consistently it will become a desire. The benefits of prayer are beyond description, but beyond the benefits, prayer is a necessity to our spiritual life. As we have looked at all of the types of prayer in the next lesson we will discover the conditions necessary for effective prayer.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY With all prayer and petition pray at all time in the Spirit. Ephesians 6:18

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Do you have a personal prayer life? If not, how can you begin to devote yourself to prayer? If you do, how can you grow in your prayer life?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. To pray in faith we must know the _______________ of _________________. 2. In our personal devotion, we should pray in a quiet place? O Yes O No 3. Intercession is making request on the behalf of _______________________. 4. Should we use all types of prayer? O Yes O No

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INTRODUCTION: When it comes to prayer we have a solid foundation to approach the Father on. Jesus is the open door to the throne and it is through His finished work that we may enter in boldly to the manifest presence of God. Let us lay aside the weight of sleep, work, a mind full of things to do or anxious thoughts of the problems we have and look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1). Jesus said, Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS (Matt. 11:28-29). That rest is found as we humble our hearts in prayer, laying everything at the cross to seek God. I. Our solid foundation of prayer is based on the work of our High Priest. A. Jesus Christ came by water, blood...and it is the Spirit who bears witness (I John 5:6-7). B. As a holy priesthood we enter into prayer based on the blood of Jesus, the water of the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. 1) THE BLOOD: To enter into the presence of our Holy Father we must be cleansed of all sin. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse our conscience, so that we may approach the Father by grace, not works (Heb. 9:14). 2) THE WATER: Baptism into water happens once, but being washed in the water of the word is done daily. Prayer is based on the word of God. Gods word never changes (Psalms 119:89); therefore, it is a solid foundation we can trust in, agree to, and use in prayer. 3) THE SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is our comforter. He has been sent to help us walk the walk of Christ. It is the Spirit who helps us pray (Romans 8:26). C. Through the blood, water and Spirit we have been made the very sons and daughters of God and a holy priesthood. 1) We are children of God and co-heirs with Christ. All that He accomplished is ours (Romans 8:17). 2) Let us approach God and always remember that there is a solid foundation for prayer based on Christ, not our own ability, but Christs ability working in us. II. The foundation of prayer is solid but there are certain CONDITIONS FOR EFFECTIVE PRAYER.
4

NOTES

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________________________

____________________

1. 4 FAITH: When we pray we must believe that God is

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hearing us and answering our prayer (Mark 11:24; James 1:6; I John 5:14-15). 2. 4 PERSISTENCE: This is allowing patience to have its perfect work and not giving up till we see the end of our faith in answered prayer (Luke 18:1-8; James 1:3-6) 3. HOLINESS : As we walk in holiness we maintain a pure conscience before God which gives us assurance of answered prayers (I Jn. 3:22). 4. FORGIVENESS: If we have any unforgiveness in our hearts towards anyone then we must forgive for it will hinder our prayers from being answered (Mark 11:25; I Peter 3:7). 5. GODS WILL: Our Father knows what is best and will only answer those prayers that are in accordance with His ways (I John 5:14). 6. 4 NAME OF JESUS: We are told to pray in the name of Jesus. Praying in the name of Jesus may be using that name, or simply praying in the authority that Christ has given us through His name (John 14:13; 16:23-24). 7. PURE MOTIVES: Psalms 37:4 says to delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will put His desires in our heart and they will be the pure desires according to His will. James 4:2-3 talks about those who pray with impure motives because they are seeking their own desires not Gods. They are number one, not God. 8. CONFIDENCE: We are to draw near to God with confidence. Not a fleshly confidence based on who we are, but a confidence based on our acceptance in Christ. Confidence gives us a single heart in prayer (Heb. 4:16). 9. 4 UNITY : When we are praying with others it is important to agree with them. If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven (Matt. 18:19). Note: Prayer is an essential aspect of partnering with God for the release of His grace in every situation (II Cor. 1:11). III. Corporate Prayer. A. Developing our personal relationship with the Father in prayer is important, but we must also pray as a church. B. The church is to be a House of Prayer (Luke 19:46).

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C. In Acts 2:42 we can see that the church came together devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and TO PRAYER. IV. Keys to corporate prayer meetings:
UNITY: To be in one mind and one heart when we come together is essential. To accomplish this each person will have to lay down any personal agenda. Also, there should be an appointed leader who guides the prayer time. This is not taking away from the Holy Spirits place, but helping to keep the order of the Spirit and all on one focus. AGREEMENT: When someone else is praying out loud we should be praying in our hearts and agreeing with the prayers being prayed. ORDER: If you have a prayer language (tongues) then in a corporate setting you should do it between you and God (I Cor. 14:28) SENSITIVITY: Learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and others. Keep your prayers simple and dont dominate the prayer meeting with long praying. Allow others to participate.

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2
AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION

CONCLUSION: As a holy priesthood we are called to pray. I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. Keeping an attitude of prayer at all times is essential. In the 18th century the evangelist John Wesley said that God was limited to the prayers of the saints. God can do anything He wants, but He has chosen to use His body of priests to be His House of Prayer in the earth. Jesus told us to pray and trust God for everything, from our daily bread to asking that the kingdom of God come on the earth (Matt. 6:9-11). Through prayer we become co-laborers with God. Praying is walking with God and allowing Him to walk in us and work His will through us.

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What three things are the foundation to prayer? a. _____________________ b. _____________________ c. _____________________ 2. The church is to be a _________________________. 3. The church is supposed to come together to listen to teaching, to fellowship, to break bread and to ________________________. 4. I Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to _______________ ___________________________. SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Do you feel comfortable praying in public? Is your uneasiness in public prayer based on the fear of man or the fear of God?

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INTRODUCTION: God so loved us that HE GAVE. This is the basis of all giving. As we look to our giving God it is not hard to understand the reasons why we should give. The world has made it sound like all the church wants is your money. Though there have been corrupt practices in the history and some current parts of the church, that doesnt make giving wrong. Paul was quoting the very words of Jesus when he said in Acts 20:35 that, It is more blessed to give than to receive. The world has no concept of this kingdom idea. Paul saw giving as a pleasing sacrifice unto God. In commenting about the financial gift that he received from the church in Philippi he said that it was, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God (Philippians 4:18b). As a holy priesthood giving is part of offering up our spiritual sacrifices to God. I. Whose things are they anyway? A. You have been bought with a price (I Cor. 6:20). 1) If Jesus is Lord of your life then He must be Lord of everything you have. 2) This means your money, cars, houses, wife, husband, children, lands, etc. B. If Jesus is Lord of all that we have then it is not ours! 1) We are stewards of the good things God has given to us. 2) As stewards we are called to be faithful over the things God has given into our hands (Luke 19:17). II. If I worked for it, how come God owns it? A. The common way for mankind to make money is to use God-given abilities performing some type of labor or skill for a monetary return. 1) You may have your own business, or work for a company. You may do manual labor, or use a computer. 2) Whatever you do, you are using your God-given talents, body and mind to make a living. B. Though you are exerting your energy, using your Godgiven talents, and using your body, the ability to make money is still a God-given gift. III. If God owns it, what do I do with it? A. Under the Old Covenant the Israelites were told to present to the Lord the firstfruits of their harvest and firstborn of their livestock and children (Ex. 13:12). B. It all belongs to God, but He wants the firstfruits back.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

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1) The giving of the firstfruits was a demonstration of faith which declared that all they had was due to the blessings of God (Deuteronomy 26:10). 2) Through the firstfruits God was giving the people a chance to acknowledge Him as their covenant partner, and to worship Him through their giving. C. The tithe, which means 10%, is first mentioned in Genesis 14. 1) In Gen. 14 Abraham had just defeated several kings when the king/priest Melchizedek met him with bread and wine. 2) Abram gave Mechizedek a tenth of all the spoils which was a one time act. D. Under the Old Covenant law the tithe was given to the Levitical (Aarons sons) priesthood (Numbers 18:26). E. In the New Covenant we are not under the law of the tithe and we do not support a hereditary priesthood. We are to present our giving to Jesus our high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:6). The book of Hebrews, Galatians and Romans clearly declare that we are no longer under the Law, but under Christ. F. The tithe is under the Law and was specifically given to the nation of Israel. No legal mandate exist in the New Testament to tithe, but it can be a starting point. IV. Covenant Stewardship. A. As a New Covenant priesthood we are to give into the local church when we assemble together (I Cor. 16:1-2). B. Our giving is to be presented as a sacrifice unto God, but we give it to the people who have stewardship in the church over the finances. C. As new covenant priest we are stewards of all God has given us and we are to use it to bless others. We are blessed so that we may be a blessing. V. How do we give? A. In II Corinthians 8:8-9 Paul says that giving is not a command, but in following our Lord Jesus Christs example we should freely give. B. Giving offerings should be done according to our ability to give (II Cor. 8:12). 1) God does not expect us to go broke by giving. 2) He may at times have you take a step of faith and give all that you have, but this would not be a common practice.

NOTES

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________________________ ________________________

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3) Whether you have much or little you should give within your standard of living. C. We should not give grudgingly, or under some sort of a demand (II Corinthians 9:7), but from a heart of love and faith. VI. Whom do we give our gifts to? A. Our giving should go to the support of the local church. However, there are a variety of ways we can be a blessing to others. 1) Supporting missionaries or a ministry . 2) Giving to the poor. 3) Helping a Christian in a time of need (Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 13:16). B. When giving dont just throw your money away. You are planting seed that will bring a harvest, so you want to make sure that you are planting in good ground and reaching out in faith. CONCLUSION: When you present your giving to the Lord make it a time of worship. It is not just throwing your money away! Giving is a covenant commitment to God and it is planting seed that will bring forth a plentiful harvest. As we give we must give in faith knowing that it is the will of God. God desires to bless us and for us to be a blessing. Let us offer up to God the spiritual sacrifice of our giving and see the hand of God move upon our finances, as we allow Him to be our financial partner.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack. II CORINTHIANS 8:15

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Whose things are they? O Yours O Governments O Gods 2. We are ________________ of the good things God has given us. 3. What is the common way for mankind to make money? ________________________________________ 4. How much does God expect us to give? O He expects us to give everything away. O He expects us to give nothing. O He expects us to give within our standard of living.

Since you have begun giving have you ever missed the money? If you do not give, why dont you? Do you have a testimony of how you have seen the blessing of God in your life since you have started giving?

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INTRODUCTION: God has placed certain natural laws in the universe. To fight against His natural laws is to fight against His ways. Gravity is a natural law,` and if you jump out of a window it is going to hurt or maybe kill you. However, if we did not have the law of gravity we could not even walk. When it comes to giving, God uses the law of sowing and reaping. In the book of Proverbs 11:24 it says that there is one who scatters, yet increases all the more and there is one who withholds what is justly due, but it results only in want. We can be blessed by the law of sowing and reaping, or miss the benefits God wants to bless us with through our obedient giving. I. The Law of SOWING and REAPING. A. In Galatians 6:6 Paul was giving instruction about giving support to those who teach us the word of God. Then he says, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 1) Whatever includes our finances and resources. 2) When we sow, we should expect a harvest. B. If we sow much, we can expect a big harvest; if we sow little, we will reap a small harvest (II Cor. 9:6). C. Large and small giving is within the context of our ability to give. We need to remember the story of the widow woman who gave little with a surrendered heart. D. If we will live by the principle of sowing and reaping then we should expect an increase of whatever we sow. II. Our motives for giving must be PURE and UNSELFISH. A. In Acts 8:18 Simon displayed a wrong motive for giving. His motive for giving was: 1) TRYING TO BUY THE GIFT OF GOD. a. We cannot buy salvation or any gift from God. b. The gifts of God are given to whom He desires and cannot be purchased. 2) WANTING POWER OVER PEOPLE. As a sorcerer Simon had power over people and possibly he thought that if he had apostolic power he could make a living using it. 3) Simons motives were selfish and needed to change.

NOTES

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III. Greed keeps us from giving. A. In Luke 12:15-21 Jesus teaches us a lesson about greed. 1) This man was very productive by using his God given talents to bring an economic increase. 2) Since this man did not acknowledge God as his source he kept all that he produced for himself. B. If we lay up treasures just for ourselves, then we are making money our god and will be a blessing to no one. IV. DOING GOOD and SHARING with others. A. If we neglect doing good and sharing with others what we have been given by God, then others may suffer because of our disobedience (Hebrews 13:16). B. God has ordained ministers to live from the giving of the people (II Corinthians 9:11). 1) The people should give of their substance to support the minister or ministers that serve them. 2) Just as a computer programmer gets his provision through his God given talents, so the minister gets his provision through preaching the gospel (II Cor. 9:14). C. All of the apostles were in agreement about giving to the poor (Galatians 2:10). 1) Jesus said we would have the poor with us always and we need to help those in true need. 2) We need to especially help the older poor, children and disabled because they cannot help themselves. D. There are times when unfortunate circumstances happen to people and they need the help of others (Gal. 6:2). 1) This might be a natural disaster, accident or job loss. 2) This is seasonal help until they can get on their feet. 3) We are to especially help our Christian brothers and sisters (Galatians 6:10) in their times of need. E. If we are only concerned about our own needs and allow greed to rule our hearts, then the people of God and others will suffer. V. Giving brings the increase. A. Luke 6:38 instructs us to give, and it will be given to us...For the way we give is the way it will come back. B. Sowing financial seeds into the local church, ministries, the poor, and people in need makes its way back to us. 1) God will lay it on peoples hearts to give into our lives so that our every need will be met (Phil.4:19). 2) You might get a raise on your job, a good deal on a car. If you own your own business, you might see an increase in work. As a missionary, someone may give you a free plane ticket.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

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PART II LESSON 31: THE SACRIFICE OF GIVING

VI. Are we to be rich or poor? A. Wealth and poverty are relative to our culture. B. We are to work and it is Gods desire to bless us, but to spend our time trying to get rich will rob us of the purposes of God in our lives (I Timothy 6:6-10). C. It is Gods desire for us to be content in whatever state we find ourselves (I Timothy 6:8; Philippians 4:12). D. We should be content yet PRESSING FORWARD in life. VII. Storing up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21). A. Jesus told us to lay up our treasures in heaven. B. It is important to remember that our giving will not only affect us in this life, but also in the life to come. C. Paul encourages those who have a surplus in money to give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others for in doing this they are storing up their treasure...for the future (I Tim. 6:18-19 NLT). CONCLUSION: As Gods dear children we should use the laws of increase that He has given us. Let us give as we have opportunity and ability. If we will follow His ways then we will walk in His blessing. It is Gods desire to bless us but we have to be willing to give of our substance. The world says keep it all to yourselves, but God has created us as a holy priesthood to offer up the spiritual sacrifice of giving.

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. It is through the law of _____________ and _________________ that God brings increase. 2. Our motives for giving should be pure: O Yes O No 3. _______________________ brings the increase. 4. How long will it take before we see the increase from the financial seeds we have sown? O 6 months O A season O Never SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Has greed ever kept you from giving? Have you ever seen an increase come from sowing a financial seed?

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LESSON 32: WORKING UNTO THE LORD

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

INTRODUCTION: When God created man and put him in the garden, He told him to cultivate and keep it (Genesis 2:15). Man was to find fulfillment, not in idleness, but in a life of rewarding labor in obedience to God. Christians are not called to be lazy but should set an example of honest and hard work. No matter what vocation the Lord has placed you in; He has placed you there to proclaim His kingdom. You are a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ and as a holy priest you should display His faithfulness. To be faithful to work is to be faithful unto the Lord. God has created us to find fulfillment, to provide for our needs, and to minister to others through the avenue of work. I. We must work. A. There are some today who think they can take the easy way out and live off the government, parents or friends. B. There are others who say they are living by faith and refuse to work, expecting God to pay their bills. C. Paul the apostle had to confront such people who thought they could live this way. He said that, if anyone will not work, neither let him eat (II Thessalonians 3:10).
Note: This is not speaking to those who are in situations where they cannot work.

II. We work for God, not man. A. In Ephesians 6:5 it talks about slaves submitting to their masters. In western society we no longer have slavery, but we do have those who are over us in the work field. 1) We are to obey their rules, listen to their instructions, and work diligently for our money. 2) This is to be done in the sincerity of our hearts as unto Christ (Ephesians 6:5-6). 3) Not just when they are looking, because we are rendering our service as to the Lord, and not to men. B. If we are managers, or have our own business, we should treat our employees with respect and honor (Eph. 6:9). 1) We should not threaten our workers (Eph. 6:9). 2) It should be our desire to treat our workers as Christ would treat them. C. Both WORKER and MANAGER are held accountable before God for how they work and treat others. III. How should we work? A. The book of Proverbs gives us much wisdom when it

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NOTES

comes to work. B. In Proverbs 6:6-8 the ANT is used as an example of a diligent worker: 1) The ant works when no one is looking. 2) When the ant sees an opportunity he takes advantage of it and works to bring an increase. 3) The ant knows how to work with others. 4) The ant keeps an orderly work schedule. C. The ant teaches us how to be wise and diligent in our work. IV. How hard should we work? A. We should work hard but for the right reasons! B. Proverbs 23:4 instructs us to not weary ourselves to gain wealth. 1) The focus of the Christian's life is not riches, but the will of God. a. Living our lives to get rich will lead us into ruin and can cause us to depart from Christ (I Timothy 6:10). b. Those who live to get rich make money their god. 2) The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil and when we work just to get rich, it opens our hearts to unethical ways of making money. C. Paul set an example of hard work and he encouraged his disciples to follow him in his work ethic (II Thessalonians 3:9). 1) Paul worked to take care of his needs and others. 2) Paul was a hard, diligent worker. D. Whether we are a carpenter, business executive or missionary we should work hard for the right reasons because God blesses the hands that work. V. God blesses us through the work of our hands. A. Paul said to attend to our own business and work with our hands (I Thessalonians 4:11). B. As we are obedient to in covenant relationship God has promised that He would bless us in all the work which our hands do (Deuteronomy 14:29). C. Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and adds no sorrow to it. 1) The blessing of the Lord is not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it is a gradual growth as we apply hard work, giving and wisdom together. 2) The principle of increase works just like the ant, with diligence, hard work and good management.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

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____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands. I Thessalonians 5:11

V. Finding our field to work in. A. Many people live their whole lives hating their work. B. The passion of our lives should be God and the calling He has placed upon our lives. C. Within the calling of God is the God-given talents He has placed within us to use, in making a living. D. How do we discover the calling of God on our lives? 1) God directs our lives through desire. a. By seeking God first, His desires will be ours. b. If we delight ourselves in the Lord He will show us His calling on our lives (Psalms 37:1). 2) God will confirm His direction to you. a. His will becomes more obvious as you see the gifts He has given you begin to develop in your life. b. He will also confirm His direction for our lives through the counsel of godly men and women. 3) Once we discover our calling we need to pursue it. a. You may need to go to college or train under someone in your field of interest. b. Success comes by PERSISTENCE and DILIGENCE. CONCLUSION: As a holy priesthood we each have a part to perform. If you are called to be a plumber dont try and be a pastor. Use your God given talents as unto the Lord and you will find fulfillment and the provision you need to live on. Maybe some of you are like Paul who made tents to live, but his calling and passion in life was apostolic ministry. You may be a lawyer who stays focused on your vocation, but may still be a blessing to the ministry through giving and serving as you can. Whatever you set your hands to do, do it as unto the Lord.

STUDY QUESTIONS
SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Paul said that if anyone will not ___________________ neither let him eat. 2. When we work we are rendering our _______________, as unto the Lord, and not to men. 3. God blesses us through the __________________ of our hands. 4. How do we discover the calling of God on our lives? O God given desires O Fortune teller O Horoscope

Have you found the field of work you believe the Lord has called you into? If so, then discuss how you have been blessed and how it has fulfilled you.

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NOTES

INTRODUCTION: In the book of I Samuel 2:31-35 God was rebuking Eli the high priest for his unfaithful sons who polluted the priesthood. They abused their place of authority, were sexually immoral and were greedy. God brought judgment upon them for their excesses and rose up a faithful priest named Samuel. God expects us to be faithful priests. Faithful over the calling of God on our lives. Faithful to our relationships. Faithful in our finances. In all areas of our lives God desires us to be faithful. I. Stewardship covers all areas of our lives. A. We are to be faithful stewards over:
1. 2. 3. 4. The Calling of God Family Friends Our bodies 5. 6. 7. 8. Money Possessions Occupation Time

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

B. Just as a gardener must be faithful to tend the ground, pull the weeds and fertilize his garden, we must be faithful over all areas of our lives. II. Faithful over the calling of God (Ephesians 4:1). A. God has given each of us gifts (Romans 12:5) and we are required to be faithful over these gifts. 1) God does not require more from us than what He has given us, but He expects us to faithfully use the ability He has entrusted to us (Matthew 25:15-26). 2) To be faithful over our calling is to use the God given talents He has given us so that we may provide for ourselves and touch this world with the gospel. B. We can do many things, but it is only when we are faithful to the calling of God on our lives that we find true contentment. III. Faithful to our family. A. We are to be faithful to our parents, spouses, children and extended family. B. The Bible says, Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you... (Ephesians 6:2-3). 1) Children are to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1). 2) Even after we have left the home we are to respect and honor our parents. 3) Children should provide for their elderly parents if they need the help and the children are able (I Tim. 5:4).

