Saturday May 31, 2014

Read Romans 3:20

In action movies the climax is always the greatest and most intense battle between the hero and the protagonist.  This is where bombs explode, fights are won and crashes occur in their multitude. We sit on the edge of our seats waiting to see who will win the battle.

As Paul reaches his climax in chapters 1-3 he highlights not a victory but the major problem that he’s been working at since chapter 1. That climax is stated clearly and concisely in Romans 3:20.

Romans 3:20 (NIV84)

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

What is Paul’s climactic conclusion? No person in the world (past, present or future) can be made right with God by living out the law. What Paul is saying is that no one is good enough to merit their own salvation. No one is good enough so that God will automatically open the pearly gates for them on the day of judgement. This was an incredible slap in the face to the Jews as they thought having the law and keeping the law made them righteous in God’s eyes. It’s a slap in the face too for all the good people in the world who think they’ll be right with God when they die because they’ve never done anything really bad. There may be good people in the world but there’s no one good enough!

The law also has another function. It serves to make us conscious of sin. As Martin Luther the great reformer said in The Bondage of the Will, ‘By the law is the knowledge of sin [Rom 3:20] so the word of grace comes only to those who are distressed by a sense of sin and tempted to despair’. When we become conscious of sin the solution is not to list our good points or to lie to ourselves that we are ‘good people’, but to run to God and to embrace His grace in Christ Jesus. The solution to being conscious of sin can only be found in Christ Jesus. Have you come to Christ Jesus to deal with the sin problem?

Prayer:

Given today’s reading jot down your own prayer points:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks

Supplication:

¥ Pray that as the Word is preached in your church tomorrow that many people will come to Christ in repentance and faith to overcome the sin problem.

¥ Pray that the service tomorrow in your church will edify believers and equip them to live a life of faith. Pray that the preacher and those involved would be filled with the Spirit and able to lead, preach, sing etc boldly and without intimidation. Pray that God would be honoured and glorified.

 Walk Moment:

Christians can be tempted to fixate on their sin and become depressed or introverted. Satan will use this to stifle our gospel light. The antidote is to dwell on the gospel of grace and not our sinfulness.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What role should guilt play in the Christian life?

2. Can you see a difference between good guilt and bad guilt?

3. The world finds talk of sin offensive and even worse, being told that they themselves are sinful! How do we then incorporate talk of sin into our gospel presentation?

4. What happens to the gospel if talk of sin is left out?

Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro: Ask who is the hunkiest or best star you can think of at the moment.  You might know all about that person and have all the posters etc but without a relationship with that person  it really boils down to nothing. What matters is a relationship. It’s the same with God.

Share: if possible, how you came to be in a relationship with Jesus. 

Read Matthew 23:25-26.

Why do you think Jesus cares about our insides as well as our outsides?

Which is more important, the outside of a person or the inside? Discuss.

Pray: for a growing purity on the inside, in our hearts where it really matters.

 Discipleship Moment For Boys

Sometimes we try to look really cool in front of our mates. Sometimes we want to impress them. And it’s great when everyone is impressed with what we do or say. But Jesus looks on the inside not just the outside.  If we want to impress Jesus, it needs to come from deep within.

Share: how you’ve tried to impress others but failed.

Read Matthew 23:25-26.

Why do you think Jesus cares about our insides as well as our outsides?

Which is more important, the outside of a person or the inside? Discuss.

Pray: for a growing purity on the inside, in our hearts where it really matters.

Friday May 30, 2014

Read Romans 3:9-19

It dings our pride to talk about sin but even more so, it hurts us to talk about ourselves and our loved ones in the same sentence as sin. We like to think of ourselves and our loved ones as being ‘good people’. In fact, this sin problem hurts so much and is so distasteful that we can find ourselves comparing ourselves to others thinking that we are ‘good people’ because we don’t live or act like them. Our bench mark has conveniently moved from the Word of God to the way others act. We feel justified in thinking of ourselves as ‘good people’. Some churches are so disgusted by this sin problem that they refuse to mention or talk about sin. Their sermons are froth and bubble, lovey-dovey, feel good sermons based around the ‘God is love’ idiom.

Paul bursts this bubble in verse 9. He asks if we (probably a reference to Jewish nation in general) are any better and resoundingly concludes ‘No, not at all!’ All peoples, Jew and Gentile alike, are under the problem of sin. No one has or can escape the issue of sin.

To make his point, Paul uses the Old Testament and introduces wave after wave of Old Testament quotation. In verses 10-12 he quotes Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3 and Ecclesiastes 7:20. In verse 13 he quotes Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3. In verse 14 he quotes Psalm 10:7. In verse 15-17 he uses Isaiah 59:7-8 and finishes with Psalm 36:1. Paul is not just showing off his Old Testament knowledge. What he’s doing is overwhelming the readers with Old Testament proof that every person - Jew and Gentile alike - is under the power of sin and needs rescuing from the consequences of sin.

Verse 19 holds out the conclusion - the whole world is silenced and everyone will be held accountable to God. No one can escape the all-seeing eye of God and no one has any excuse for their sinfulness and rebellion against God.