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____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

C. Husbands and wives are called to be faithful to one another (Ephesians 5:22-28). D. We should live at peace and harmony to the best of our ability with our extended family, being a blessing and witness of Christ to them (Romans 12:18). III. Faithful to friends. A. If we desire faithful friends then we need to be a faithful friend. B. A faithful friend will: 1) Love at all times (Proverbs 17:17). 2) Speak to us in love when we are wrong (Prov. 27:6). 3) Go out of their way to help (John 15:13). IV. Faithful over our bodies. A. We have only one body to live this life with, and we must take care of it. B. Our bodies are the temple of God and we should: 1) Keep them clean and neat. 2) Feed them the proper nutrition. 3) Get the proper rest and exercise. V. Faithful over our money. A. We are to practice good stewardship over our finances. B. It is important to have a budget to help keep track of where your finances are going C. A budget will help you: 1) Know where your money is being spent. 2) Decrease your spending. D. To see the financial increase of God in our lives we need to be faithful over our finances, which means we need to GIVE and BUDGET our money. E. To have a savings plan and make investments for the future is not greed or a lack of faith, but wise planning. VI. Faithful over our possessions. A. Proverbs 27:23 says to know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds. B. You may not own livestock, but you probably have a home, car, clothes, etc. C. We need to take care of the possessions we have and treat them as if they were Gods because they are! VII. Faithful in our occupation. A. We need to be good workers and give the best service that our God-given abilities will allow. B. It is also our responsibility to be faithful witnesses for

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Christ in the work field (I Peter 2:9). C. As priests we stand in between a sinful world and our Holy Father. It is our ministry to pray and love our co-workers. VIII. Faithful use of our time. A. Each of us has been given 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. B. God has given us enough time to do His will. C. Jesus as our example did not try and do everything, but only did the will of the Father (John 4:34). D. We need to ask the Lord to teach us to make the most of our time (Psalms 90:12 New Living Translation). CONCLUSION: To be faithful is to demonstrate Gods likeness. God is always faithful and can be trusted in all situations. His desire is to raise up a faithful priesthood that will display His faithfulness. As we walk in the manifest presence of the Lord we will live a life of faithfulness to God, our family, friends, etc, and this will demonstrate to the world that Jesus is our Lord.

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY It is required of stewards that one be found faithful. I Corinthians 4:2

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. List the eight areas we need to be faithful stewards over: a. ___________________ c. ___________________ e. ___________________ g. ___________________ b. __________________ d. __________________ f. __________________ h. __________________

2. God has given each of us _______________ and we are required to be faithful over these _________________. 3. What should children do to their parents? O Hit them O Rebel against them O Obey them. 4. What should we do with our bodies? a. ______________________________ b. ______________________________ c. ______________________________ SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Are there any areas in your life where you need to be more faithful? How can you make the needed changes to become more faithful?

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LESSON 34: RELATIONSHIPS

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

INTRODUCTION: God has called us first of all to be in a relationship with Him. However, our relationship with God is intricately tied to our relationship with others. The beloved John who had a deep relationship with the Lord said that we cannot say, I love God, and hate our brother (I John 4:20). John said if we truly love God, then we will love others also. Relationships are built on love and trust. To fulfill the calling of God on our lives we will have to work with others. To be able to work with others we will have to learn how to trust and love them as Christ loves and trusts us. I. Wisdom is the key for effective relationships. A. Through Christ we become partakers of Gods likeness and one of the main qualities we need for good relationships is Gods wisdom (II Peter 1:4). B. In Christ is all wisdom, and as we are found in Him seeking first the kingdom of God, we will be wise (Colossians 2:3). C. I want to look at two words in the Greek that are used for wisdom and found in Ephesians 1:8. a. Sophia (Strongs #4678) means the knowledge of how to regulate our relationship with God. b. Phronesis (Strongs #5428) is translated as prudence. It is the knowledge of how to regulate ones relationships and dealings with other people. D. Ephesians 1:8 says that Christ has made sophia and phronesis abundant toward us and available. E. How do we get this wisdom? 1) In prayer we are to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5). 2) Matthew 7:24 talks about the phronesis (wise) man who built his life on a solid foundation by using the word of God in lifes situations. II. Wisdom with God. A. God first loved us and sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him (I John 4:9). B. Just as a plant relates with the soil for life, so WE MUST RELATE RIGHTLY WITH GOD because He is our life. 1) Plants are made from the soil and live by the soil. 2) Mankind was created through the very breath of God. Sin uprooted us from having a relationship with God, but Christ came so that we can live again. The word live in I Jn. 4:9 means to quicken and cause to live. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and it is only through Him that we can live and bear fruit (John 15:1-9).

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III. Wisdom with our spouses. A. Husbands and wives need to relate with one another according to wisdom, because it is by wisdom that a family is established (Proverbs 8:1). B. THE MAN IS TO BE THE LEADER OF THE HOME (Ephesians 5:23). 1) He is to lead through caring and loving (Eph. 5:25). 2) He is supposed to minister to his wifes needs. 3) He is to try and understand his wife through communication (I Peter 3:7). C. THE WOMAN IS TO BE THE MANAGER OF THE HOME (I Tim. 5:14) 1) She is called along side to help the man (Gen. 2:20). 2) She is to walk in agreement with her husband (Eph. 5:24) 3) She is to respect her husband (I Peter 3:6). D. THE HUSBAND AND WIFE ARE A TEAM. Just like any team, each couple needs to find their own strategy in working together. IV. Wisdom with our children. A. Parents need to take the responsibility for developing healthy relationships with their children. B. Parents are to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). C. Proverbs 22:6 tells parents to train up a child according to his way. D. Parents have two main responsibilities with their children: 1) To raise them in the way of the Lord. 2) To help them discover and develop the God-given talents they have received from Him. V. Wisdom with our brothers and sisters in Christ. A. When we accepted Christ as our savior we were born into the family of God and we have many brothers and sisters. B. The Bible uses the human body to describe the church and in Romans 12:5 it says so we, who are many, are one body IN CHRIST, and individually MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER. C. To relate with one another we must: 1) Accept one another (Romans 15:7). 2) Help one another (Galatians 6:10). 3) Encourage and build one another up (Heb. 10:24-25). 4) Trust, love and forgive each other (I Cor. 13:4-7). 5) Treat each other with equality (James 3:17).

NOTES

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LESSON 34: RELATIONSHIPS

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. I Peter 5:5

VI. Wisdom with leaders in the church. A. We need to respect and honor God-appointed leadership. 1) We must be humble and teachable (I Peter 5:5). 2) We should follow their godly example (Heb. 13:7). B. It is important to be accountable to your brothers and sisters in Christ and to the leaders with which you are a team player. (I Peter 5:5). VII. Wisdom with unbelievers. A. II Corinthians 6:14 warns us to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (K.J. V. Translation). B. What does it mean to be unequally yoked? C. We are warned by Paul to not be yoked together with unbelievers in such way that they influence the direction of our moral decisions and spiritual life. D. We need to love and be a witness for Christ to unbelievers, but to COME UNDER their way of living will affect our relationship with God. We must make wise decisions in our relationships with unbelievers by affecting them for Christ without being joined to their sinful lifestyles (Colossians 4:5-6). CONCLUSION: As we seek the heart of the Father He will grant us the wisdom to have godly, fulfilling relationships. Worldly wisdom, which is based on selfishness and jealousy, only brings division to relationships (James 3:14-15). However, peace and unity will be the result of relationships built on the wisdom of God (James 3:17)

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. A plant relates with the _____________ for life just like we __________________ with God for life. 2. What is the key for effective relationships: O Anger O Wisdom O Brains 3. In the marriage the man is the _________________ and the woman is the ________________; they are partners together. 4. We need to _______________ and _______________ God-appointed leadership.

Do you need to work on any of your relationships? If so, what can you do to improve the way you relate with others?

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LESSON 35: CIVIL AUTHORITY

INTRODUCTION: In a day when anarchy seems to be the rule, as Christians we need to understand the role of human governments. It is in Romans 13:1 where we can clearly see that God has ordained human governments as an extension of His rule. We are told to obey the civil authority that we find ourselves subject to. The natural tendency we have is to take the easy way out and live any way we want to live. However, we are not an exception to the rule. There are laws to the city, province, state and country that you live in. We may be a holy priesthood serving in the kingdom of God, but we also live in this world and are subject to the civil laws of the land. Being obedient to the laws shows our obedience to God and serves as a witness for Christ. I. The Christians attitude towards civil authority. A. Some Christians believe that they have the right to disregard civil authority. B. Their excuses may vary: 1) Taxes are too high. 2) The laws make no sense. 3) Im just one person, it doesnt matter if I disobey. 4) All politicians are crooks. C. We can make all the excuses we want, but we cannot change the word of God. D. Living under one of the most wicked and cruel governments known to men, Rome, Paul the apostle said: 1) We should pray for kings and all who are in authority so we may lead a peaceful existence (I Timothy 2:2). 2) We should follow the laws of our government and pay our taxes (Romans 13:1-6). E. Instead of complaining we should be PRAYING and OBEYING. II. Christians need to obey the civil laws.
The Westminster Confession on Civil Authority States: God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates, to be, under Him, over the people, for His own glory, and public good; and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defense and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil doers

NOTES

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A. If we obey the laws, then we have no reason to be afraid of the government (Romans 13:3). B. The civil authority is for the protection of good citizens and for the punishment of murderers, thieves, etc.

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III. There are consequences to disobeying civil authority. A. When people do not obey the laws of the land then they will be punished for their disobedience. B. Jail, prison or fines are not the burdens Christians should bear (I Peter 4:15), but are for the disobedient. IV. Christians should pay their taxes. A. Since the task of government is divinely ordained to administer and enforce just laws, it requires each citizens financial support (Romans 13:4). B. Taxes pay for police, armies, fire departments, public parks and even hospitals in some countries. C. Romans 13:7 says to, render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due. As citizens of our city and country we owe taxes to the government. V. Should Christians vote? A. We are called to be the salt of the earth, so the Christian should try and influence his world in all ways. B. Proverbs 29:2 says that when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. C. To have good and even godly people in authority is a blessing to cities and countries. D. We must keep in mind that God is not a Democrat, Republican, Conservative or Liberal. We should vote for the best man or woman that can get the job done and be a blessing to the people. VI. Can Christians be in a political office? A. In the Bible we can see that God had men and women in political positions, such as Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, and Nehemiah. B. These men and women had great influence in some of the most ungodly nations of their time. C. They used the office of government to affect their times with the purposes of God. D. My opinion is that we need Christians in political offices on all levels of civil authority. E. There is no perfect government, but if we have godly people praying and influencing society with godly counsel it will be better for that city or nation. VII. When do we disobey civil authority? A. As Christians we must disobey civil authority when it puts us in a position to disobey Gods authority. B. There are many examples in the Bible of the people of God rejecting civil law in obedience to God.

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LESSON 35: CIVIL AUTHORITY

1) The midwives in Egypt refusing to kill the male children (Exodus 1:17). 2) Daniel continuing to pray and his three friends who refused to worship the golden idol (Daniel 3:10-18; 6:7-10). 3) The apostles continuing to preach the gospel in disobedience to the Jewish authorities (Acts 4:18-23). C. In all of these cases they obeyed God instead of the governing authorities and God approved of their actions. CONCLUSION: Through Christ we have entered into the kingdom of God and have become a holy priesthood. However, until He returns as the King of kings to bring this world completely under His subjection by force, we will be the citizens of a natural country. Some rulers and governments may be wicked, but we must pray for the rulers to change and obey the laws they have made, unless those laws cause us to disobey the word of God. As a holy priesthood we should be model citizens to our neighbors, relatives and working partners. God has ordained the civil authority to set the laws and enforce them, but it is the Christians duty to support that process with prayer and godly counsel. We should not retreat to some cave thinking everything will take care of itself; instead, we need to be the salt that keeps civil authority being a blessing to the city and country it is serving.

NOTES

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ SCRIPTURE MEMORY Let every person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. Romans13: 1

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Christians should have a: O Bad attitude towards the government O Independent attitude towards the government O Praying and obeying attitude towards government 2. Christians can disregard the laws. O True O False 3. Should Christians pay their taxes? O Yes O No 4. When good people are in authority people: O Rejoice O Groan O Perish

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

What do you think of your city or national government? Is your attitude the attitude a Christian should have, or is it just like the world?

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NOTES

LESSON 36: A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

INTRODUCTION: In this book we have taken a look at the spiritual sacrifices of the New Covenant priest. The New Covenant, which is based on the one sacrifice of Christ, is about a heart relationship with Father God. As His very own sons and daughters He simply wants us to be obedient children who serve Him from a heart of love. There are times when, like any child, we need to be corrected, but it is always because He loves us and doesnt want us to hurt ourselves or anyone else. It is important that we understand the correction of our Father because if we dont, then we will misunderstand His love for us. When He corrects us, He is not asking us to work for His approval; He just wants simple obedience to His instruction. I. To obey is Gods way. A. In I Samuel 15 just after Saul had been made the first king of Israel, he was given an order to destroy the people of Amalek completely and even the livestock. B. Saul did not fully carry out this order, but with the people he spared king Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the lambs and all that was good.. (I Samuel 15:9). C. God brought correction to Saul through the prophet Samuel and he said, Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice... For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry (I Samuel 15:22-23). D. Lets take note of some lessons in this story for us today: 1) GOD MADE HIS WILL CLEARLY KNOWN TO SAUL. a. God makes His will clearly known to us. b. We must decide to obey Gods will or our will. 2) SAUL COVETED WHAT LOOKED GOOD IN DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD. a. Just because it looks good does not mean it is God. b. Many things in life look good, but just because it looks and taste good does not make it God. 3) GOD BROUGHT CORRECTION TO SAUL FOR HIS REBELLION. a. Rebellion to Gods will has consequences. b. Rebellion is setting our will above Gods will and we cannot disobey Gods will in our lives without suffering the consequences of our disobedience.

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LESSON 36: A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE

II. God is well pleased with an obedient heart. A. Jesus was the perfect obedient Son who fulfilled the Fathers desires and the Father was well-pleased with Him (Matthew 3:17). B. CHRISTS OBEDIENCE IS OUR EXAMPLE: 1) He fully carried out the will of God (John 17:4). 2) He put the Fathers will above His own (Matthew 26:39). 3) He looked away from what looked good and went Gods way of suffering (Hebrews 5:8; 12:2-3). C. As followers of Christ we need to obey Gods will above our own and fully carry out His desires no matter what the cost. III. Obedience is a choice. A. In Romans 6:17 Paul says, thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart... B. When we first came to Christ we made a decision to receive, believe and act upon the word of God. C. WE WILL DAILY HAVE TO DECIDE TO: 1) Follow God with our whole heart. 2) Choose His way above the way of disobedience which sometimes looks good. IV. Disobedience requires discipline. A. Every child needs discipline. B. God goes so far as to say that to not be disciplined is to not be loved (Hebrews 12:6). C. When we are disobedient we need to be corrected. D. GOD CORRECTS US FOR OUR GOOD SO: 1) We can fully carry out His desires. 2) We dont harm others or ourselves. 3) We will bear good fruit. V. How should we respond to discipline? A. Discipline is never enjoyable for anyone (Heb. 12:11). B. Discipline is not to bring us joy, but repentance, so we may obey the truth. C. The proper response to discipline is humbling ourselves to what God says and allowing it to change our attitude and conduct to obedience. D. If we TRAIN OURSELVES TO RECEIVE CORRECTION then we will grow in obedience and need less discipline. VI. The wrong way to respond to discipline. A. Not listening and being self-willed is the wrong response.

NOTES

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NOTES

LESSON 36: A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land. Isaiah 1:19

B. BEING SELF-WILLED PRODUCES REBELLION. 1) In II Peter 2:10 he says that the self-willed despise authority - that is they dont respect authority. Since they dont respect authority they dont listen. 2) Rebellion is more than just not listening; it is exalting your own way above Gods authority and ways. 3) Proverbs 29:1 says that, a man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken... A. BEING SELF-WILLED CAUSES US TO PERFORM DEAD WORKS. 1) We may not be rebellious, but if we do not know Gods love then we will try and work to achieve His approval. 2) Through discipline God is asking us to change, even though His love for us never changes. 3) The self-willed person must humble himself under Gods discipline, not seeking to work for Gods approval but submitting to the work of Christ (Romans 10:3). CONCLUSION: Since the Father is well pleased with obedient children; He has promised them that they will be blessed by obeying His ways (Isaiah 1:19). A heart of obedience will always choose the way of the Lord over the way of self. When corrected it will yield to the loving instruction of the Father. Obedience is not doing our own thing, but doing Gods work. As a holy priesthood we are called to obediently offer up to God the spiritual sacrifices that please Him. Living a life of obedience will bring fruitful rewards in this life and in the life to come; therefore, it is to our advantage to have A Life of Obedience.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION How do you respond to discipline? Do you feel like God doesnt love you when you are being corrected? If God uses a man or woman to speak to you a word of correction do you feel rejection?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. God makes His will _______________ known to us, so that we can obey Him. 2. Rebellion to Gods will has consequences. O Yes O No 3. Our best example of obedience is: O Jesus Christ O Our Pastor O Our friend 4. When we are disobedient we need to be ________________________.

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LESSON 37: A LIFE OF MERCY

INTRODUCTION: How do you respond when you see hurting people? Is your heart moved with compassion? Are you genuinely concerned about people? These are important questions because they reveal the attitudes of our heart. We are instructed in Colossians 3:12 to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and forbearance towards others. Jesus Christ is a merciful high priest who can have compassion upon our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). As His priests we need to demonstrate to this hurting world His mercy. Mercy will reach out, care, sympathize and help people. God has had mercy on us, and we need to have mercy on others. I. What is mercy? A. In both the Old and New Covenants mercy means to have special and immediate regard to the misery which comes from the consequences of sins. 1) Mercy is to show favor and kindness to the hurting. 2) Mercy releases from sin by forgiving. B. Gods mercy reached out to us not when we were whole, but when we were broken and shattered by sin (Ephesians 2:5). C. We serve a merciful God and we are told to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). II. Who do we show mercy to? A. Mercy is to be shown to: 1) The sick, diseased and mentally ill (Luke 17:13). 2) The poor and needy (Proverbs 14:31). 3) Those who are suffering affliction (II Cor. 1:3-4). 4) Those grieving the death of friends and family. 5) Those who have fallen into sin (Gal. 6:1; Jude 22). 6) Our enemies (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:20). B. Mercy is reaching out and doing good to those who cannot help themselves because they are wounded. III. How do we show mercy to the hurting? A. Jesus beautifully displays the way we should show mercy to others in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30). B. In this story there is a man who encountered unfortunate circumstances; he was left half dead, beaten and stripped. C. The Samaritan came upon this man and he felt compassion for him (Luke 10:33). D. Through mercy the Samaritan was moved to action!

NOTES

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NOTES

LESSON 37: A LIFE OF MERCY

1) He took the man and bandaged his wounds. 2) He poured oil and wine on them to bring healing. 3) He helped provide a way out of the problem. 4) He took care of him until he was whole. E. This is a lesson we need to learn well because mercy goes beyond feeling to helping people spiritually and practically. E. We need to support Mercy Ministries and be involved with helping them: 1) Bandage the hurting with the love of God. 2) Use the power of the Holy Spirit and word of God to bring physical and inner healing to the hurting. 3) Practically help people out of their difficulties. 4) Provide for peoples basic necessities as they are being made whole. Note: Mercy Ministries that feed, clothe, and provide housing for the poor need to have a vision for whole people, not dependent people. The church must give to the poor and hurting, but the church is not to be a crutch for the poor; God is their provider. The Samaritan provided TEMPORARY HELP until the hurt man could become a whole man. We should encourage those who can provide for themselves to do so, as soon as they are able to work. IV. What hinders us from showing mercy? A. LEGALISM IS A HINDRANCE TO SHOWING MERCY. 1) A legalist is more interested in following the right rules than in helping the hurting (Matt. 9:10-13). 2) Those who are bound by legalism have a form of godliness, but their hearts are too hard to be moved with compassion and mercy for the hurt (Luke 10:31-32). 3) Legalists are too involved with their religious duties to be of help to anyone else (Luke 10:31-32). B. LIVING IN SIN HINDERS US FROM SHOWING MERCY. 1) Living in sin hardens our hearts (Hebrews 3:13). 2) A hard heart becomes insensitive to the needs of others. 3) Sin makes the heart selfish, causing it to be concerned only with its own needs. V. Living a life of forgiveness. A. To walk in the mercy of God is to not only help those in need, but to forgive those who have transgressed against us. B. God has entrusted to the believer the responsibility of forgiving:

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LESSON 35: A LIFE OF MERCY

1) People who have wronged us (Matt. 6:14). 2) Those who are our enemies (Matt. 5:44). C. To forgive others we need to: 1) Pray for them (Matthew 5:44). 2) Release them from their sins (John 20:23). Note: We do not have the power to cleanse people from sin or give them eternal life. We do have the power to release people from the guilt they have from the wrong they have done to us. This is the power of forgiveness and mercy. D. Having mercy on others and forgiving them releases our own hearts to be free from holding grudges and becoming bitter (Hebrews 12:15). CONCLUSION: As a holy priesthood living in the presence of our Merciful God we need to show mercy to our hurting world. If we as Christians dont reach out to be a blessing to this world, who will? We are not just called to offer up spiritual sacrifices, but are also created to do good works that will be a benefit to others. Christians are to be the salt of the earth and salt is a preserving agent. Through being merciful, we bring preservation to that which is decaying in society. The gospel is the only remedy for the social ills that our society faces. It is time for the church to pull up its sleeves and put faith into action by showing mercy to the hurting world in which we live.

NOTES

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Mercy is to show _____________ and _____________ to the hurting. 2. Legalism hinders us from showing mercy. O True O False 3. Living in sin: O Makes us feel good O Fills our hearts O Hardens our hearts 4. To forgive others is to show them mercy. O True O False 5. Having mercy on others and forgiving them releases our own _______________ to be free from holding grudges and becoming bitter. SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Who have you seen in the last week that you can be merciful to? How can you be moved to action to help them?

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-- I NTRODUCTION -Section III: KINGDOM MINISTRY THROUGH THE CHURCH

Welcome to our third section in this book. In this section, Kingdom Ministry Through the Church, it is my goal to see each person discover his or her place of ministry. The church of Jesus Christ is made up of blood bought saints who have entered into the kingdom of God through new birth (John 3:16). What I want to help you discover in this section is what it means to be partakers of the kingdom of God, a part of the body of Christ, and how to function as a member of the church using the God-given gifts you have received to their full potential. There are many Christians who go to meetings week after week without ever truly understanding what it means to be a part of the body of Christ. Our desire for you is that you enter into the calling that God has placed upon your life. Each person is to be equipped for the work that God has called him or her to accomplish. No one is to be sitting around, but each Christian should be diligently seeking the will of God for his or her lives. Jesus instructed us to seek first the kingdom of God, not second or third. The priority of our lives should be to know and do the will of God. The will of God for each of our lives can and should be realized. It is not some abstract concept that can never be attained, for God has made it possible for us to walk in His purposes for our lives. Each of us has been uniquely created to fulfill a specific work that only we can do. You should be encouraged to know that there is only one of you and only you can fulfill the purpose, which you were created to complete. Although we are each individual members in the body of Christ, we are not to be independent but interdependent to one another. Jesus is the head of the body and under His direction we are all fitted together, so that each part does its own special work which helps the other parts grow (Eph. 4:16). In the Phillips Bible it says that the church grows by the proper functioning of the individual parts. It is important that every member finds his or her proper place so that the entire body will be healthy, grow and reproduce. In the section of this book you will discover a New Testament pattern for ministry. Before we begin to look at our study lessons, lets take a look at the kingdom of God and the church so we can see how they relate to one another and how we fit into them as Christians.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

In the first four books of the New Testament, the gospels, the major theme that is spoken of is the kingdom of God. The word spoken by the angel Gabriel to Mary, the virgin who bore the Messiah, was that, He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:32-33).
1

At the time of Christ, many of the Jews were hoping for a political kingdom, a military and geographic realm from which the Jews, under a descendant of David, would rule. They looked back to the time of King David as a golden age in their history, and they longed to return to that

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time with the promised Messiah as King. They thought a Messiah, referred to as the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13-14, would usher in an eternal kingdom on earth. The Old Testament prophets summarized this hope under the phrase the day of the Lord, a time in which full restoration would occur (Amos 9:14) and in which the nations would be judged (Amos 1). This was the dream of Jewish nationalism. The Jewish concept of the kingdom of God explains why the Jews tried to make Jesus king by force during the early part of his ministry; they wanted him to lead them out from Roman oppression and establish a political kingdom greater than Davids (John 6:15).

The Bible clearly teaches us that Jesus Christ was born King of the Jews in the city of Bethlehem. His birth took place in a manger because there was no room for Him in the local inn. Though the rulers of this world did not recognize Him, He came into this earth as a man and was born into King Davids royal family line (Matthew 2:2; Romans 1:3). It was thirty years later in the wilderness of Judea that John the Baptist came preaching, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. John was sent as a voice to prepare the way for the coming King and His kingdom. The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, ends with the prophecy concerning John the Baptist. Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord (Malachi 3:2-3). John fulfilled this prophecy (Matthew 17:12) and through the proclamation of the kingdom and water baptism, he prepared the nation of Israel for their King.
1

Another popular understanding of the kingdom of God arose among the Jews during the intertestamental period (approximately 200 B.C. to the New Testament era). This was an adaptation of the prophets day of the Lord theory. The Jews, who went through a series of frightful persecutions during this time, lost hope in an earthly kingdom; they thought God had to destroy the evil present in this age before he could establish his kingdom. They envisioned a new world in which all-evil, demons, sickness, and death would be defeated and eradicated. By dividing history into two periods-evil and good-they set their hope in the age to come.

John, who fulfilled his ministry in the spirit and power of Elijah, told the people to bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance (Luke1:17; Matthew 3:8). John said that, the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Just as Elijah brought a separation between those who would serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob or the idols of religion, politics, pleasure and power, so did John the Baptist. His ministry was one that dealt with the very heart of man, to turn it away from the evil of the present age to the coming King. John, however, was just a preparer of the way for the King who had brought His kingdom to earth. Once Jesus was baptized by John, empowered with the Holy Spirit and tested in the wilderness, He began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. G.H. Lang in his book The Parabolic Teaching of Scriptures says that:
2

Neither John nor Christ said that the kingdom is at hand, in the sense that the KINGDOM OF GLORY (Outward Kingdom) could be at once ushered in. The Greek perfect tense cannot be translated by the English present tense. They said that the kingdom has drawn near, in the sense that A KING IS THE ESSENCE AND EMBODIMENT OF HIS KINGDOM, AND THE KINGDOM VISITS A REGION WHEN HE VISITS IT. This, then, was the inclusive theme of John and Christ. All their teaching was concerned with this kingdom of God and heaven, which is the case with their pictures and parables. Only there were TWO aspects and periods of this kingdom, as foretold by the prophets and was the necessity of the case; an INWARD and an

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OUTWARD, a spiritual in the hearts of men, an outward in human affairs; and the LATTER MUST WAIT FOR THE FORMER. (Emphasis mine)

Jesus came into the world as the King of the Jews, was crucified as the King of the Jews (Luke 23:38) and through resurrection from the dead was raised to be seated on the throne of David, just as God had promised. As Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost and preached that first message of the newly formed church, he speaks concerning the resurrection of Christ when he says in Acts 2:29-30 that:
David both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet, he knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT ONE OF HIS DESCENDANTS UPON HIS THRONE...he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ...

Jesus was raised from the dead, not only as the King of the Jews but also as the King of kings and Lord of lords, seated in the very presence of God, ruling from the very throne of God. The book of Revelations pictures Jesus in many ways as the victorious king. Revelations 1:5 says He is, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. In Revelations 1:18 Jesus says, I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Revelations 5:5 says that Jesus is the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David and has overcome... Then in Revelations 19:11-16 it pictures the Risen Christ coming to judge the nations. Jesus has been seated at the very right hand of God not only as the Great High Priest, but also as the Ruling King. In the second section of this book, Created Unto Good Works we showed you that Jesus is the high priest after the order of Melchizedec. Melchizedec means, king royal, to reign, to ascend the throne. Jesus is both Priest and King. It is not our intention to do an in-depth study of the kingdom of God in this section; however, we want to see the kingdom as it pertains to the first coming of Christ and what He accomplished. We also want to see the present reign of Christ from heaven through the church. In addition, we would like to look at the final fulfillment of all the prophets foretold concerning the Second Coming of Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am aware that a subject of this nature can be quite controversial. There are some excellent teachers who would disagree with all the material presented. I do not want to be dogmatic and say that I know everything, but I am presenting the word of God, as I understand it at this present time.

THE FIRST COMING OF THE KING

As we have already seen, prior to the first coming of Christ the Jewish people were looking for a coming Messiah who would give them either political freedom from Rome or destroy the wicked and usher them immediately into the kingdom of God. By taking a look at the Bible we will see what Jesus and His apostles taught concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus taught that there were two aspects and periods of the kingdom, an INWARD and an OUTWARD. The inward kingdom is spiritual and deals with Christ ruling over individual lives. The outward kingdom is in human affairs and deals with Christ ruling over the entire earth. George Ladd sums it up by saying,
3

The Kingdom of God is basically the rule of God. It is Gods reign, the divine rule in action. Gods reign, however, is manifested in several realms, and the Gospels speak of entering into the

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Kingdom of God both today and tomorrow. Gods reign manifests itself both in the future and in the present and thereby creates both a future realm and a present realm in which man may experience the blessings of His reign. (Emphasis Mine)

Jesus said the kingdom of God had come in Him and the purpose of the coming of the King was to destroy the works of Satan. (I John 3:8). As Peter stood up to preach that first message to a group of Gentiles he said,
You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were OPPRESSED BY THE DEVIL; for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38; Emphasis Mine)

Jesus did more than just announce the kingdom, but He demonstrated the kingdom by healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead, which convinced His listeners that He was the Messiah in whom the kingdom had come. The word kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia found in the New Testament. The word implies an exercise of kingly rule or authority to reign. Jesus demonstrated this kingly rule by delivering men from the bondage and authority of Satan. It was with kingdom power that he commanded unclean spirits to leave people.
3

What does the announcement that the Kingdom of God has come near mean? It is this: that God is now acting among men to deliver them from bondage to Satan. It is the announcement that God, in the person of Christ, is...attacking the very kingdom of Satan himself. The exorcism of demons is proof that the Kingdom of God has come among men and is at work among them.

Jesus came to the earth for the sole purpose of destroying the works of the devil. We have seen that in His earthly ministry He broke the bondage of Satan over many people by healing them, delivering them from evil spirits and even bringing some back to life. However, the plan of the Father was that the Son would die for the sins of the world (John 3:16). In Hebrews 2:14 we see that it is Jesus death on the cross, which has rendered powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. In what ways did the cross render powerless the devil? To make it simple, I will say that the devil has no power or right to rule over those who have come under the rule of King Jesus. Those who receive the message of the kingdom of God, have been rescued from the rule of Satan, and have been put under the rule of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13). Satans power has been bound or rendered powerless over those who have become children of the King and his kingdom. This does not mean evil has been removed from the world, but it does mean that as sons and daughters of God we are no longer subjects of the god of this age. At the same time if an area of the world experiences an exponential move of the Spirit and multitudes get translated into the kingdom of God that area will find a binding of evil in its geography. The result could be demonstrated through a reduction in crime, abortion, suicide etc. In this age the kingdom of God is offered as a spiritual gift that can be accepted or rejected. If you accept the spiritual rule of the King into your heart then his power will deliver you from the power of Satan and sin. However, the kingdom of God in its full manifestation has not been ushered in at once, but is developing in stages. The first stage or period of the kingdom has been established through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To the natural eye, it seems as if the world continues on as it always has and it seems as if the kingdom of Satan remains

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unshaken. Yet the kingdom of God has come; however, for now it can only be entered through spiritual rebirth. As we shall see it is only through spiritual rebirth that we enter the kingdom of God. This is not a physical place, but it is the place of spiritual blessings, which have been poured out upon us through what Christ has done for us. To make Jesus Christ our Lord is to enter into Him; the very person of Christ where we receive the blessing of His kingdom.

THE SPIRITUAL KINGDOM

We have seen that the cross of Christ has broken Satans power over those who believe. The kingdom of God is not just a future experience but something we can enter now. 3The kingdom of God is here; but instead of making changes in the external, political order of things, it is making changes in the spiritual order and in the lives of men and women. Hebrews 6:5 says that we can taste of the powers of the age to come now. Though we still live in this evil age, through the powers of the age to come, we can enter the blessings of the kingdom. However, the only way we can enter into the kingdom of God now is through spiritual rebirth. This new birth spoken of in John 3:3-16 is synonymous to receiving the eternal life of the kingdom. To receive Jesus Christ as our Lord is the same as receiving eternal life and entering the kingdom. However, what we partake of now is the power of the Holy Spirit or the powers of the age to come, which is the FIRST STAGE of the kingdom and is the spiritual life of the resurrected Christ in our hearts. Paul says in Romans 14:17 that, the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The spiritual kingdom is not concerned with outward things. When you enter the kingdom of God there are no outward changes, which will take place, because it is an inner change of the heart. If you were in bondage to drugs the drugs would surely leave and Gods Spirit will enter your heart, but it will still be you as far as your natural man is concerned. In Luke 17:20-21 the Pharisees who were looking for a political kingdom, were asking Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming. Jesus said, The kingdom of God is not coming with observation; nor will they say, Look, here it is! or, There it is! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Jesus was not speaking of the future Kingdom of Glory (Outward Kingdom) as He was in Matthew 24, which will be preceded by the signs of the times and the Second Coming of Christ to the earth. He was speaking of the spiritual kingdom in the heart of man. It is impossible to see the kingdom of God in the heart of man with your eyes. It does not mean that the kingdom of God has not come into our hearts, it simply means that the natural man cannot see the spiritual kingdom, for it is a realm which can only be seen and entered by faith. Can you see the wind? We may see the affects of the wind, but we cannot see the wind itself. Many scriptures tell us that we who believe in Jesus Christ have eternal life now. John 3:36 says that, He who believes in the Son has eternal life. Experiencing eternal life means that we have already been brought into a personal relationship with the God here and now. This means that Christ has become our King and we have become His people under His reign. We have begun to share a fellowship with Him through sharing in the resurrection life of His kingdom. It is reassuring to know that we can experience the kingdom of God now. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can have fellowship with the Risen Christ, who is the King of kings. This is not a physical outward relationship. Jesus Himself said, Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believe (John 20:29). In this passage of the Bible the apostle Thomas had to touch and see the

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Risen Christ to believe. We do not base our belief on our five senses but on the gospel of the kingdom, which has opened the eyes of our hearts to see and know the Risen Christ. Jesus kingdom has come into this present evil age; in this age, however, it is not an outward political kingdom over and through the nation of Israel but a spiritual kingdom over the hearts of those who believe from all nations. Jesus broke Satans power in His earthly ministry and by His death and resurrection, was raised up to the throne of David as the ruling King-Priest, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come (Ephesians 1:20-22). In book two of this series we saw Jesus as the Great High Priest over the New Temple, which is His church. In Hebrews 12:18-29 the author was showing these Jewish Christians that the kingdom of God is not a physical place, but it is coming underneath the Heavenly reign of Christ. To come under the victory of Jesus resurrection is to enter into the kingdom of God. There is still, however, a future shaking of the created world at the Second Coming of Christ when He brings the kingdom of Glory in outward manifestation to rule the nations of the world (Romans 8:18-25; Hebrews 12:27; Matthew 24:29). However, as we look next at the church, we shall see that it is a further development of the FIRST STAGE in expanse of Gods kingdom rule.

THE CHURCH
What we now want to look at and discover is the present Heavenly reign of Christ through His church. The first time the word church is mentioned in the Bible is in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus said,
I say to you that you are Peter (a stone), and upon this rock (large rock, bed-rock) I will build my CHURCH; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I will give you the KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN... (Emphasis Mine)

The word used for church in the original Greek is ekklesia and it literally means called out ones. The double-k in the word gives it a two-fold meaning, which is called out of the world and called unto God. The church then, is a group of people who have been called out of spiritual darkness through the gospel of the kingdom and brought into fellowship with the King of the kingdom. The church is a group of people who have come under the present reign of Christs rule through spiritual rebirth. The church is not the kingdom but it is the vehicle of the kingdom in the earth today. The kingdom of God created the church and works through the church in the world. The church is made up of followers of Christ who have received the life of the kingdom and are dedicated to the task of using the keys of the kingdom to unlock those who are bound by Satan. After Jesus rose from the dead and before He ascended to the right hand of the Father, to begin His heavenly rule, He said:
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. GO THEREFORE and make disciples of all nations... (Matt. 28:18)

In this present evil age, in which Satan is the god, we are called to take the authority of Christ and through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom enter the very gates of hell to set the

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captives free. Jesus has given the church the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Keys always denote authority and we have been given authority over the powers of darkness to make disciples of all nations. 1 Jesus instructed the disciples to preach the gospel of the kingdom. When he sent out the Twelve he said, As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near (Mt. 10:7); the Seventy-two were sent out with similar instructions (Lk 10:1). Philip went to Samaria preaching good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12). Paul went to Rome and preached first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles, the kingdom of God (Acts 28:23,31). The teaching of the kingdom is also found in the writings of Peter, James, John, and the writer of Hebrews (II Peter 1:11; Revelation 1:6; Hebrews 12:28). As the church goes forth preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ with the power of the Holy Spirit, people will be delivered from the oppression of the devil and enter into eternal life. Can entering into the kingdom of God be this simple? In Pauls epistle to the Romans, he said If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Paul told the jailer at Philippi to simply, Believe in the Lord Jesus so he could be saved. John the apostle repeats again and again the purpose of his writing. These have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. Entering the kingdom is simple, yet very demanding. George Ladd in his book, The Gospel of the Kingdom says that,
3

The basic demand of the kingdom is a response to mans will. Men must receive it. They must yield to it. Gods kingdom does not ask us to find in ourselves the righteousness that it demands; God will give us the righteousness of His kingdom. Gods kingdom does not ask us to create the life that it requires; Gods kingdom will give us that life. Gods kingdom does not set up a standard and say, When you achieve this standard of righteousness, you may enter the kingdom. Gods kingdom makes one demand: Repent! Turn! Decide!

The demand of the kingdom is not only repentance but it is also a life of discipleship. If you will look through the gospels and then the book of Acts you will see that those who make up the church are called disciples. A disciple is a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He is a person who has yielded not only to the new life of the kingdom, but also to the demand of the kingdom. If you will study for yourself the gospels, you will find the demand of discipleship in them. I like what it says in Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force. Another wording for that text says, the kingdom of God is forcibly entered and violent men seize it for themselves. The message of salvation is life and death and you must lay aside death and forcibly take hold of life. You have to seize the kingdom and it is not a one time action, but a continuous forward walk of faith to fulfill the purpose of God for you life. The church of Jesus Christ is not only made up of individual disciples but it is a community of disciples joined together to fulfill the Great Commission. Some would take the scripture which Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 that, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them, to constitute the church. You may experience times of ministry like Paul and Barnabas where you are a church of two, but the church is actually a community so you need to have a mindset of cooperation with others in the community of faith. You have house churches and large churches along with many different forms of gatherings; however we still

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have certain principles of accountability to the person of Christ and his delegated authority of servant-leaders. When we receive the spiritual kingdom into our hearts we become a part of the body of Christ and therefore members of the body of Christ. However, as you continue on in the chapter and in reference to the church Jesus spoke of authority to allow individuals in and out of the community of disciples. This authority has nothing to do with salvation, but with the fellowship of the saints. John White in his book Eros Defiled shows us that the church is not just a group of disciples. He says that Reformers like Beza and Alsted said the preaching of the pure doctrine of the Word is the exclusive mark of the true church. For Calvin and others the preaching of the Word had to be accompanied with the Lords Supper. But for other Reformers a third element was essential and that was godly exercise of discipline among its members. Without getting into a long discussion on this subject it must be said that the church must have SOME TYPE OF AUTHORITY STRUCTURE. Jesus is the head of His church, but He has commissioned spiritual leadership (I Timothy 3:1) to make sure the pure doctrine of the Word is being preached, the fellowship of the Lords body is being participated in, the Great Commission is being fulfilled by all members of the community and to oversee the church. They are to encourage, instruct and even discipline the members along with the church when necessary (Matthew 18:17; I Corinthians 5:5). When Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28 He said, I am with you always even to the end of the age. Since the day of Pentecost Jesus has been working through His church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lets now take a brief look at what is going to happen at the end of the age?

THE SECOND COMING OF THE KING

Jesus has been reigning from the throne of David in heaven at the right hand of God for the last 2,000 years. He has been extending His rule through His church by disciples in all generations preaching the gospel of the kingdom. This has been a spiritual rule over the hearts of men. At the end of this age Jesus is going to come again. This is referred to as the Second Coming of Christ and is the THIRD STAGE of the kingdom, when Jesus is going to bring His rule to the nations of the earth (Matthew 25:31-34). This will be the Kingdom of Glory or as the Bible says it will be when the Son of Man comes in His glory and it will be an OUTWARD RULE in the affairs of men. What we want to look at in regards to the Second Coming of Christ is the coming resurrection, judgment, defeat of Satan and the reign of Christ upon the earth. In I Corinthians 15:50-52 we get a hint about entering the coming Kingdom of Glory. Speaking about resurrection from the dead, Paul says to the Corinthians flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. He then speaks about the mystery of our bodies being transformed at the last trump (I Thess. 4:13-18), which is when the Lord descends from heaven. This will bring the Christian into the fullness of his salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:23, II Corinthians 5:2-5 all speak of the future transformation of the body. The final requirement for entering the kingdom of God will be the gift of a brand new body, uncontaminated by our sinful past, unlimited in its expression of the spirit within, unaffected by disease, decay or death. This will be the THIRD STAGE of the kingdom when we will receive a new body at the last trumpet heralding the second coming of Christ. The Bible says that, We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (I John 3:2). Our new bodies will be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21).

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The day of Jesus return, referred to as the day of the Lord in Amos 5:18 (and I Cor. 5:5 and I Thess. 5:2), will be a time of great blessing for the believer. The Second Coming of Christ to the earth will not only be a glorious resurrection for the believer but it will be a frightful judgment to the unbeliever. Revelations 19:11-19 gives us a picture of the Second Coming of Christ. In Jesus First Coming, He came as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He came in humility, laying down His life. His Second Coming will be in glory to bring judgment on His enemies as a Victorious King. II Thessalonians 1:7-8 says,
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord andthe Glory of His Power. (Emphasis Mine)

Jesus has been reigning from heaven and He will continue to reign until His enemies become a footstool for His feet (Heb. 1:13; 25). The Second Coming of Christ is a step closer to the enemies of Christ becoming His footstool. The Cross was a fatal blow to the power of the devil, but the final victory is not yet complete. There are now two kingdoms on earth - of God and Satan, good and evil, light and darkness. They are both growing side by side (Matthew 13:30). The kingdoms will not continue together. The wheat and tares will be separated at the time of harvest, which is the end of the age (Matthew 13:30-43). The wheat are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one. At the Second Coming of Christ to the earth He will send forth His angels to take the wicked from among the righteous (Matthew 13:49). It is in Revelations 20:2 where we see what will happen to Satan, when the King of kings returns to set up His kingdom on the earth.
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and BOUND him for a thousand years...I saw thrones, and they sat upon them...and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

In Revelations 20:2-6 we see two events; Satan being bound, and Christ reigning with His saints for a thousand years upon the earth. The kingdom of God is the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ until all enemies are put under His feet. At Christs Second Coming Satan's power is taken from him so that he can no longer deceive the nations. Jesus Christ will rule with His saints over the earth for one thousand years. It will be a time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Is. 11:9; Hab. 2:4); when every knee will bow to the Lord and every tongue confess His name (Phil. 2:10-11), and when the Lord will be king over the whole earth (Zech. 14:9). The thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth, however, is not the final manifestation of Gods kingdom. In I Corinthians 15:24-25 Paul describes the completion of Christs thousand year reign when he says, Then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign - George E. Ladd comments by saying Jesus Christ must reign as King, He must reign in His kingdom - until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death (Emphasis Mine). The thousand-year reign of Christ upon the earth will sum up the history of mankind upon this present earth. It will be the final fulfillment of Gods purposes WITHIN TIME, when the glorious

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power of the kingdom will be manifested through the entire earth, but it will not be the FINAL STAGE of the kingdom of God. Death and the grave are not totally destroyed until the final judgment at the end of the thousand years (Rev. 20:14); then comes the end, when He (Christ) delivers the kingdom to God after destroying every rule and every authority and power (I Cor. 15:24). It is not until after the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints and the final judgment of the unbeliever at Gods great white throne (Rev. 20:11), that we see the present heaven and earth destroyed. Then we receive the glorious promise of a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1; II Peter 3:11-13), which is what is called the eternal state. This is the FINAL CONSUMMATION of the kingdom, when God is all in all (I Cor. 15:28). What happens next we are not told but it will be glorious!

CONCLUSION
The material that has just been presented to you was not an attempt to do an in-depth study of the kingdom of God. Our desire is to stir your heart to realize that the church of Jesus Christ has a destiny and as a member of the church you have a destiny. I hope that through the section of this book your heart will be encouraged to fulfill that destiny. The destiny I am speaking about is something all Christians can agree about, which is taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations. Jesus has commissioned us to make disciples of all nations. He said that, this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations (ethnic groups), and then the end (of this present evil age) shall come (Matt. 24:14). He has not called us to be a passive people sitting around, but a people who are empowered from on high ministering to the needs of others. We each have a place in helping fulfill the Great Commission. Until Christ has come again, the task is not finished. Its time for you to find your place in the body of Christ and work together in fulfilling the task that Jesus Christ has given each one of us. May we set our hearts to be instruments of the kingdom of God in this age as we look for the blessed hope of His Second Coming?

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LESSON 38: THE DEMAND OF THE KINGDOM

NOTES

INTRODUCTION: Can we enter the kingdom of God simply by calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is eternal life and all its blessings received by believing in the resurrection and deity of Christ with your heart? Can saying the three words, Jesus is Lord, grant us eternal life? The answer to the above questions is yes! We enter into the kingdom with the simplicity of child-like trust, but we also enter into a new life with a new Lord. However, the Lordship of Christ brings a great demand to our lives. I Corinthians 6:19-20 says that we are no longer our own masters. At one time we were slaves to sin and Satan, but now that we have been rescued we are to be servants of Christ. A servant is someone who subjects his will to the will of another. Jesus taught us to pray, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done... The demand of the kingdom is that we seek God first in all our decisions; that we give Him the first place in all that we do. Jesus is calling you to be His devoted follower. Will you yield to the demand of the kingdom? I. The greatest demand of the kingdom is taking up our cross. A. Jesus said, he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of Me (Matt. 10:38). B. What does it mean to take up our cross? 1) It means that my life in its totality belongs to Christ. 2) It means that Jesus is my lord, ruler and king. 3) It means when I take up my cross and die to self, then Christ can rule in my life. C. Paul the apostle declares the same truth when he says, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). 1) If Christ is to live and reign in me, I must count myself dead to self, sin, the world and Satan. 2) This means that my life, my will, my ambitions, my desires, my dreams are all given to Christ. D. Fulfillment in life only comes by laying down our lives. 1) What will it profit you to gain the pleasures, success and fame of this world? (Matthew 16:26). 2) It is the testimony of many wealthy, famous and successful people to reach the top of the ladder, yet singing the famous song Still Havent Found What I Am Looking For by the rock group U2. 3) The reason for this is because Jesus said that it is only by losing our life that we find the true purpose of life.

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LESSON 38: THE DEMAND OF THE KINGDOM

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4) When we are willing to lay down our lives at the cross and do the will of God, we will discover the true purpose for our lives (Matt. 16:25). E. Taking up our cross can also mean physical death. 1) Right now in the world there are people spilling their blood because they are Christs disciples. 2) Cross-bearing is a readiness to die with and for Christ. a. We are to reckon our selves DEAD WITH CHRIST daily. b. We may have to DIE FOR CHRIST one day. 3) Dying for Christ is not something to be feared but it is a time to be a witness (martyr) for Christ (Acts 7:60). II. The demand of the kingdom rearranges relationships. A. In Matthew 10:37 Jesus said that He came to bring a sword upon the earth which can sometimes cut across relationships in our lives. Jesus said, He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me B. This in no way gives us a reason for treating our parents without honor or not caring for our children. It does say that Jesus makes our decisions for us not our parents (unless you are under the age of 18). If Jesus has told you to do something and your child does not want to, you must be obedient to Him and not your child. Jesus is our leader and He comes first. C. All human relationships must be brought under the Lordship of Christ because what happens in your life is determined by who you live with and who you keep company with. It is important that we establish right relationships. D. Look at your own life right now and examine it to see if you have any relationships that need to be rearranged. 1) Do your close friends follow the Lord? 2) Are you living with someone you are not married to? 3) Is God directing your life or someone else? E. When we allow Jesus to rearrange our relationships and give Him the priority in our lives then we will bear more fruit for the kingdom of God (John 15:1-2). III. Jesus demands the removal of every barrier. A. There is a story in the bible of a rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life.

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B. This man had a sincere desire to serve and please God, however Jesus perceived he had a barrier which kept him from a full commitment to the kingdom. C. Jesus told this rich young man to sell his possessions, give to the poor and follow Him (Matt. 19:16-24). D. This young man went away sad because he had many possessions. E. Jesus basically told this young man that his wealth was a barrier standing in his way, keeping him from being free to follow him who is the giver of eternal life. CONCLUSION: Do you have any barriers in your life? What is keeping you from making a total commitment to the kingdom of God? Jesus demands the removal of every barrier. What ever stands in the way of your full commitment to Christ must be put aside. Jesus was not condemning this rich young ruler for being wealthy nor was he condemning riches. He was simply trying to remove the barrier from this young mans life, which kept him from following Him. Your barrier might be sex, drugs, alcohol, career, popularity or the fear of man. The demand of the kingdom says if your right hand makes you stumble cut it off or your eye pluck it out. (Matthew 18:8-9) Jesus was not speaking literally but to see the will of God done in your life and for you to fulfill your full potential as a member of the body of Christ you must take up your cross. This is not an option but the demand of the kingdom of God. Every pursuit must become secondary and subservient to the rule of God. This rich young man was ruled by his possessions. Be honest with your heart. Is there anything before the purpose of the kingdom in your heart? If so, it is time to repent and make a total commitment to the cause of Christ in your life today. Until you do this you will not be a fit vessel for the Lord to use. It is time to yield to the demand of the kingdom!

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:38

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Has your decision to make a total commitment to Christ been difficult? Is there any pain that the group can help you work and pray through?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. True fulfillment in life comes by ________________ _________________ our lives. 2. Can taking up our cross mean physical death? O Yes O No 3. Does the demand of the kingdom mean I can treat my family members badly? O Yes O No 4. What does Jesus demand the removal of? O Satan O Sinners O Every barrier in our lives

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LESSON 39: THE YOKE OF THE KING

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INTRODUCTION: What is a yoke? The yoke is not a very well known tool in our modern world today. It was a very well known piece of equipment in the agricultural society of Jesus day. The yoke was a wooden harness, which tied two animals together so they could pull a load and accomplish work. In the book of Leviticus, God instructed the Israelites to not have an unequal yoke when working the fields. The result of an unequal yoke was that the animals would not be able to work to their fullest God given potential. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus calls us to be yoked to Him and learn of His ways. There are many yokes in life that we can take upon ourselves which will cause us to not fulfill our God given potential. However, it is only by being yoked to our King that we will find true contentment, purpose and a productive life for the kingdom. I. Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest. A. The rest that Jesus gives us, is first of all a rest from working to try and please Him (See SECTION I: Lesson 7). B. This rest from legalism and sin will also have an effect on all other areas of our lives. The rest of Matt. 11:28 is not lying down to sleep but a rest from the anxiety of sin and the pressure of living life by our own strength. C. As we come to Christ and lay all our burdens at His feet we can be assured that He cares for our every need. II. Yoked to be with Him. A. Jesus appointed the twelve disciples that they might be with Him (Mark 3:14). B. The cry of Pauls heart was that he might know Him, and the power of His resurrection... (Philippians 3:10). C. In Jesus day if you wanted to train a younger ox how to plow the field, you would yoke him with a mature trained ox, so he could learn by example and become like him. D. The purpose of being yoked to Jesus is first of all so we can learn of Him and so we become Christ-like. E. The word Christian means to be Christ-like and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Paul himself became so closely yoked to Jesus that he could tell others to follow his example (II Thess. 3:9). III. Yoked to labor with Him. A. Paul said, by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me (I Corinthians 15:10).

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B. We are yoked to Jesus, so that we can work with Him. C. The yoke of Christ is not to rest from fruitful labor, but to labor fruitfully with and in the grace of God. D. Jesus was not teaching us to be lazy, but was showing us that we are going to be most productive as we are yoked to Him. Not us working by our own strength, but being a co-laborer with Christ. IV. Yoked to suffer with Him. A. What a blessing it is to look at the many promises Jesus gave us, but one of His words that we often overlook is when He said, A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. B. Paul the apostle talks about participating in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10) and in Acts 5:41 the apostles rejoiced that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. C. This opposition may come through a family member, friend, neighbor, religious leader, government official or any number of people. D. We should not think it strange when persecution comes against us. Since we are yoked to Christ the devil will seek for ways to destroy us (I Peter 4:13-14;8-9). V. Yoked to overcome with Him. A. Despite all of our difficulties in life and persecutions, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ (Romans 8:37). B. Jesus told us to take courage in the midst of trials and tribulation because He has overcome; therefore, through Him we overcome (John 16:33; II Cor. 2:14). C. Overcoming is a result of staying yoked to Jesus. It is not an absence of difficulties, but over comers stay yoked to Christ and through faith in Him make it through to victory both in this life and in the life to come (I John 5:4). D. In the first three chapters of Revelations we see that the saints are encouraged to be over comers. They are to break off every yoke of sin that would try to keep them from being yoked to Jesus, and to persevere with Him through every difficulty. E. We are called to overcome. 1. Death 4. Fear 2. Works of darkness 3. Strife 5. The World 4. Habits of sin

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LESSON 39: THE YOKE OF THE KING

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F. We are assured that if we will stay yoked to Jesus we will see victory. Some victories may not be manifest in this life. E.g. Victory for someone who dies for their faith is the assurance of eternal life which is a victory over death. VI. Yoked to reign with Him. A. In Romans 8:18 Paul informs us that the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. B. II Timothy 2:12 says that if we endure, we shall also reign with Him. C. We also see in Luke 22:28 and Matt. 19:27-30 that Jesus promised His disciples who followed Him through trials, forsaking all, that they would reign with Him in the coming Kingdom of Glory, the thousand year reign. CONCLUSION: The yoke of sin and the yoke of legalism are yokes that man was not made to be joined to. Man was made to be in fellowship with God. Jesus has called us to be yoked to Him, for His yoke is easy and His load is light. Jesus said that apart from Him we could do nothing (Jn. 15:5). This means that without being yoked to Christ we can accomplish nothing of eternal value. By being yoked to Christ, we can do all things through Him, because He is with us (Phil. 4:13). We may go through trials, persecution, temptations and struggles in life, but we can be assured of overcoming as we stay yoked to the King who has conquered death, hell and the grave.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Take My yoke upon you, and learn from MeFor My yoke is easy, and My load is light.
Matthew 11:29-30

STUDY QUESTIONS SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Are you experiencing the yoke of Christ or the yoke of sin? Are you experiencing the grace of God in your labors or a heavy burden?
1. The rest of Christ is being free from the yoke of sin and the burden of trying to please God by works. O True O False 2. The purpose of being yoked to Jesus is first of all so we can ____________ of Him and so we become ______-____________. 3. The yoke of Christ is not to rest from fruitful labor but to ________________________________. 4. The yoke of Christ includes ___________ with Him. O Suffering O Singing O Surfing

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LESSON 40: THE CALL TO SERVE

INTRODUCTION: Jesus made a profound statement in Mt. 20:26 by saying, whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant. Websters 1828 dictionary says, to minister means to serve, to wait or to attend. When you go to a restaurant the waiter or waitress will minister to you at your table. 4 This is a type of ministry. At a hospital, you will find nurses who are waiting, serving or ministering to the patients. To be a Christian means that God has called us to serve and minister to others in Jesus name. 4 The term serve and minister can be used interchangeably. What a profound difference from the way that the world thinks. In the worlds system to be great is to be ministered unto but in the kingdom of God to be great is to humble yourself and serve others. Jesus as our leader and king of the kingdom of heaven did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. He has called us as His body to follow His example of servanthood. I. The greatest call in the kingdom is to serve. A. There is a saying that we use in the United States and it is that we live in a Dog eat dog world. This basically means that everyone is doing what they can do to get to the top of the ladder with no regard for anyone else. B. The teaching of the kingdom is quite different. Jesus says that Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave (Matt. 20:26-27 N.L.T.). C. Laying down our lives for others is the example Jesus set for us to follow. Paul the apostle talks about Christs example in the book of Philippians 2:5 by saying that, He took the humble position of a slave...obediently humbled himself...by dying on a cross... D. We are encouraged to follow Christs example by not being selfish but being humble and thinking of others as better than ourselves. We are not to think only about our own affairs, but are to be interested in helping and serving others (Philippians 2:3-4 N.L.T). E. The mark of true greatness in the kingdom is not to ask what others can do for you, but what can you do for them. II. Serving with a willing heart. A. Willingness is the key to ministry. In Philippians 2:14 we are told to do all things without grumbling or disputing.

NOTES

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B. We are not to be like Martha who waited on Jesus, yet complained that her sister was not helping her. When we serve it should be because we desire to be a blessing, no matter what anyone else does (Luke 10:38-40). C. In I Peter 4:9-10 we also see that when we are serving someone in our homes we are to do it willingly and not complain. III. Serving with a pure heart. A. We are not to serve others for what we can get out of them, but we are to serve with pure motives (Jm. 2:1-8). B. James the apostle shows us that serving is simply fulfilling the law of our King, which is love (Jm. 2:8). C. When we serve with pure hearts it will not matter how much we get for our service because we are doing it out of a pure heart of love (Matt. 20:14-15). IV. Sent to serve. A. Jesus loved and had mercy for the people He served, and He has called us to do the same (Matt. 9:36). B. At the last supper Jesus had with His disciples before His crucifixion He served His disciples, and as a servant in those days would, He washed their feet (John 13:14). C. He then told them that they also were sent to serve. D. It is not the external feet washing that matters, but it is serving one another willingly and with pure hearts. Some examples are helping a single mother take care of her kids or helping someone move. E. We have also been sent to serve the lost. Servant evangelism is a powerful testimony of the love of Christ. Some examples of servant evangelism are having a free car wash, feeding the poor or mowing grass for free. V. The pitfall of serving. A. Serving has a pitfall, and the pitfall is that serving can sometimes lead to dead works. B. When serving ceases to come from a heart of faith and love then it has entered into a lifeless ritual. C. It is always important to make sure youre not serving to try and please others, or trying to gain favors with God. D. Serving is not just doing, but it is a heart of love that is serving God and others with your God-given abilities. VI. Leadership is serving. A. Many people view leadership as having a position, but

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leadership in the kingdom is defined as serving. B. It does not matter if you are a teacher in the church, a business man, professional athlete or missionary you are called to serve. C. Leadership is serving others with the God-given talents you have received. D. There are positions of leadership in the church which should be recognized and respected, but the men and women who fill these places must have servants hearts. E. Part of the qualifications, which Paul gave for these positions were to be gentle, peace loving, and being willing to serve others (hospitable). Peter said that disciples must not be demanding or like dictators, but should lead by the example of servant hood (I Timothy 3:1-3; I Peter 5:2-3). CONCLUSION: So you want to be great for Jesus? Then take upon yourself the very attitude of Christ, which is to be a servant. God does not measure greatness the way we are taught to measure greatness in this world. Greatness is not having a million dollars and people serving you. Greatness is humbling yourself and serving others. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. We are called to lay down our lives for others and serve them. Whatever calling you have upon your life it is to be done with an attitude of serving. To use your God-given talents to their full potential, then you must use them to serve others. Receive Christs call to serve and be a blessing to others.

____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Matthew 20:26-27

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The greatest call in the kingdom is to ________________. 2. What is the key to ministry? O Selfishness O Willingness

O Giftedness

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Do you see serving as important? Does pride affect you in your attitude towards sering? How can you develop a servants heart?

3. Jesus has sent us to ____________________. 4. What is the pitfall of serving? O Good works O Receiving rewards O Dead works 5. Leadership is _______________________. 6. If you want to be great then be a: O Baseball player O Political leader O Servant

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PART I LESSON 41: SPIRITUAL WARFARE

INTRODUCTION: In the New Living Translation of the Bible, Colossians 1:13 says that God has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and He has brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. We have already seen in the introduction of this book that although we are presently under Jesus authority, we are still in a present evil world (Matthew 13:36-43). Satan still reigns as prince of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient (Ephesians 2:2). Satan and his forces are still at work to stop the purposes of God from being accomplished through His church. We are assured of victory because of Jesus triumph over Satan through the cross, but until Christ returns to bind Satan and judge the nations we will be in conflict with darkness. We do not have to be fearful, for God has given us adequate spiritual weapons to fulfill His will. I. Soldiers of the Cross. A. Paul likened the Christian to a soldier (II Tim. 2:3-4), but it is not against people made of flesh and blood, but...against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world that we are at war (Eph. 6:12 NTL). B. Oscar Cullman in his book, Christ and Time compares the spiritual battle of the Christian with the end of World War II. 1 The decisive battle of the war was fought and won by the Allies on D-day, June 6, 1944. But the war continued and was not over until V-E Day, May 8, 1945-eleven months later! C. The Christians D-Day was the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and our V-E Day is His Second Coming. D. We are assured of the final victory, but before Jesus comes and enforces His victory we are at war with the powers of darkness who rule this world. II. The Victory of the Cross! A. When Paul the apostle speaks of the word or message of the cross it is not just the death of Christ, but also includes His burial and resurrection (I Cor. 1:18). B. Jesus conquered Satan by His death, burial and resurrection. Colossians 2:15 says, Jesus TRIUMPHED OVER THEM through the Cross. C. Jesus triumph was not over Pilate the Roman Governor or the leaders of the Jewish people but it was a victory over the mighty powers of darkness who rule this world. D. In the Moffats Translation of the Bible, in I Cor. 2:6 it

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says that Satan and all of his demon forces have been DETHRONED. 1) The decisive victory against Satan and his demons has been won. 2) Satan has no authority over the believer, unless the believer gives him access through disobedience, ignorance or a failure to exercise the authority of Christ. III. May the eyes of our hearts be opened to see the Cross. A. In Ephesians 1:16-22 Pauls prayer was that the believers would be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that the eyes of their hearts would be opened to see and experience Gods power. B. Gods wisdom and power have been displayed through the Cross (I Corinthians 1:24;2:7). C. The Holy Spirit wants the eyes of our hearts opened to understand Jesus complete victory over Satan in the triumph of the Cross. IV. Putting on the Armor of God. A. Though Satan and his demons have no right to rule over the believer, it is the believers responsibility to use the spiritual protection God has provided. B. In Ephesians 6:11 the believer is exhorted to put on the full armor of God so that he can stand firm against the SCHEMES of the devil. 1) The word SCHEME means to go systematically to work with an evil motive, which portrays Satan's ways. After Satan was through tempting Jesus in Luke 4:13, he departed from Him until a more opportune time. 2) Satan with his demons has a mission. It is to steal, kill and destroy mankind (John 10:10). Their SCHEMES are deceit, strife, immorality, lying, accusations, division, addiction, pride and every other evil work. C. We are not only to put on the armor of God but also to resist and stand firm in the fight of faith (Eph. 6:13). D. To be able to resist the enemy and stand firm against his schemes we must put on the armor provided for us in Christ.

NOTES

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THE ARMOR OF GOD / EPHESIANS 6:14-17
1) Truth: Deception against the mind is Satans biggest weapon. The believer is told to guard his heart with truth. This is understanding the truth of the gospel and having a repentant heart. 2) Righteousness: Condemnation and guilt are two deadly weapons Satan uses to bring the saints down. The believer must apply the blood of Christ, putting on the forgiveness found at the Cross. 3) Gospel of Peace : Satan loves to cause strife and to divide. Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers. The gospel is about reconciling men to God and one another. Peace crushes Satan (Romans 16:20). 4) Faith: Doubt and unbelief are Satans arrows, which try to hinder the advancement of the purposes of God. It is by faith that we tap into Gods supernatural ability. Faith is the power to overcome this world. 5) Salvation: Our salvation is like a soldiers helmet. The greatest battle the enemy brings against us is in our minds. We need to remind ourselves of who we are in Christ and the authority we have. 6) Word of God: When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness He relied on the word. The word of God is to be like a sword. With Gods word upon our lips we can defeat the enemys schemes.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY Take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:13

CONCLUSION: We are assured of victory over darkness because Jesus has conquered the enemy and given us His authority. The believer has been raised up into newness of life with Christ and if the armor that Christ has provided is used, then victory will be experienced. I John 4:4 tells us that greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Christ the conqueror has come to live in our hearts by His Spirit. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or sword?...in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us (Rm. 8:35-37). We are not in this battle alone. It is reassuring to know that the King of kings is on our side enforcing His victory on our behalf.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Have you ever experienced a spiritual attack from the enemy? How did you use the armor provided to win the battle?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Jesus _____________ Satan and all of his demon forces through the Cross. O Laughed at O Loved O Dethroned 2. Whose responsibility is it to put on the Armor of God? O Believers O Angels O Jesus 3. The armor of God will help us stand firm against the _____________ of the devil.

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INTRODUCTION: The priority of a disciples life should be to expand the kingdom of God and build the church through proclaiming the Life of Christ. Jesus promised us that He would build His church and the gates of Hades would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18-19). In Jesus days, cities were built with walls around them. The way into the city was through a gate. The city gate was usually made of some type of metal, which made it very hard for the enemy to penetrate. Just as Jericho could not stand before the children of Israel as they obeyed the command to occupy the Promised Land, so the gates of Hades cannot stand against the advancing church. The expression gates of Hades means the power of death cannot prevent the advance of the kingdom. Satan is holding people, cities, regions and even countries captive in his walled cities, but we are promised that he cannot prevail if we will use the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which is the authority Christ has given us, to set the captives free. I. Binding and loosing. A. In Matt. 16:19 Jesus was using Peter as a representative of the church throughout the ages. In this passage Jesus is passing on to His church His authority or control to bind and to loose on earth. B. 5 The Greek construction behind will be bound and will be loosed indicates that Jesus is the One who has activated the provisions through His Cross; the church is then charged with implementation of what He has released through His life, death, and resurrection. C. Binding and loosing have to do with forbidding and permitting. The church has been empowered to continue Jesus ministry of destroying works of darkness with His kingdom power and provision. SOME EXAMPLES: 1) If someone is bound by sin, he can be loosed through the preaching of the gospel which brings freedom from sin (Romans 6:14). 2) If someone is demon possessed, He can be loosed by someone binding the demon and commanding its departure (Acts 16:18). 3) Jesus has also given church leaders the authority to bind (prohibit) and loose (permit) certain kinds of behavior (Matthew 18:18). II. Tearing down strongholds. A. II Corinthians 10:4 tells us that the weapons of our

NOTES

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warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. B. What are these fortresses or strongholds that Paul is talking about? He is talking about mental bondages, thoughts, reasoning, and arguments - which are contrary to Christ and His word (II Corinthians 10:5). C. Earlier in his second letter to the Corinthians Paul says that the god of this world (age) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (II Corinthians 4:4). D. Their minds are blinded through the mental bondages of lust and addiction or the reasoning of philosophy and pleasure or maybe the arguments of false religion and evolution. E. Satan through this worlds system tries to blind mankind to the saving power of Jesus Christ. He also tries to paralyze the Christian with his mental bondages, reasoning and arguments so he will not be an effective witness. III. The powerful weapons of prayer and proclamation. A. Prayer and the word of God are two mighty weapons God has given us to BIND the power of Satan and LOOSE the power of God. B. In Ephesians 6:19 after Paul has discussed the armor of God, he then tells the saints in Ephesus to pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. C. It is by prayer, along with the preaching of the gospel, that strongholds are destroyed over peoples lives, cities and countries. D. Charles Finney who was one of the greatest evangelist of all times was asked his key secret for success. He said, The secret is prayer. E. The disciples in the book of Acts BOUND Satan's power and LOOSED Gods power through PRAYER and PROCLAMATION:
Acts 4:24-30: When the disciples faced great opposition they lifted their voices to God in prayer. They asked God to loose His power so they could preach the Word of God with signs following. Acts 5:1-11: Lying was bound from the church and the fear of the Lord which brings the conviction of sin was loosed. Acts 8:18-24: Covetousness was bound over Simons life and he asked Peter to loose a blessing over his life.

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Acts 12:5: When Peter was in prison, the saints were praying without ceasing and Peter was loosed from prison. Acts 16:16-34: Here Paul bound an evil spirit from a servant girl then was thrown into jail. Paul and Silas began to pray in jail and they along with the other prisoners were loosed from prison. Not only were they loosed from prison, but the guard and his family were loosed from their sins. Acts 19:9-20: Through the preaching of the word of God and prayer many in Ephesus were healed, delivered and loosed from their sins.

NOTES

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CONCLUSION: Jesus has equipped the church with the keys of the kingdom so that Satans power can be BOUND and Gods power can be LOOSED. Prayer and proclaiming the word of God are the two most powerful weapons we can use in destroying the gates of Hades. When we share the gospel peoples eyes are opened, Satans power is bound over them and they enter the kingdom of God. Through Jesus death and resurrection Satans power has been bound, but the victory is not enforced until we use the authority of Christ to set the captives free. Just as a policeman enforces the law with the authority given him by the state, we are to enforce the work of Christ with the authority He has given us. Heaven stands behind us as we take the keys of the kingdom to bind Satans power and loose Gods on this hurting world. Spiritual warfare is setting the captives free.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortress. II Corinthians 10:4

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Jesus has passed on to His church His authority to _________________ and _________________. 2. We have been given weapons to tear down: O Buildings O Strongholds O Peoples lives 3. Who has built strongholds of mental bondages, lust, addiction, false religion etc. into society and individual lives? O Schools O Politicians O The god of this age, Satan 4. _____________ and ______________ are two powerful weapons of warfare. 5. What was bound in Acts 5:1-11? _________________

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Have you ever been used to bind the power of darkness and loose the power of God into someones life? Did you pray for them, share with them or preach to them? How did they change?

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INTRODUCTION: The last words spoken in the book of Matthew 28 are the words of Jesus telling His disciples that,
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

A commission is a set of orders or instructions. Going is not an option with Jesus. God has called us to proclaim the good news to the lost and make disciples of those who believe the message we share. We may fulfill this calling in our school, on the job, with our family or in a foreign nation. Jesus sends each one of us with a mission to reach the lost and to make disciples. I. The gospel is the power to save all. A. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). B. Jesus did not die to just forgive some peoples sins, but He died for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2). C. Paul says that it is Gods desire for all to be brought to the knowledge of the truth and to be saved (I Tim. 2:4). II. The gospel is for all people. A. Jesus told His first disciples in Acts 1:8 that they would receive power and they were to proclaim His word in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. B. The good news was never meant to be confined to Jerusalem, but is for ALL PEOPLE GROUPS in all parts of the world. III. Our responsibility is to share the gospel. A. Gods heart is for the people of the world. God has called us to look beyond ourselves and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. B. Reaching people for Christ can be done in many ways. Street, friendship, and program evangelism are some of the ways we can reach out to the lost. C. Evangelism is simply Christians being so filled with the Holy Spirit that wherever they go people are touched. D. Our responsibility is to share with people what God has done in our lives and help to encourage them to receive the good news of Jesus Christ into their lives.

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NOTES

IV. Hindrances to sharing with others. A. CULTURE:

Culture can be one of the most difficult things to break out of and a great hindrance to the advancement of the gospel. God has called us to go beyond the comfort of our own culture, and people who are like us. The gospel will take us beyond our own family, race and social status. In Acts chapter 10 Peter broke from his culture by going to Gentiles.

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B. FEAR:
Fears of being rejected, ridiculed, persecuted, laughed at or killed are legitimate fears when it comes to sharing Christ with others. There is only one fear that is greater than these and it is the fear of God. Jesus told us to not fear man, but to reverence God by sharing our faith with others (Luke 12:4-10).

C. TOO BUSY:
To be busy is good if you are busy doing the will of God. If your job, social activities, family life or sports activities are keeping you from sharing your faith and making disciples, youre too busy. All of these things should be done, but they should not have first priority. Jesus said the priority of our lives should be following Him. (Luke 9:57-62)

V. Making disciples. A. We are told not just to share the gospel, but to make disciples and teach them the ways of God. B. Every believer is commissioned to make disciples, but it is not to be a solo but a team experience. C. The whole process of evangelism and discipleship should not be the job of just one person, but that of a team. D. In I Corinthians 3 Paul uses the example of farmers and says that one may sow the seed, others water it, but it is God who causes it to grow. E. On a team each person has a place. In the work of discipleship someone might have the ability to reach someone, while another may eventually lead them to Christ. Yet another Christian may teach or nurture the new disciple. God will show each of us how He wants us used. VI. Disciples are not made in a day. A. The process of discipleship takes time. Jesus spent three years teaching, demonstrating and explaining in the practical training of his disciples.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
Acts 1:8

B. A disciple is a learner or a follower and the principles of discipleship are used every day in the business and educational world. C. For example, if someone is going through a university to become a teacher, she becomes a student teacher for a period of time. She serves under a mentor who gives her practical training as she assumes the responsibility of a teacher. Discipleship is learning and practical training. D. Making disciples is about pouring our lives into others so they will become followers of Christ. In Antioch Paul spent two years making disciples and it was here that the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). E. Discipleship is teaching others how to walk with Jesus and become like Him. Our lives are to be examples for others to follow. It may be our part to just take them a distance and someone else may take them farther. Just do your part in making disciples that will follow Jesus Christ. CONCLUSION: We have been sent by the Holy Spirit to reach this world with the message of the good news. The Great Commission is concerned not only with sharing this message but also with making disciples, who in turn will share the message and make more disciples. Paul told his disciple Timothy to take the message he had been given and make more disciples who in turn would make more disciples (I Timothy 2:20). Imagine, for a moment, every Christian you know training two or three others in the basic truths and experiences of walking with Jesus. The results would be amazing. You are a part of fulfilling the Great Commission by sharing Jesus Christ and your life with others.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Have you ever shared the gospel with someone? Are any of the three hindrances keeping you from sharing your faith with others and making disciples?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The gospel is the power to save: O None O Some O All 2. The gospel is for ________________ people. 3. Making disciples is a team effort. O True O False 4. The process of discipleship takes _______________.

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NOTES

1 INTRODUCTION: Jesus empowered the disciples to overcome Satan. When Jesus instructed the Twelve and Seventy-two to preach the kingdom, he also instructed them to demonstrate the kingdom by performing signs and wonders. The disciples got the message; upon returning to Jesus they said, Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name (Lk. 10:17; Mt. 10:8). Paul said to the Corinthians that his preaching was, in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (I Cor. 2:4). Then he said to the church in Thessalonica that the gospel did not come to them in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction... (I Thess. 1:5). Jesus has commissioned us to proclaim His name to the nations. This proclamation must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit, so the chains of darkness can be broken over peoples lives. Jesus Himself did not begin to preach until after His empowerment with the Holy Spirit. Then He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. If this were true for the Son of God how much more do we need this empowerment to share the good news of the kingdom of God and set the captives free?

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I. Jesus was empowered with the Holy Spirit to do good. A. Jesus did no healing, exorcism or miracles until after He was empowered with the Holy Spirit. He then went about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil. B. When a Samaritan village rejected Jesus ministry two of his close disciples John and James wanted to call down fire from heaven and destroy the village (Luke 9:54-56). Jesus rebuked them and said, You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy mens lives but to save them. II. The anointing breaks the yoke. A. Jesus preached His first message in His hometown of Nazareth announcing to them Isaiah 61:1-2:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has ANOINTED Me, To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19). NOTE: Anointed (Strongs #4886 Old Testament) : To anoint, to rub with oil, especially in order to consecrate someone or something

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ing almost 70 times, it refers to the custom of rubbing or smearing with sacred oil to consecrate holy persons or holy things. Priests and kings in particular were installed in their offices by anointing. The word Messiah or Anointed One comes from this word. Messiah was translated into Greek as Christos; thus His name, Jesus Christ.

B. It was the anointing or empowerment of the Spirit which gave Jesus the power to heal the sick, cast out devils and confound His enemies with words of wisdom. It was the Spirit of the Lord, which gave King Jesus His skills to rule over His enemies. C. Jesus was sent to destroy the works of the devil. Isaiah 49:29 says that the enemys yoke is broken over peoples lives by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. III. Power to preach the gospel. A. Jesus promised us we could have this same anointing to break the enemys bondage over people. B. In Marks recording of the Great Commission he says that signs will follow believers (Mark 16:15-20). These signs confirmed to the people that the messengers were telling the truth, that God was backing up their message with supernatural power. C. Casting out demons, speaking in tongues, and healing all appear in other passages in Acts where the Great Commission was being carried out. D. Taking up serpents does not mean handling snakes, but the assurance of protection (see Acts 28:3-6). Also, it is the testimony of many missionaries to experience Gods miraculous protection with no ill effects from impure food and drink. E. In Luke 11:20 Jesus points to His power to cast out demons as a clear indication of the kingdom of God. F. Miracles, signs and wonders were accepted in the early church. Throughout the book of Acts you will see that the early church leaders prayed that Gods miracle power would be displayed to break the yokes of Satan (Acts 4:27-31). They saw the anointing as needed to glorify Christ through the church. IV. The power of the Spirit of God. A. Jesus told His first disciples to be endued with power from on high before they began to minister (Lk. 24:49). B. For the gospel to be effective in setting people free it must be done in the power of the Spirit (Acts 1:8). C. Jesus told his original disciples they would not be

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prepared to begin the work to which they were called until they received the power of the Spirit. D. It is through the power of the Spirit that people are convicted of their sin and are saved when we share. This power enables us to cast devils out of people, pray for healing, give words of wisdom, interpret tongues and do the works of Jesus.
Personal Testimonies 1) The first time I cast a spirit out of someone was when I was feeding an alcoholic some food in my apartment. He asked me to pray for him and when I did he began to cough, then spit up white foam on my carpet. All I said was the name of Jesus and the demon departed. 2) At the writing of this book the most remarkable and instantaneous healing I experienced was praying for a man in Zambia, Africa. Another brother and I went to the hospital to pray for the sick. We came to a man and he could not hear. We prayed for him and his ears opened immediately.

NOTES

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me toset at liberty those who are oppressed. Luke 4:18

CONCLUSION: The power that Jesus ministered in, is the same power He wants to give us. Jesus ministered as a man endued with the Holy Spirit. He was dependent on the Holy Spirit for His ministry, just as we are. We not only can have the anointing, but need the anointing to minister to people effectively. Kingdom ministry is preaching the gospel, healing the brokenhearted, liberating the captives and praying for the sick with the power of the Holy Spirit. The disciples in Acts prayed that this power would be present among them (Acts 4:30). We need to pray that this power will be upon our lives.

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Jesus has empowered us to do : O Evil O Harm O Good 2. The anointing _________________ the yoke. 3. The gospel is to be preached: O Loudly O With Power O Outside 4. Jesus told His first disciples to be _____________ with ____________ from on high before they began to minister.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Do you have any personal testimonies of the power of God being displayed when you prayed or shared with someone?

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INTRODUCTION: You may wake up on Sunday morning and say to your wife, Lets go to church today. This is a common concept in our world today, but it is a foreign concept in the word of God. The Bible teaches us that by accepting Christ as our Lord we become a part of the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit coming into our hearts (I Cor. 12:13). Yes the Bible tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (Hebrews 10:25) However, the purpose of this gathering together is so each part can contribute to the whole and the whole church can be encouraged and built up in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. It takes each one of us to fulfill the work of the ministry. We need one another! We are not called to live the Christian life alone. Every believer should be in relationship with other believers in the body of Christ. There are many different pictures which the Bible uses to explain what the church should be like so lets take a look at the body of Christ as seen in the Bible. I. Pictures of the Church:
The Bible uses pictures to help us understand spiritual things. Pictures are used to explain the relationship between Christ and the Church. The Church is like a body with Christ as head, the Church is like a building with Christ as the cornerstone. The Church is like a wife with Christ as the husband. The Church is like an army with Christ as the general. These are all pictures to help us better understand our relationship with Christ and His Church.

II. The picture of the human body. A. The church is not a rigid organization, but pictured as a flexible body. B. When a part of the body is not working it hinders the full effectiveness of the body. For example, if my right hand is missing then I cannot hold on as well (I Corinthians 12:21). C. The human body has been created in such a way that it is in need of the other parts of the body (I Cor. 12:19). D. This is a beautiful and practical picture of the church, showing us that we need one another as Christians. Jesus is our head and through His Spirit He directs every member of His church to work together as one body. III. The picture of a building. A. The church is not a physical building on a street corner in your city, but it is the Christians who are built on Christ.

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NOTES

B. In Ephesians 2:20b-22 it says that,

Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the WHOLE BUILDING, being fitted together is growing into a holy TEMPLE in the Lord; in whom you also are being BUILT TOGETHER into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

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C. If you have ever been out on a construction site then you can see that the workers must work together for the building to get built. There are framers, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians and so on, each with a task. D. Jesus is the foreman in charge of the construction of the church. He has delegated His authority to different contractors like elders, pastors, apostles, etc. These contractors are there to make sure the building is built right, that the workers are working together and to help with any problems that might arise in the building process. IV. The picture of a family. A. God has called us to be a part of a spiritual family:
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every FAMILY in heaven and on earth derives its name Ephesians 3:14-15 (Emphasis Mine)

B. In a family there are parents, children, grandparents and extended family (I John 2:12-14). C. Children need love, attention, instruction, discipline and stability. The local church should provide this type of environment for new Christians, so they can grow. D. The Church needs spiritual fathers and mothers. E. Paul was a SPIRITUAL FATHER to the churches he planted. He also had a close discipleship relationship with such men as Timothy and Titus (I Cor. 4:15; I Timothy 1:2). F. Such women as Phoebe (Rm. 16:1) and Priscilla were definitely SPIRITUAL MOTHERS who ministered to the Church. G. The local church is like a family. In a family the father and mother are team leaders. Every church must have leaders that the rest of the family works in harmony with. H. Our extended family is the other churches and Christians in our city, country and worldwide. V. The church is an army. A. Within an army you have foot soldiers, doctors, cooks, generals, etc. B. God wants to place us in a specific part of His spiritual

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army. You may not make a good general, but you could be the best doctor or cook there ever has been. C. In an army there are leaders that give direction, instruction and correction just like in the church. Also, in the army every soldier is to look out for and help the others; the different members of the church are to do the same. VI. The body of Christ is joined together to work. A. In all of these pictures of the church we see that there is a WORK TO ACCOMPLISH and an ORDER in working together. B. To function as a human body, to construct a building, to have a good family or to fight as an army, every part of the body of Christ must work together. C. If we are to work together then someone must be in charge. A body without a head is a freak. A building site without a foreman is chaos. A family without a leader is dysfunctional and an army without a general is dangerous. CONCLUSION: Although the church is pictured as a building, the church is not a building, nor is it a meeting; it is people. To say it simply, the church is the people who go to Christian meetings. Praise God for buildings in which we can worship God together and be taught the word of God; however, the church is an active people not a physical building. The body of Christ is called to work together; that's why we need to be connected to other brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. Not only do we need to work together, but also we need to have leaders who oversee and help keep the work going forward. Without leadership, the church is not the church. We must recognize and follow the leaders that God has placed in the church to help us function as a family, to be built together and to fight the enemy.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY The body is not one member, but many.

I Corinthians 12:14

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Do you see yourself as just going to church or being a part of the church? If you are not, why arent you an active member of the body?

SCRIPTURE MEMORY
1. The church is not a rigid organization but pictured as a flexible _________________. 2. God has called us to be part of a: O Social club O Spiritual family O School 3. God wants to place us in a specific part of His _______________ army.

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LESSON 46: THE LORDS SUPPER

INTRODUCTION: The understanding of the Lords Supper has been probably one of the most abused teachings in Christianity. Along with Baptism into Water the Lords Supper has been either over-emphasized, or neglected altogether because of excesses. Possibly the reason the enemy has tried to distort this truth is because of the spiritual and practical power it has in our lives as Christians. The Lords Supper is to be a clear declaration that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior and we are His body. The power of the gospel is declared through the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which brings deliverance from sin, Satan and this world. The Lords Supper is also spoken of in the Bible as a meal of love. It should be a time of giving and sharing which should demonstrate our lives as Christians in everyday life. Lets take a look at the Lords Supper and discover the spiritual and practical power that it holds for us. I. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you (John 6:53). Westminster Confession 29.1: Our Lord Jesus, in the night He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lords Supper, to be observed in His church, till the end of the world, for the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing of all benefits for believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him... and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His body. A. In Matthew 26:26-28 on the Passover night before Jesus was crucified, He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take eat; this is my body. They then took the cup of wine and drank, while He said, this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. B. Taking the same wine glass and the custom of dipping bread into the same sauce bowl indicated trust and intimacy. More than sharing food, it was SHARING LIFE. C. Paul uses the word SHARING in I Cor. 10:16 to describe the Lords Supper. This is the Greek word Koinonia which means a fellowship and participation with. D. The Lords Supper is fellowshipping, participating and sharing in the power of Christs Spirit. II. The bread and wine are SYMBOLS of Christs bruised body and shed blood pointing us to the Cross. A. Eating the bread and drinking the wine are to be literally done, but they are just SYMBOLS which point us to Christ.

NOTES

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The cup of blessing...which we consecrate with prayer, is it not a SYMBOL of our joint-participation in the blood of the Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a SYMBOL of our joint-participation in the body of Christ? (I Corinthians 10:14 Wuest Translation).

1) Each time we partake of the Lords Supper it is an opportunity to remind ourselves that: 9 We are joint participators of all that Christ accomplished for us on the Cross: our forgiveness, wholeness, strength, health and eternal life. 2) As we partake of the Lords Supper we are publicly declaring that by faith we have become partakers of the of the Cross and are members of His body the church. B. The Lords Supper is not to be simply a ritual, but an active confession, by which you call to memory and appropriate today all that Jesus has provided and promised through His Cross. At the same time we should encourage one another to put aside any sin which keeps us from walking in fellowship with Christ and His body. III. Eating the Lords Supper in an unworthy manner. A. Paul had to correct the Corinthian church because they partook of the Lords Supper in an unworthy manner. B. 9 The church was made up largely of the poorer class, including slaves (I Cor. 1:26-27;7:21). The problem was when they met together wealthier members who were unwilling to share their food took the supper ahead of others and shamed those who had nothing (I Corinthians 12:22). C. The problem was SELFISHNESS and DIVISION in the church. D. These wealthy people were eating and getting drunk with no regard for the needs of the body (I Cor. 12:21). E. This was called a love feast where they had a full supper together. It was during the supper when they would have a time of acknowledging the blood and body of Christ. F. The Corinthians were not demonstrating their Christian faith by sharing in love, but were causing division in the body through their worldly behavior. IV. Unity is to be demonstrated by the Lords Supper. A. Paul said we all eat from one loaf, showing that we are one body (I Cor. 10:17 N.T.L).

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NOTES

B. The Lords supper symbolizes not only our being partakers of the redeeming power of the Cross, but also our unity as members of the one body of Christ. V. Discerning the Lords Body. A. I Corinthians 11:29 talks about not discerning the Lords body. In the context of this chapter this warning refers to the failure to maintain the unity of the church as the body of Christ. B. Some of the believers in Corinth were celebrating the supper in a way that destroyed the unity it represents, therefore, they were judged (I Cor. 11:29). As a result some were under affliction, or had suffered a premature death (vs. 30). C. To partake of the Lords Supper in a worthy manner is to examine yourself in the light of the full forgiveness and acceptance of Christ. It is turning away from any SELFISHNESS or DIVISION, to partake of Christs power to strengthen and to heal. D. Discerning the Lords Body is acknowledging the body that was bruised for your sins and the one Body of Christ. CONCLUSION: We are to continually participate in the Lords Supper until He comes. When we partake of the bread and wine, it is a time of reflecting on the blood that paid for our sins and our full redemption at Christs Second Coming. It is a time of remembering how far He has brought us and of stirring one another up for the work that lies ahead (Heb. 10:25). We can do this when we are gathered in small groups at homes (Acts 2:42) or when we meet together as the church (I Cor. 11:22). The Lords Supper is more than just partaking of bread and wine together, but it is a sharing of the life of Christ with one another. As one body we must love, share and work with each other.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life John 6:53

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION How do you feel when you really take seriously the time before parttaking of the Lords Supper? Is it a time of really dealing with issues in your heart or just a ritual you quickly complete?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The Lords Supper is about: O Sharing O Selfishness O Division 2. Partaking of the Lords supper in an unworthy manner is being selfish and divisive. O True O False 3. What is to be demonstrated through the Lords Supper? O Individualism O Fighting O Unity

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PART I LESSON 47: ORDER IN THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION: On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out, Peter stood up and preached that powerful sermon and 3,000 people became a part of the church. In the book of Acts we see a progressive building of the church. There was evangelism, teaching, prophecy, outpourings of the Spirit, signs, wonders, prayer, sharing with one another, etc. However, in the midst of all this there was an order in the church. It is through Pauls ministry that we began to see a clear picture of this order. As Paul and Barnabas made disciples in the cities that they visited they soon appointed elders in every local church (Acts 14:23) to oversee and care for the believers. In the epistles of Paul, Peter, John and James we see the term elder used as denoting the men who were given authority to lead and govern the local churches that were established. The church is like a family and every family is a team, but there is also an order of authority. Lets take a look at the order in the local church. I. Elders in every local church. A. God has provided elders or spiritual leadership in the local church to oversee, guide, encourage, instruct and equip the people of God. B. Every denomination, network of ministry or local church may use their own term for spiritual leaders in the church. They may call them pastors, bishops, vicars or elders but no matter what the term, it is still spiritual leadership. II. The work of elders or spiritual leaders. A. In I Peter 5:2 and Acts 20:28 Peter and Paul define the work of spiritual leaders in the local church. 1) OVERSEE THE FLOCK: This term is used in the sense of a shepherd looking over his sheep. The shepherd was to make sure the sheep were healthy, was to break up fighting sheep, call back straying sheep and keep wolves out of the flock. 2) FEED THE SHEEP: The spiritual leaders are also responsible for feeding GOOD SPIRITUAL FOOD. B. Some spiritual leaders will be more inclined to overseeing and some to feeding. That is why it is important to have a team of spiritual leaders working together. III. Qualified spiritual leaders. A. Paul outlines in detail the character qualifications for spiritual leaders in the local church in I Timothy 3:1-7.

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B. Character is the key to spiritual leadership because leading by example is basic to the way spiritual leaders influence sheep (I Peter 5:5-3). C. When Paul and Peter speak of elders they use the plural. This implies the need for a team of spiritual leaders. The number of spiritual leaders needed will be determined by the size of the church and the amount of work to be done. D. The Bible clearly demonstrates a plurality of elders not a single leader. There should be a plurality of qualified spiritual leaders in each local church. E. The basic tasks of spiritual leadership are openness, nurture, and guidance. They do not lord over the church through a fixed, chain-of-command hierarchy like the world (Matthew 20:25-28). F. The spiritual leadership of the early church, oversaw by example, not by coercion or manipulation. IV. Support your spiritual leadership. A. How should we respond to spiritual leadership? Support them and the responsibility God has given them. Appeal to them when necessary and pray for them. B. SUPPORT THE VISION of the church. 1) Every local church should have a clear written statement of vision the Lord has given them to fulfill. 2) This common vision brings a unity and a clear purpose to fulfill. For example, some churches may be more focused on teaching, while others are more focused on evangelism. This is simply the diversity of the body like house churches and mega churches. 3) You need to be a part of a church where you can agree with the vision and basic values of the church. 4) Dont try to change a church, but find the part of the body you belong to and support the leaderships vision. C. SUBMIT TO spiritual leadership. 1) In the local church Jesus has delegated spiritual authority to the elders or spiritual leaders (I Pt. 5:5). 2) Hebrews 13:17 tells us to trust our leaders and not give them a hard time because they will be accountable to God for the way they care for us. D. APPEAL TO and PRAY FOR spiritual leadership. 1) If you feel like spiritual leadership is wrong you should not criticize them, but speak to them.

NOTES

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2) You need to speak to them in humility (I Tim. 5:1). 3) Dont bring accusations against them (I Tim. 5:19), but share what you feel is wrong. 4) At the same time be open to be corrected if you need it yourself. In a family, sometimes the children dont know what goes on behind closed doors, so you may not be seeing the whole picture. 5) The most important thing you can do is pray for your spiritual leaders. Leaders are human, with difficulties and problems just like you. We need to pray that God will give strength and wisdom to our spiritual leaders so they can make the Lords decisions. 6) If you have made the steps to pray for and appeal to your spiritual leaders yet you cannot resolve your problems then maybe you are in the wrong church. Its time you allow God to change you or find the place where you fit in the body of Christ. CONCLUSION: Order and authority are a part of everyday life. Everywhere you go, from the post office to your neighbors house there is authority and an order or way of doing things. In the local church we need to recognize the God-ordained authority, and respect the way things are done. Also, realize that you are a part of the team. In Acts 6 there arose a problem in the church so the spiritual leaders chose seven new members for the leadership team. They were appointed as helpers and they diligently fulfilled the task given to them by their spiritual leaders. Pretty soon some of these helpers became running backs and quarterbacks spreading the good news everywhere (Acts 7 and 8). There is an order in the church, so find your place and be a team member and if it is Gods will, one day you may be a spiritual leader.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY Shepherd the flock..not for sordid gain, but with eagerness: nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
I Peter 5:2-3

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Have you ever had a problem with authority? How did you work through this problem? If it is still a problem are you ready to overcome it now?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Every local church needs spiritual leaders? O True O False 2. Spiritual leaders need to be: O Old O Energetic O Qualified 3. It is important to support your spiritual leaders. O True O False 4. When you have a problem with a spiritual leader you need to speak to them in _________________.

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INTRODUCTION: In the last lesson we ended with the seven who were appointed to the leadership team. Although the word deacon is never mentioned in Acts 6 it seems that as the church progressed this ministry became known as deacons (I Tim. 3:8-13). In the local church there are not only elders and deacons, but also a host of other types of ways to serve people. However, ministry is not confined to the local church. Building the church is the basic purpose of all ministry, but all ministers do not function as local elders, deacons or within the context of any one particular local church. The church is more than just one local body of believers and God uses different ministries to strengthen the entire church. Lets take a look at some of these ministries in and outside of the church. I. The ministry of deacons. A. The English word deacon is taken from the Greek word diakonos which means to be a servant. B. The Bible uses the word deacon as part of the leadership team of the church serving under the elders in two passages (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-13). C. It never gives the duties of deacons, 5 but it is taken for granted that their duties had to do with the management of the charities and business affairs of the churches. D. The original seven were appointed to serve the church in such a way as to free the elders for prayer and ministry of the word (Acts 6:2). II. Other ways to serve. A. There are many ways to serve in the local church. 1) Music\Drama ministry 2) Childrens or youth ministry 3) Teaching 4) Market place ministry 5) Missions/Evangelism B. Discover your gifting, then begin to serve the people of God with your God-given ability. III. Extra-local ministry. A. The term extra local ministry is not in the Bible. It is a term we want to use to define ministry which is not confined to the local church. B. In Acts 13:2 we see that Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were set apart from the church in Antioch to THE WORK of extra-local ministry. C. Carlton Kenny in his book, His Rule In His Church,

NOTES

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says that 6 any of the five-fold ministry that have experience and maturity that qualifies them to operate extra-locally...should be respected in that role. D. Not only did Paul and Barnabas operate in this role but so did Philip (Acts 8:4-5, 12, 26), Peter (Acts 10), Silas (Acts 15:34), and many others. E. God uses these EXTRA-LOCAL MINISTRIES to equip the saints, start new churches, strengthen existing ones and bring a greater unity in the church. IV. Extra-local ministry and the local church. A. Extra-local ministry is to build the church. However, not all churches will have an evangelist, prophet, apostle, etc. Therefore, there needs to be an interchange of extra-local ministry to help the local elders build the church. B. A good example of this is Benny Hinn. His extralocal ministry as an evangelist has been a blessing to many different parts of the church. C. Local elders and extra local ministry must work together if the church is to be built. This is not saying that a local elder cant also have an extra-local ministry, for some will have both. D. Extra-local ministries do not possess authority over the local church. They can be given authority by the elders of a local church to have an influence in the church by equipping the believers and counsel to the elders. IV. Preserving unity.. A. We must be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit, because there is only one body not two (Ephesians 4:3). B. Although we are one body there is great diversity in the church and we need to allow for differences. C. Some churches may clap, dance and shout while others sing hymns and meditate quietly. Others may meet from house to house while others have a Sunday school program. Allow for diversity without criticism. D. We may identify with a particular part of the body, but we should not allow it to divide us as it did the believers in Corinth (I Corinthians 1:12; 3:1-3). E. There should be no division in the Body of Christ; neither should we become exclusive by thinking our local congregation is better than all the rest (I Corinthians 3:3). F. Each local church, denomination or network of churches needs to do what the Holy Spirit has called them to do.

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However, they need to preserve the unity of the Spirit by acknowledging and working with the one body. V. Multiplying our efforts. A. Many churches are part of a denomination, network or fellowship of churches. Through their joint effort they can multiply their effect in many different ways. B. However, the effort of working together needs to go beyond our particular group to the entire church. C. Unlike our own particular group, we may not agree upon everything, but there is a common bond in Christ and we must encourage, support and work together for the sake of the gospel. Paul told us to stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27). CONCLUSION: Building the church is the purpose of all ministry. It may be the calling of God upon your life to serve in the local church, or you may be called to an extra-local ministry. When it comes to local elders working with extralocal ministry and different churches working together the way to keep order is by walking in love. Love is having a mutual respect for one another and honoring one another for the work each has been called to accomplish. There are different ministries and different types of churches, but we need to all work together in fulfilling the one Great Commission.

NOTES

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit. Ephesians 4:3

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The word deacon means to be a ______________. 2. The five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4:11 are the spiritual leaders of extra local ministry. O True O False 3. It is important that extra local ministries and local spiritual _____________ work together. 4. How many churches is Jesus building? O 10 O 1000 O 1 5. If the many different local congregations would work together as One church then our efforts could be multiplied in reaching this hurting world. O True O False

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Have you been blessed by someones extra local ministry? In what way did you receive from them? Is unity in the body of Christ an important topic?

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LESSON 49: EQUIPPING THE SAINTS

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INTRODUCTION: In Acts 1:9 we see the disciples sitting and talking to the resurrected Christ when, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Jesus left the earth and the Holy Spirit has replaced him. Not only has the Holy Spirit replaced Him but when He ascended on high, He gave gifts to men (Eph. 4:8, 11-12). He gave some as APOSTLES, and some as PROPHETS, and some as EVANGELIST, and some as PASTORS and TEACHERS, for the equipping of the saints. (Emphasis Mine) These five ministry gifts are given to various persons in the Body of Christ who are then responsible to train and equip others. God releases specific leadership gifts into the Body of Christ to build up and strengthen the believers in the church so that every believer can be fulfilling their work of service. I. Jesus the giver of gifts. A. When Jesus walked this earth He was the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. He fulfilled every one of these ministries and sets the pattern to follow. B. After His departure He has now distributed His ability to different people so that the church can be equipped to do the same work that He did while on this earth. C. These five ministry gifts are deposited in various spiritual leaders who are called by the Lord to train others to minister effectively in reaching the lost and building the church. D. Jesus is the one who calls, not a man, denomination or ministry. Paul the apostle said that he was called not by man, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:1). II. Called to equip. A. The Greek word used for equipping found in Eph. 4:12 is katartismos and it means preparation. The dictionary defines it as making ready or competent for service or action. B. The people who possess these five ministry gifts are called to help the rest of the church become competent in their particular gifting. This does not mean everyone will be an evangelist, but they will be competent to evangelize through being equipped by this ministry gift. C. According to F.F. Bruce the gifts enumerated in verse 11 do not monopolize the churchs ministry; their function rather is to help and direct the Church that all the members may perform their several ministries for the good of the whole.

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III. Each gift equips with one aspect of Christ. A. Apostles are given to the church to help us receive a vision from the Lord to build. B. Prophets are given to train us to listen to the voice of God. C. Evangelists are given to train us and to stir us up to reach the lost. D. Pastors are given to encourage us, protect us, and show us how to do the same for others. E. Teachers are given to assist us in understanding the word of God. NOTE: Some spiritual leaders may have more than one gift in operation in their lives. However, no one possesses all of these gifts. Only Christ did when He walked this earth. Look at Appendix 1. F. We need to be equipped with each aspect of these gifts. If you are equipped only with the evangelistic gifting, you will reach the lost, but not know what to do with them. If just the pastoral, then you may care for people well, but you will never reach the lost. It is important that each Christian is impacted by each of the gifts of Christ. IV. The results of being equipped. A. When the equipping of the saints is being done each individual member will find his place of ministry. B. If all five gifts of the one risen Christ are being ministered, the people will walk in unity and will be established on the foundation of Christ because they will see Jesus for who He is (Eph. 4:13). C. Honesty, integrity and stability will be part of the church. D. The saints will become mature Christians (Eph. 4:15). E. The body of Christ will work together the way it should, which will bring growth to the church (Eph. 4:16). V. Do I have a calling as one of the Ephesians 4:11 gifts? A. If you are called as one of these gifts, YOU WILL KNOW. B. The Spirit of God within us will let us know our purpose and calling just like he did Paul, Silas, Philip and so on. C. Each of our callings is unique and the way we discover our callings will be also, so dont put God in a box. VI. Whats the next step? A. Those God divinely calls are also divinely CONFIRMED and PREPARED.

NOTES

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B. If we have a calling as one of Christs gifts then not only will it be evident to us, but it will also become evident to our spiritual leaders. C. Once your calling and gifting has been confirmed you need to be prepared for ministry. D. Paul the apostle is a good example. Paul was called, confirmed and then immediately began to use His gift in Acts 9:9-20. He was not yet fully prepared for ministry. We dont hear from Paul again until Barnabas goes and gets him at Tarsus in Acts 12:25 which was 7 yrs. later. E. Between the calling and the full use of our gift is the CONFIRMATION and PREPARATION of our lives and gifts. CONCLUSION: Equipping the saints is an essential component of building the church. The gifts of Christ must operate in His church so we can fulfill our intended purpose. It is mandatory that we recognize those with these gifts and receive the ministry they have. We also need to confirm and prepare those whom God has called and wants to raise up. The local elders who possess one of these gifts and the extralocal ministries need to work together in preparing future leaders. They can be prepared through training in the local church, going to a Bible Training Center or a Christian College. Preferably they will get good Bible Training and practical ministerial experience. Each gifted person should be trained to fulfill the work he has been called to and help equip others to do the same.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY When He ascended on highHe gave gifts to men.

Ephesians 4:8

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Have you experienced the equipping of any of the gifts of Christ? How has it affected your life and ministry for the Lord?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Jesus was the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. O True O False 2. The Greek word kartismos, which is used for equipping means: O Lost O Break O Preparation 3. Each gift ____________ with one aspect of Christ. 4. The equipping of the saints produces several results. O True O False 5. Once your calling and gifting have been confirmed you need to be prepared for ministry. O True O False

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LESSON 50: BODY MINISTRY

INTRODUCTION: Only some are given as a gift to equip the saints, but in Romans 12:4-8 we see that God has gifted each member of the church with different gifts. They are not all the same, but each has an important function within the body. These particular gifts are commonly referred to as motivational gifts, because it is these gifts, which motivate us to function in our calling. There should be a hunger for everyone to know their purpose and place in the body of Christ. If a person does not know who he is or what God wants him to do, he misses an important part of the plan of God and lives an unfulfilled life. It is important to discover the God-given talents that the Lord has placed within your life. Then once you have discovered your gifts it is important to use them in ministering to others. I. Enough grace for each person to minister. A. The Greek word for grace is Charis. In the Strongs Concordance it is defined as a favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the lovingkindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor. B. Grace has been poured out on us through Christs gift on the Cross paying for our salvation (Eph. 4:7) and empowering us to live as Christians (Romans 5:17). C. Romans 12:6 also says that through Gods grace we each have different GIFTS (Charisma : a gift of grace). D. Then Paul encourages each of us to exercise or use our gifts in fruitful service. II. Speaking and rendering service. A. The apostle Peter in I Peter 4:10-11 divides gifts into two categories which are SPEAKING and SERVING.
As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of Gods many-sided grace - faithful stewards of the extremely diverse [powers and gifts granted to Christians by] unmerited favor. Whoever SPEAKS, [let him do it as one who utters] oracles of God; whoever RENDERS SERVICE, [let him do it] as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly... (Amplified Translation: Emphasis Mine)

NOTES

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B. If you will look at Appendix 2 you will see that some gifts are used by SPEAKING such as prophecy, teaching, exhortation and some gifts are used by SERVING such as service, giving, leading and mercy.

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III. Our lives will be motivated by the gift we have. A. The reason these gifts are called Motivational gifts is because they motivate or move us to do what we do. B. Our gift explains why we do things the way we do. When a person discovers their motivational gift they will better understand themselves and be able to minister to others. IV. We each have received a gift. A. Looking back at I Peter 4:10 it says that, each of you has received a gift. B. God has placed in our lives ONE MAIN motivational gift. This does not mean if we dont have the gift of service, then we dont serve but it does mean that because of our gifts most of us do a few things best. C. We will be the most fulfilled and fruitful when we know our area of ministry and concentrate on it. D. Paul was saying this in Romans 12:3-8. He told us to: 1) Humble ourselves, thinking clearly about our limitations and our individual God-given abilities (vs. 3-5). 2) He told us to concentrate on our particular gift (v.6). Kenneth Wuest comments on these verses by saying, It is a wise man who stays within the sphere of service for which God has fitted him, not invading some other field of service for which he is not fitted. 3) You may have the gift of exhortation and lead praise and worship, but that does not mean you are to pastor the church. Maybe your are gifted with serving children, then dont try and be a youth minister. V. Using our gift for Body Ministry. A. Paul and Peter both encourage us to exercise or use the gifts that God has given us (Romans 12:6). B. Body Ministry is simply every person using his gift helping to serve and build up the body. C. When each persons gifts are activated it will bring nourishment and health to the whole body (Eph.4:16). VI. Learning to use the gift. A. Paul in defining his apostolic ministry said there was a MEASURE OF RULE (II Cor. 10:13). He was not an apostle to every church, but only to those he planted. This same principle of the MEASURE OF RULE applies to all gifts. B. The MEASURE OF RULE is the particular boundary of your gift. In your local church you may use your gift of teaching in leading a small group. The boundary of

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your gift is that small group, unless your gift makes room for you and you are invited to share elsewhere. C. To step beyond your measure of rule is to step on someone else's feet. As Wuest said, stay within the sphere of service which God has fitted you for and dont invade someone else's field of service. D. Its like our home. I may invite you into my home to help me redecorate, but dont come in and paint my walls green unless I ask you to. E. We must learn to operate with our particular gifting in the local church. It is always wise to remember that the local spiritual leaders are to encourage the use of each gift, but also have oversight and direction of the gifts being used. CONCLUSION: When every member is activated to minister in his particular area the church will be built. It will begin to fulfill its function as an active body, spiritual family and advancing army. Your area of ministry may be speaking, which will be more public, or in an area of serving which tends to be more private or behind the scenes. None are greater than the others because all are needed. Without janitors youre going to have dirty meeting places, without godly businessmen there will be no money and without prophecy or teaching your going to have quite meetings. Every part of the body is needed and no part has the same function. We are all commissioned to preach the gospel but we each have specific gifts to use.

NOTES

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY Since we have gifts let each exercise them accordingly. Romans 12:6

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. God has given each person enough _______________ to minister. 2. We are to concentrate on our particular area of ministry. O True O False 3. When each persons gifts are activated it will bring _______________ and _____________ to the whole body (Eph. 4:16). 4. To step beyond our measure of rule is to step on someone else's feet. O True O False

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION How are you motivated? What kind of desires do you have for ministry? Have you ever stepped on someone elses feet in the church?

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LESSON 51: EDIFYING THE CHURCH

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INTRODUCTION: God has called each member of the body to be a builder of His church. As Paul was finished correcting and instructing the Corinthian believers for their distorted view of tongues he sums it all up with the admonition to, let all things be done for edification. The word edification in the Greek literally means one who builds a house or building. This gives us some insight concerning the gifts of the Spirit. I Corinthians 12:7 says, to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good and a list of nine different ways the gifts of the Holy Spirit manifest through believers is given. Paul as a master builder of the church saw the importance of each person desiring earnestly to edify the church through the Holy Spirits ability working through them (I Corinthians 14:1). I hope that you will be enlightened and encouraged to earnestly seek the Holy Spirits ability to work through you for the building up of others. I. The ability of the Holy Spirit in the church. A. In I Corinthians 12:7 Paul identifies the gifts of the Spirit as a supernatural ability bestowed on an individual by the Holy Spirit to profit all, or as the New Berkley Version says for the common welfare. B. The Holy Spirit manifests these supernatural abilities through individuals to meet needs as He desires (I Corinthians 12:11). C. The manifestation of these nine gifts of the Spirit are not human ability but the Holy Spirits ability working in and through Christians lives (II Cor.4:7). II. Pursuing the gifts with diligence. A. If Jesus as the Son of God was endued with power and ministered by the gifts of the Spirit, and if the disciples were instructed to wait for power from on high, and then with the gifts of the Spirit ministered the gospel, how much more do we need them? B. In I Corinthians 14:1 Paul the apostle told us to DESIRE spiritual gifts. C. To DESIRE is surely not a passive position but an utter dependence on the ability of the Holy Spirit.
NOTE: The Greek word for DESIRE is zeloo and in the Strongs Concordance it means to be zealous for, to burn with desire, to pursue ardently, to desire eagerly or intensely.

III. Guiding principles for using the gifts. A. In I Corinthians 12:2-3 and 14:12 Paul lays down three guiding principles for using the gifts of the Spirit. B. If the gifts of the Spirit are used with these guiding principles then people will be blessed, the kingdom

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will be extended, and Jesus will be exalted.
1) The principle of order: In Corinth they viewed the Spirit as Someone who overpowered their wills. This led them into wild compulsive acts and disorderly worship services. Paul said to let all things be done, but decently and in order, for God is not the author of confusion. The Holy Spirit empowers, but does not overpower us. 2) The principle of Lordship : All manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit will harmonize with the truth about Jesus. The main work of the Holy Spirit is to bring people under the Lordship of Jesus. 3) The principle of edification: The gifts of the Spirit are to be used to build, establish, encourage, comfort, heal, deliver and speak to others. They are not to be used to bring attention to us, but to bring attention to the power of Jesus Christ.

NOTES

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IV. Who can use the gifts of the Spirit? A. They are made available to every Christian (I Corinthians 12:7). B. The gifts of the Spirit are not made available to just a certain class of Christians, but to those who desire them and make themselves available to be used.

NOTE: Some of the Gifts of Christ, Motivational Gifts and

Gifts of the Spirit are the same, such as the gifts of teaching and prophecy. The gifts of prophet and teacher in Eph. 4:11 are greater in their scope and authority than the gifts of prophecy and teaching which are listed in Romans 12:6-7. In addition the simple manifestation of the gift of prophecy in I Corinthians 12:10 is available for anyone to be used in.

V. Where can we use the gifts of the Spirit. A. The Holy Spirit can manifest His gifts anywhere He wants. B. Wherever there is a need and a Christian is open to be used, the Holy Spirit will manifest His gifts. They do not require a church meeting but they should be welcome in a meeting when the church assembles together. C. Jesus operated in the gifts of the Spirit regularly while in public meetings, ministering to the masses and one on one. D. You can also look in the book of Acts and see that the disciples of Jesus were active in the gifts of the Spirit. (To see more on this look at Appendix 3). VI. Cultivating the gifts of the Spirit. A. The Holy Spirit manifests the gifts of the Spirit when He wills and through whom He wills. However, there

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are some things we can do to cultivate our hearts to be sensitive to His desires. 1) Desiring to be used by the Spirit (I Cor. 14:1). 2) Pray to operate in certain gifts (I Cor. 14:13). 3) Be willing to take a step of faith (Galatians 3:5). 4) Get around those who use the gifts (Prov. 27:17). B. All of these will help us to become more sensitive, open and mature in the gifts of the Spirit. VII. Pursue love. A. The greatest thing we can ever do is love God and others. B. Love is the foundation and motivation of any gift that we use, and if it is not then Paul says it is worth nothing. C. If love does not possess us and if we do not possess love, then our ministry will be harsh, divisive, selfish and prideful. This will tear down and not build, for only love can build the church (I Corinthians 8:1). CONCLUSION: Make yourself available to be used by the Holy Spirit. Cultivate in your heart a desire to know the presence, power and gifts of the Spirit. You are called to be a builder of the church. This will mean taking your eyes off of just your needs and being sensitive to those around you. The Holy Spirit wants to work through you to touch those in your church, school, work place or corner store. The purpose of the gifts of the Spirit is to bless others with the ability of the Holy Spirit. We are limited in our own natural ability, but when we yield to the ability of the Holy Spirit others will be edified.

SCRIPTURE MEMORY Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts.

I Corinthians 14:1

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Have you ever been used in the gifts of the Spirit? Was it in a church meeting, or somewhere else?

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. The gifts of the Spirit are the Spirits supernatural ability bestowed on an individual. O True O False 2. What are we to do about the gifts of the Spirit? Desire O Ignore O Deny 3. Every Christian can be used in the gifts of the Spirit. O True O False 4. The gifts of the Spirit can be used anywhere. O True O False

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LESSON 52: DOING YOUR PART

INTRODUCTION: 4 Can you imagine what it would be like if most of your body parts would shut down and only a few functioned properly? You would be suffering from a partial paralysis and that is what happens to the church when the members do not fulfill their part of the ministry. As each believer begins to fulfill what the Lord has called him to do, a wonderful thing happens: the church gets built. Ministry will not just happen in Christian meetings but it will happen at our schools, our places of work, in our homes and other nations as we reach out to others. As you begin to discover the gifts God has given you it will be a joy to wake up in the morning and know that God wants to use you as one of His ministers. Its time for you to begin to function in your gifts so you can fulfill the calling upon your life, and others can be blessed by your ministry. I. Every Christian has the potential to fulfill his calling. A. Understanding and releasing your potential is simply becoming yourself as God created you to be. B. You were created to fulfill a purpose, but it is up to you to take responsibility for your ability, because no one else can do it for you. C. The author Myles Monroe says that the greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life...life that fails to fulfill its purpose and potential. D. Your potential is the ability God has given you to do what He has called you to do. God never calls us to do something He has not given us the ability to achieve. E. Within every Christian is the potential, grace or ability to perform their God given tasks (I Cor. 15:10). II. Only the POTENTIAL to be yourself. A. Each of us has been designed to fulfill a specific task. B. Paul said that he was an apostle because that is what God said (Galatians 1:1). Neither he nor anyone else made him an apostle, nor did he pray himself into apostleship, but he humbled himself under Gods calling. C. This same principle applies to us all. It is not what we will, but it is only Gods will that matters . I have known people that wanted to be a prophet when it was Gods will for them to be a businessman and just help in ministry. D. We only have the POTENTIAL and grace to fulfill our own calling and not someone else's. Dont try and be some famous Christian leader, but be yourself.

NOTES

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LESSON 52: DOING YOUR PART

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III. There are three different stages to the one will of God. A. Once we discover our calling and the potential we possess there is still a journey of faith to fulfill our purpose. B. In Romans 12:2 Paul talks about the will of God being good, acceptable and perfect. These are not three separate directions we can choose, but levels of growth in the one will of God. C. John the apostle talks about these three levels of growth as children, young men and fathers (I John 2:12-14). In the will of God we must grow through these three different levels of growth to fulfill our FULL POTENTIAL. STAGES OF GROWTH
1) CHILDREN \ DEPENDENT: This is the place where we discover our calling, potential and ability. At this stage we are dependent on others. We are directed, nurtured, and encouraged by others. It is here where we begin to study and discover our gifts yet we are only in a place of training. The POTENTIAL PROBLEM at this stage is to become too dependent on others and never grow up into our calling. 2) YOUNG MEN \ INDEPENDENT: This is the place of stepping out and exercising or using our abilities. At this stage we begin to realize we can do what God has called us to do. We take hold of Gods ability and begin to bless others with it. No longer are we waiting for someone to tell us what to do because we know the will of God and how to release our God-given ability. The POTENTIAL PROBLEM at this stage is to become self-reliant, prideful and not work with others. 3) FATHERS \ INTERDEPENDENT: This is the place where our gifting begins to mature into a level of not only using our abilities but working with and helping others fulfill their callings. At this stage we become mature enough to see that we dont have everything it takes to get the job done. We learn to combine our potential and abilities with others to create something greater together. The POTENTIAL PROBLEM at this stage is to control others and not give them the freedom to be independent so they can discover themselves.

D. God wants us to become perfect or mature in our calling but it will take a journey of faith and perseverance. E. Whatever level you are at right now continue on till you reach your FULL POTENTIAL. IV. Simple keys for fulfilling your calling: A. KNOW YOUR CALLING - To know your calling is to have purpose and know the direction you are going. The will of God is what matters in life, and once we have a glimpse into that we can live life with purpose.

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NOTES

B. USE YOUR RESOURCES - To fulfill our calling we must use our resources. If you buy a clock and it says to use AA batteries then use them. Find the resources that pertain to your calling and use them so you will work right. C. 10CULTIVATE YOUR CALLING -To cultivate your calling you will have to carefully remove the influences and people who seek to choke your calling. Stay in an environment that is going to cause you to grow and not die (Mk. 4:18-19). D. 10GUARD YOUR CALLING- Paul told Timothy to guard his God given potential (II Tim. 1:14). Satan is constantly trying to use a multitude of circumstances, attitudes, things and people to devour your calling. You must be diligent to protect the calling of God on your life. E. 10SHARE YOUR CALLING - Your calling is given for the benefit of others and not only you. When we share our gifts it not only blesses others, but it increases our ability. We grow by exercising our gifts. F. LIMIT YOUR CALLING - You cannot do everything. You only have the potential to fulfill your particular calling. Be content to labor in the grace that you have been given. CONCLUSION: You have been created to do and accomplish the will of God. God has placed within you the potential to fulfill His calling. It is up to you to yield to the grace of God, so that He can use you to do your part. As you begin to do your part you will find great fulfillment and at the same time others will be blessed. To do this you will have to become responsible. Responsibility is taking your gifts and doing your part with them. If you dont, then no one else can. Its up to you to find your place and do your part.

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SCRIPTURE MEMORY By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove in vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but he grace of God with me. I Corinthians 15:10

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Every Christian has the __________________ to fulfill their calling. 2. You have the grace to accomplish: O Anything O Nothing O The will of God 3. List the three stages of growth: ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION Do you feel like you are fulfilling your potential? Are any of the simple keys missing in your life? How can you better align yourself to these simple keys?

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Appendix 1: Gifts of Christ

On the following pages you will find each of the five Gift of Christ as found in Ephesians 4:11 defined and described. APOSTLE
The word apostle means one sent forth. An apostle is sent forth by God to minister with God-given authority to be a builder of the church of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 3:10). Larry Krieder in his book 7 House to House gives four types of apostles: 1) The Original Twelve, Or Apostles Of The Lamb: The original twelve apostles are in a class of their own. No modern-day apostle can ever take the place of the original twelve (Luke 6:12). And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev. 21:14). 2) The James-type of apostle: James gave oversight to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. He seems to have basically stayed in one location (Acts 15:13; Acts 21:18). 3) The Paul-type of apostle: Paul was a traveling apostle who had been given authority and responsibility by the Lord for churches in various parts of the world (Eph. 1:1). 4) The Timothy-type of apostle: Timothy was sent by Paul for apostolic ministry to the Corinthian church. Paul sent other men who served with him to fulfill an apostolic role in certain situations. These were not necessarily apostles, but were part of an apostolic team. Defining current-day apostles and their function is not that easy. They may be church planters like the Paul-type, but do not necessarily have to, although in some way they will be involved in establishing the church. They may oversee sections of the body of Christ in their city, or region like a James-type. They may just be an apostolic team member like the Timothy-type. Whatever kind they are, they have been sent to build the church. It may be in another country as a missionary or in their own country. The apostle is just one of the five gifts in Ephesians 4:11 and it is not any more special nor important than any other. They do not have any authority over spiritual leaders in local churches, unless they are given that place. They may be spiritual leaders in a local church, but if not, they are to work with spiritual leaders in local churches to equip the saints to build the church. Current-day apostles do not have authority to write scriptures but they have been given insight into the scriptures concerning church planting and church structure. They are gifted with power to open new fields of ministry and with wisdom to establish the church.

PROPHET
The prophet is one who not only exercises the gift of prophecy, but who occupies a place of leadership ministry (Acts 11:27; 13:1-3). The Greek Lexical Aids to the New Testament says, New Testament prophets are for the Christian Church what Old Testament prophets were for Israel. They are messengers or communicators. The Eph. 4:11 prophet should not be confused with the Motivational Gift of prophecy (Rm. 12:6), which some believers have, or the Gift of the Spirit of prophecy (I Cor. 12:10) which is for all believers. There are two types of prophets

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who communicate to the New Testament Church. prophets:

They are Word prophets and Spirit

1) WORD PROPHETS: A Word prophet will be gifted with revelation knowledge in the word of God. This is different from the gift of teacher in that they will be more preachers of the word than instructors of the word. A Word prophet will be moved strongly by the Spirit to set forth a certain scriptural passage, in which instance the Spirit also provides a special boldness and power of communication. Judas and Silas were of this type (Acts 15:32). 2) SPIRIT PROPHETS: A Spirit prophet will be gifted with insight into the realm of the Spirit. This type of prophet was called a seer in the Old Testament. In the New Testament John who wrote the book of Revelations is a type of Spirit prophet. This type of prophet will be communicated to by dreams, visions, and even the audible voice of God. Dreams and visions are not limited to the prophet, but they are more frequent in their lives. Agabus in Acts 11:27-30 and Acts 21:10-14 was this type of prophet. By the Spirit he predicted a famine and saw that Paul would be imprisoned. In a sense all prophets are Word and Spirit prophets, but usually they will lean to one side stronger than the other. Prophets are to help equip the church to hear and know the voice of the Spirit.

EVANGELIST
Evangelist comes from the Greek word euangelistes, which is defined as one who proclaims good news. This is where we get the English word gospel. An evangelist is one who devotes himself entirely to preaching the gospel, especially the message of salvation. The clearest picture of an evangelist at work is found in Acts chapter eight, which describes the ministry of Philip, who is specifically called an evangelist (Acts 21:8). In Philips ministry we see two types of evangelism: multitude evangelism and One on One evangelism: 1) MULTITUDE EVANGELISM: In Acts 8:6 the Bible says that the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip. Philip was in the city of Samaria preaching Christ (vs. 5) to large groups of people. In this setting you see that there were miracles, deliverance's and healing (vs. 6-7). In this sort of evangelism multitudes are brought to Christ in a day. Billy Graham and Benny Hinn are examples of evangelists who minister in multitude evangelism. 2) ONE ON ONE EVANGELISM: In Acts 8:26 Philip left the multitude by the Spirits leading and evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch One on One. Philip, without anyone else being around, helped this man understand and receive Jesus as the Son of God (vs. 30-39). Most evangelists will do both Multitude evangelism and One on One evangelism. There are those whose ministries will be stronger in Multitude evangelism and others One on One. The evangelist is also to work with the spiritual leaders in local churches to help equip the saints to evangelize. Everyone is called to preach the gospel and the equipping of the evangelist will help the church become more effective in the task.

PASTOR
The Greek word translated pastor in Ephesians 4:11 could be literally translated a feeder and it is only found once here in the New Testament. This reveals the basic function of this gift,

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which is to feed the Lords sheep. In John chapter 21 while Jesus is talking to Peter we get a picture of the work of the pastor. 8 The Lord directed Peter to feed My lambs. Then the Lord asked Peter again, and after the affirmative response He exhorted him to tend My sheep. After the third time, He directed Peter to feed My sheep. Here the Lord is actually giving three different instructions to Peter. First to feed the lambs, then to tend the sheep, then to feed the sheep. 1) FEED MY LAMBS: Lambs are baby sheep and Jesus has given the pastoral gift for taking care of the babies. This is making sure the milk of the word is being fed to new Christians but also that there is sufficient ministry for children and youth. Pastoral care of new babes can be done through a foundational course, one-on-one discipleship or through small groups. It is the gift of the pastor to make sure follow up and nourishment of new sheep, children and youth are being done. 2) TEND MY SHEEP: 8To tend the sheep is to protect them from predators and parasites, nursing them when they become sick, breaking up fights etc., which are all typical of the modern pastors duties. Home visitation, hospital visits and counseling would be pastoral. 3) FEED MY SHEEP: The sheep need to be fed healthy and nutritious food. 8You cannot neglect the growth of the sheep to care for the lambs nor the lambs to care for the sheep, but you need balance. The pastor will be gifted to lead the sheep to green pastures and equip the sheep in the flock to help care for and give milk to the lambs.

TEACHER

Teachers are the fifth category of the gifts of Christ. The teacher is a distinct ministry indicated by the fact that there were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1). The Greek word for teacher could actually be translated as instructor. Because there seems to be an overlap of the pastor and teaching ministries many have concluded that Paul was addressing one ministry. Many times there is a combination of these gifts in a single person, but there are many gifted teachers who have little pastoring ability and vice versa. A teacher will be able to take the word of God and use it skillfully in laying down sound doctrine. Apollos is a good example of a teacher who was mighty in the Scriptures (Acts 18:2328). Paul the apostle was also called a teacher. The teachers focus will be instructing others in the word of God. They will equip the church to understand, study and teach others the word of God. The gift of teacher in (Eph. 4:11) and the gift of teaching in (Rom. 12:7) will differ in its authority and scope of ministry. Apollos not only stayed in one place, but also was used as an extra-local ministry to equip the church. The teaching gift of Romans 12:7 will usually be used only for the local church, or it could also be used in teaching school or in some other secular position. NOTE: This has not been an extensive outline of the gifts of Christ but is a general guide to help you see a picture of each gift. Each gift is distinct, yet some people will have a combination of the gifts of Christ working in their lives. For example, one may be a pastor/teacher or prophet/teacher. Paul was an apostle/teacher and preacher (II Timothy 1:11). Those who possess these gifts must work together in equipping the saints. They may be local spiritual leaders or an extra local ministry, but they have a responsibility to equip the saints with their gift.

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Appendix 2: Motivational Gifts

On the following pages you will find each of the Motivational Gifts as found in Romans 12:6-8 defined; then you will be given a list to help you see the qualities of those who possess each gift. PROPHECY
Like the gift of the prophet, the gift of prophecy is also a vocal gift. With this gift comes the ability to know the heart of God for situations and to sense spiritual things. These things can be shared with individuals or the whole congregation for encouragement, comfort and building up. Those who have this gift will find it very easy to operate in the manifestation of prophecy (I Cor. 12:10), although they do not have the authority or power of the gift of the prophet when they minister. POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) The ability to know the character and motives of people. 2) Directness and persuasiveness in speaking. 3) Will personally identify with peoples sin. POTENTIAL NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Too critical of others. 2) Comes across too harshly. 3) Can either be legalistic or too merciful. SERVICE Serving should be the attitude of all Christians, but there are those with the gift of service. They will be motivated by this gift to go to special lengths in helping to meet needs. POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Readiness to find and meet needs. 2) Meets needs quickly and is willing to go the extra mile. 3) Likes to do the job properly and well. POTENTIAL NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Can disregard priorities of family and self to serve others. 2) Inability to say no to projects. 3) Looks down on others who are not serving. TEACHING Like the gift of teacher (Ephesians 4:11), the teaching gift (Romans 12:7) will be involved in instructing others. With this gift comes the motivation to research and study in order to establish

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truth and use it to instruct others. This may be teaching the Bible to Christians or teaching children in a public school. POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Focuses on words being accurate in their definition and usage. 2) Finds pleasure in researching, organizing and presenting truth. 3) Presents truth in a systematic and orderly fashion. POTENTIAL NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) May become legalistic or non bending in scriptural interpretation or information. 2) Can become too dependent on resource material and not the Spirit. 3) Concern for facts can override the need for practical application. EXHORTATION An exhorter is someone who is motivated to encourage others. The work of the exhorter is that of arousing and motivating others to patient endurance, brotherly love and good works (Heb. 10:25). It is something every Christian should do, but there are those who are especially gifted to stimulate the faith of others and stir them to action by getting alongside, to encourage them. POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Looks at tribulation as positive, which can help produce maturity. 2) Works must follow faith; therefore, gives specific steps of action. 3) Sees the best in others and encourages them to continue. POTENTIAL NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Misunderstands why some wont follow simple instructions. 2) Can emphasis action and disregard sound doctrine and teaching. 3) Positive outlook can disregard reality sometimes. GIVING The giver is one who shares his possessions with others with great liberality. He is motivated with extraordinary generosity. All Christians should be givers, but those with the gift of giving will go beyond normal giving and will give with extraordinary liberality, even out of affliction and poverty. POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Looks for valid needs to give to which others might overlook. 2) Finds joy in meeting needs. 3) Desires a gift to be of high quality. POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Can give when the Holy Spirit is not directing. 2) Misplaces priorities (for ex. Can overlook own family to give to others). 3) Can manage finances poorly because too motivated to give.

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LEADING In the King James translation this word is called ruleth, and it means to stand before, to be over, or to rule. This gift is the motivation to coordinate the activities of others in order to achieve common goals. Those who administrate a business, home or activities in the church will need the gift of leading. POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Possess strong organizational skills and gets things done. 2) Sees the over-all picture, so goals and a plan can be made. 3) Finds fulfillment in finishing a task. POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Can be too overbearing and pushy with workers. 2) Desire to delegate may appear as avoiding work. 3) Focusing on getting the job done can lead to insensitivity. MERCY All believers have a responsibility to show mercy, but some will be motivated with the gift of mercy. They will be motivated to sincerely care for others by mentally and emotionally relating to their needs. POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Will genuinely care for others. 2) Accepts people the way they are without trying to change them. 3) Relates well with hurting people. POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CHARACTERISTICS: 1) Can become too involved with the problems of others. 2) Bases decisions on emotions instead of sound judgment. 3) May have a lack of firmness when dealing with problems. NOTES: Each of us has been given ONE MAIN motivational gifting. This does not mean that we will not operate in any of the other gifts, but it does mean that we will have one motivation that is the strongest and most evident in our lives. Its always good to remember the words of Kenneth Wuest who said, It is a wise man that stays within the sphere of service for which God has fitted him, not invading some other field of service for which he is not fitted. It is important that you exercise your gifts using them to bless others, but also that you work with those who have different gifts, so the body can function properly. Romans 12:9-16 gives us guidelines for the use of the gifts. Love, diligence, hope, perseverance, prayer, speaking well of and considering others are guidelines for the gifts. If we will follow these guidelines, then it will help us work together. Working together is just as important as using your personal gifts. If you are a hand, you need your fingers. Dont try and be someone else or be jealous of someone else, but use your gift to serve others and work together.

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Appendix 3: Gifts of the Spirit

On the following pages you find each of the gifts of the Spirit as found in I Corinthians 12:7-11 defined and examples given. THE GIFTS OF REVELATION
1) THE WORD OF WISDOM: The word of wisdom is the supernatural ability to know a part of the wisdom of God for a specific situation. The word of wisdom is not all of Gods wisdom revealed at once, but the portion of wisdom, which is needed at a specific time to meet a specific need. It is wisdom, which confounds the enemy and provides needed answers, guidance and direction. Example 1: In I Kings 3:16-23-28 Solomon was given a word of wisdom to discern and uncover the truth. Example 2: In Matthew 22:21 Jesus was given a word of wisdom in his answer concerning paying taxes. 2) THE WORD OF KNOWLEDGE: The word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation of a portion of Gods knowledge communicated to us by the Holy Spirit. It is a portion of Gods knowledge previously unknown, and given by the Holy Spirit to a believer. Which is precisely the insight needed at that moment. Example 1: In John 1:48 Jesus used the word of knowledge as a sign to Nathanael. Example 2: In Acts 5:1-7 Peter uses the word of knowledge to expose Ananias secret sin. 3) THE DISCERNING OF SPIRITS: Discerning of spirits is the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit which reveals spiritual sources. When this gift is manifested it will give the ability to know if something comes from God or the devil. It can give the ability to see angels, demons and visions from God. Example 1: In Acts 16:16,18 Paul discerned that the slave girl was speaking under the inspiration of a demon. Example 2: In II Kings 6:16-17 Elisha prayed that the Lord would open his servants eyes to see the angels and their heavenly horses and chariots.

THE GIFTS OF SPEAKING

4) VARIOUS KINDS OF TONGUES: The Bible gives three purposes for speaking in tongues in I Corinthians 14. A) Personal edification vs. 4. B) Corporate edification vs.5. C) A sign to unbelievers vs. 22.

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A) PERSONAL EDIFICATION: Tongues for personal edification is communication only between the believer and God (I Corinthains 14:2). This type of tongues is a devotional tool through which the believer can speak to God. It is the language of the Spirit (I Corinthains 14:2). We are told to pray in the spirit and to pray in our own understanding (I Cor. 14:15). Praying in tongues can aid us so we can pray in our own understanding more effectively. B) CORPORATE EDIFICATION: Tongues for corporate edification will be used with the gift of interpretation so that others can be edified (I Cor. 14:5). Tongues spoken publicly need an interpretation so that others can understand and be built up. C) A SIGN TO THE UNBELIEVER: In Acts 2:5-13 tongues were used as a sign to the unbeliever. When unbelievers see that a person can clearly and correctly articulate in a tongue (language) that he has never learned, and of which he does not naturally know a single syllable, it proves at once the supernatural origin of the utterance. Tongues are a sign (I Cor. 14:22) to the unbeliever that God is at work and He is real. 5) INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES: Though tongues and interpretation are separate gifts they cannot function properly without each other. When the gift of tongues is manifest within a meeting, it should always be followed by the gift of the interpretation of tongues (I Cor. 14:2728). The public use of tongues must be interpreted or kept silent (I Cor. 14:28). The interpretation of tongues is the ability to understand by the Holy Spirit what has been said in tongues. In Acts 2:11, when they heard them speaking in tongues, they heard or understood them speaking the wonderful works of God. When a person speaks in tongues then he is praying to God and the interpretation will be what has been prayed. This may not be a word for word translation, but it will be the heart of what has been said. 6) PROPHECY: The manifestation of prophecy is simply to speak. I Corinthians 14:3 says that prophecy is to speak words of edification, exhortation and consolation to people. Being used in the manifestation of prophecy has nothing to do with predicting the future, but it is speaking words inspired by the Spirit with which to bless others. It can be testifying to others about Jesus or giving a scripture by the inspiration of the Spirit during a meeting. This simple manifestation is for everyone to use (I Cor. 14:31). NOTE: Those who have the GIFT OF PROPHET (Ephesians 4:11) will also freely flow in the GIFT OF PROPHECY (Romans. 12:7). The MANIFESTATION OF PROPHECY (I Cor. 12:8) is the most basic and it only includes speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which can be done by all. Prophecy will also be used to speak forth the word of wisdom, word of knowledge and discerning of spirits.

THE GIFTS OF POWER

7) THE GIFT OF FAITH: This is not simply saving faith or living faith, but a special kind of faith which is faith as a gift. THE GIFT OF FAITH: This is not simply saving faith or living faith, but a special kind of faith which is faith as a gift. It is the God-given ability to trust God

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for the impossible. The manifestation of the gift of faith is a supernatural impartation of faith for a particular situation given by the Holy Spirit. When this gift is in operation it enables the possessor to sustain an unwavering trust in God for protection and provision of needs. Example 1: In I Kings 17:2-16 by the gift of faith Elijah was fed by raven morning and evening. He could do nothing to help himself, but had to simply believe the word of God. This supernatural trust in the word of God would provide him food. Faith of this order is the gift of God. Example 2: In the gift of faith the element of danger is often present when it operates as when the three Hebrew children were protected from the fire in Daniel 3:19-28. 8) THE GIFTS OF HEALING: 5 Nowhere in the New Testament is a person said to have the gift of healing. Certainly no one has had a ministry of healing every sick person. Jesus healed all who came to Him on some occasions, but He was limited on other occasions by lack of faith on the part of the people (Mt. 13:58). What is certain is that God has made provision that physical healing would be a ministry of His church, and that gifts of healing would operate. Healing is ministered in two ways: A) The PRAYER OF FAITH B) The GIFTS OF HEALING. A) PRAYER OF FAITH: James 5:15 talks about the spiritual leaders of the church praying over the sick so that God will heal them. Then in Mark 16:18 we are told that believers will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover. The prayer of faith is praying in faith that it is Gods desire to heal someone else or ourselves. Prayer should be made on behalf of the sick through praying or in combination with laying on of hands. Instant healing may not occur, but as the walk of faith is continued healing is possible. B) GIFTS OF HEALING: When the Holy Spirit manifest the gifts of healing instant healing will occur. Peter in Acts 3:6-8 by the gifts of healing took the lame man by the hands and pronounced healing to him. Jesus in the gospels healed many by speaking to them and laying hands on them. The gifts of healing are when the Holy Spirit manifest His healing power and the result will be healed and restored bodies. 9) WORKING OF MIRACLES: In working of miracles the supernatural power of God is manifested and the laws of nature are altered, suspended or controlled. Some examples are when Jesus turned the water into wine and fed five thousand people with five loaves and two little fish. Gods miracle working power is creative, while the gifts of healing are restorative. The gift of faith is God working for us and the working of miracles is Gods Spirit working through us. Moses was used in the working of miracles when he faced Pharaoh in Egypt.

NOTE: This is not an extensive teaching on the gifts of the Spirit, but serves as a general
guide to help you better understand how each of these gifts function.

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Appendix 4: Once Saved Always Saved?

There are two main theological streams of thought behind the term Once Saved Always Saved. The FIRST STREAM believes that once the believer has been saved his salvation can never be lost no matter what moral state the person continues to live in. This stream of thought can produce a false security making people think they are not accountable for acts of sin. The SECOND STREAM believes that a person can lose his or her salvation through disobedience and come back under the judgment of eternal damnation. This type of teaching will produce helplessness in the believers relationship towards God causing them to give up on God all together, since they believe God has given up on them because of their sinful lifestyles. It is important that we reconcile these two streams of thought because there is truth in both views, but if we take either view to an extreme we wind up in error and destructive lifestyles. Above all else in our Christian life, we must have a foundation on which to live our faith and that foundation is Christ. We can be totally assured and confident that if we put faith in Him then we have been forgiven and judged for sin and have received eternal life. Christ Himself said, He who believes in the Son has eternal life (John 3:36). The key aspect is our continued walk of faith (Colossians 1:23). Believing with our hearts and confessing with our mouths Jesus Christ as our Lord, is not a one-time act, but a continued trusting and abiding relationship. Is it possible for the believer to lose faith and therefore lose his salvation? There are some scriptures, which seem to indicate the possibility. One such scripture is Hebrews 3:12 which tells us to take carelest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. It goes on to tell us that the root cause of this hardened heart is a result of continued acts of sin. A classic biblical example would be the immorality going on in the Corinthian church, which Paul addressed in Chapter 5 of I Corinthians. Paul addressed two subjects here; concern for the sinning individuals salvation and concern for the safety and holiness of the church. Paul was first of all concerned for this believers salvation. Evidently this believer had been confronted for his sin according to the biblical mandate laid out by Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:15-18 and by Paul in Galatians 6:1. Obviously he had refused to repent and get reconciled with God; therefore Paul instructed the leaders of the church in Corinth, along with him, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved (I Corinthians 5:5). Pauls ultimate goal was the restoration of this persons faith. We see in II Corinthians that in this case his goal was accomplished. It was Paul who wrote, know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Ephesians 5:5). This is speaking of more than just dealing with a habit of sin with which we all struggle. This is speaking of living in a continued practice of sin with no conviction of the Holy Spirit. The apostle John in his first epistle the third chapter says v. 6 No one who abides in Him sins, but in v.8 it says, The one who practices sin is of the devil. Then in v.9 he declares, No one who is born of God practices sin, because he is born of God. An exact rendering of v. 9 in the Greek says, He cannot continue in sin. If we have the Holy Spirit within us, which all believers do, then when we sin the Spirit will convict us. By not responding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit our hearts grow hard and our faith is weakened. This breaks our fellowship with God and also with His body the church.

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I dont see any evidence in scripture where we can know for certainty if an individual can lose his or her salvation. Paul told Timothy the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knows those who are His We may not be 100% sure of a persons eternal destiny but God knows. I believe Paul is silent on the area of speaking concerning a persons eternal salvation because it is an area, which only God and the individual believer knows. Paul instructed the Corinthians to treat this man whom they eventually excluded from the fellowship as an unbeliever. Did Paul ever say he lost his eternal salvation? No. What about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-9? Though they were killed because of an act of sin, we are given no hint as to their eternal state. The Bible does speak of Judas the apostles damnation by calling him the son of perdition and we have the story of the rich man and Lazarus, however other than these we have no other text where the eternal state of an individual is made known. We have every right to judge those within the church. I am not talking about in a critical way, but we must hold one another accountable to the standard of faith laid out in Gods word. Scripture calls for the safety and holiness of the church, which the elders are commanded to oversee and protect (I Peter 5:2). We can know by fruit those who belong in the church, however to sentence someone to eternal damnation is something only God can do. According to Matthew 18 church leaders have been given the authority to allow people in and out of the church, but to allow people in heaven is Gods right alone. The key to eternal security is faith. All of the scriptures, which speak of our eternal security, also speak of the condition of abiding faith in Christ being met. In Hebrews 10:26-39 it speaks of a believer living in a lifestyle of sin. In this scripture it is obvious that the believer can come back under the judgment of God, however it is not clear if this is a judgment to eternal damnation. This judgment would first of all be the present day judgment of the believer to bring them back to the solid foundation of faith in Christ. If this person refuses to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit before his physical death and return to faith in Christ, we would have to question if this person ever had a genuine conversion to Christ in the first place. The Bible speaks of only one unforgivable sin and that is the sin of unbelief. It is the sin of blaspheming or refusing the Holy Spirit who brings the conviction of faith in Christ to our hearts (Matt. 12:31-32). It is rejecting the testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning the Son of God. The Spirit and the Word of God testify that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. If we reject that testimony then our eternal damnation is assured. One thing is clear in scripture and it is that faith in Christ is the only pathway to enter heaven. Those who truly believe are identified with the judgment of sin, which Christ received. In Jesus parable about the workers in the vineyard, He shows us that it is not when we come into the kingdom, which determines our reward. Those who have a genuine deathbed conversion, have just as much of a place in the kingdom, as those who have walked their whole lives by faith (Matthew 20:1-16). In the parable about the prodigal son we see that though the son lost all because of his sinful lifestyle, when he humbled himself in repentance he was restored to fellowship with the Father. This has a lot of resemblance to I Corinthians 3:15 where Paul said that certain believers works would be burned; yet they would be saved. The fire of Gods present-day judgment upon the believer is designed to turn their hearts back in faith to the one true way of salvation in Jesus Christ and stay in fellowship with the Father.

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SECTION I: Bibliography
1) David Blomgren, Prophetic Gatherings In The Church, (Portland, OR), Pg. 15. 2) Kevin J. Conner, The Foundations of Christian Doctrine, (Portland, OR), Pg. 4. 3) G.P. Duffield/N.M. Van Cleave, Foundations Of Pentecostal Theology, (LA, Cal.), Pg. 86. 4) Rick Joyner, Overcoming The Religious Spirit, (Charlotte, North Carolina), Pg. 12. 5) Neil T. Anderson, The Bondage Breaker, (Ventura, California). 6) Rick Joyner, The Journey Begins, (Charlotte, North Carolina), Pg. 13, 23. 7) Shady Grove Publications, Baptisms, (Grand Prairie, Texas), Pg. 1. 8) Randy Clark, The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit, (St. Louis, Missouri), Pg. 1, 2, 4. 9) David Pawson, The Second Coming, (Tonbridge, Kent, England), Pg. 53, 54. 10) Mike Petzer, Judgment, Pg. 3, 7, 31. 11) Clarence Larkin, Rightly Dividing The Word, (Glenside, Pennsylvania), Pg. 151. 12) Charles Simpson, The Spirit Filled Bible, Pg. 27. 13) New Geneva Study Bible, Pg. 1823.

SECTION II: Bibliography

1) Rick Joyner, Morning Star Journal, Vol. 3, No. 3: The Habitation of God (Charlotte, North Carolina), Pg. 44. 2) Kelly Varner, The More Excellent Ministry, (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania), Pg. 28-29. 3) Richard Booker, The Miracle of The Scarlet Thread, (Shippensburg, Pennsylvania), Pg. 78. 4) Mike Bickle, Apostolic Intercession.

SECTION III: Bibliography

1) John Wimber, Kingdom Come, (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Vine Books), Pg. 14, 16, 29. 2) G.H. Lang, The Parobolic Teaching Of Scripture, (Grand Rapids, Michigan), Pg. 19. 3) George E. Ladd, The Gospel Of The Kingdom, (Grand Rapids, Michigan), Pg. 17, 101. 4) Larry Kreider, Called To Minister, (Ephrata, Pennsylvania), Pg. 8. 5) Guy Duffield/N.M. Van Cleave, Foundations Of Pentecostal Theology, (Los Angeles, California), Pg. 429, 333. 6) Carlton Kenney, His Rule In His Church, (Pineville, North Carolina), Pg. 57. 7) Larry Kreider, House To House, (Ephrata, PennsylVania), Pg. 146. 8) Rick Joyner, Mobilizing The Army Of God, (Springdale, Pennsylvania), Pg. 67. 9) The Spirit Filled Bible, Pg. 1735 10) Miles Monroe, Releasing Your Potential, (Shippensburg, Pennsylavaia), Pg. 30,31.

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