We started by stating that talking about our sin dings our pride. That is true. We need to realise that talking about our sin is only half the discussion. The rest of the discussion focuses on the love of God and how much He did for us at Calvary in Christ Jesus. The full discussion humbles us and causes us to realise that we are immensely loved even though we don’t deserve that love. Growth away from the sin problem comes as we focus on the cross with full recognition of our sinfulness. 

Prayer:

Given today’s reading jot down your own prayer points:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks

Supplication:

¥ Pray that Sonday’s church service will glorify God and edify the believers. Pray that there would be a growing recognition of the sin problem and that people would turn to the cross and focus on it.  Ask God to grow your church’s love for Him, understanding of His grace and mercy and that the church would respond appropriately to that love shown in Christ Jesus.

¥ Pray that the youth would grow in appreciation and understanding of that love as they meet tonight and study the Word together. Pray that each youth group member would understand and grow in the love of Christ.

Witness Moment:

When unbelieving people are not told about the sin problem they really have no reason to come to God. Those who do come to God might come to Him for wrong reasons. Talking about sin is vital in our gospel sharing.

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Why do you think Paul uses so many Old Testament quotes in Romans 3:10-18?

2. What would be a gentle and loving way to respond to a non believer who says that they are a good person and that they don’t need religion because they’ve never done anything really bad?

3. What can you do to help a believer who is loaded down with guilt about past sins?

Discipleship Moment For Girls

When you love someone you can show that love in your head (in the way that you think about that person), in your heart (the way that you feel towards that person) and in your hands (the way that you treat that person). Faith in Jesus is the same. It affects our head, heart and hands.

Share: how your head, heart and hands are involved in loving Jesus.

Read James 2:14-26

Can you find evidence of faith in the head, heart and hands in this passage?

What is God saying about faith in this passage in terms of the head, heart an and hands?

Can you summarise James 2:14-26 in your own words?

Pray: for a growing and deepening faith that is in your head, heart and hands. 

  Discipleship Moment For Boys

The best athletes, soldiers and sports men are those who use their head (in the way that they think), their  heart (the way that they feel) and their hands (the way that they act).  Faith in Jesus is the same. It requires our head, heart and hands.

Share: how your head, heart and hands are involved in loving and serving Jesus.

Read James 2:14-26

Can you find evidence of faith in the head, heart and hands in this passage?

What is God saying about faith in this passage in terms of the head, heart an and hands?

Can you summarise James 2:14-26 in your own words?

Pray: for a growing and deepening faith that is in your head, heart and hands. 

Thursday May 29, 2014

Read Romans 3:5-8

To make a convincing argument or case it’s a good idea to anticipate and to deal with possible objections before they are raised. This is exactly what Paul does in Romans 3:5-8.

Someone could possibly argue that if our unrighteous lifestyle brings out and highlights God’s righteousness then He is unjust in judging us! Paul responds with a very strong  negative (mh genoito in the Greek) which could be translated as a very forceful “God forbid!” Paul’s rhetorical response is to ask, ‘If that were so, how could God judge the world?’

Others may argue that if my lies and falsehood bring glory to God when He judges then how can He condemn me as a sinner? Paul argues that this is tantamount to saying that we should do evil so that good can come out of it. In fact, some were saying that this is exactly what Paul preached! The conclusion is damning: Their condemnation is well deserved! Paul, and for that matter God, has no time for such ridiculous arguments.

These kinds of counter arguments to God’s judgement are the type of arguments we would expect from non-believers and mockers. But the sobering reality is that God is speaking to the church, not to non-believers. He is anticipating these objections from within the church!

The bottom line is simple. There is no argument against God’s judgement. It will prove to be fair, right and perfectly just. No one will have an answer to sway or explain away God’s judgement. That means that each one of us must be ready to face God’s judgement and there is only one way to be ready.

As will be revealed next week, we can only be ready by placing our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who lived a perfect life for us and died under the curse of God for our short fall. He suffered as our substitute and wore the full judgement of God in our place. When we place our faith in Jesus, God accepts the payment made by Jesus on our behalf and transfers His righteousness to our account. God then agrees to deal with us as though we are perfectly righteous. Even more so, God chooses to adopt us into His family as beloved children. God lavishes us with love and abides with us when we place our faith in Jesus. Have you placed your faith in Jesus?

Prayer:

Given today’s reading jot down your own prayer points:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks

Supplication:

¥ Pray that your church’s service on Sonday would be glorifying to the Lord and edifying to the saints even though it’s a difficult topic coming up. Pray that the preacher would be well prepared and Spirit filled. Pray this too for those involved throughout the entire service.

¥ Pray that you would have opportunity to share the love of Christ with unbelievers in your world. Pray that your testimony to Christ would bring many to Him in repentance and faith.

 Worship Moment:

Placing our faith in Jesus includes our head, heart and hands. We make the decision in our head, love Him in our heart and serve Him with our hands because of all He’s done for us.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What does it mean to put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?

2. A non believer comes to you and says, ‘I want to put my faith in Jesus, what should I do?’ How do you respond?

3. What should you do when the above person has put their faith in Jesus?

Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro: Relationships can cause us the most pain and the most joy in life. They are hard work but with the right kind of work, they fill us with immense joy. 

Share: your own experience of a relationship that was positive and one that was negative.  Share how you relate to God.

Read James 4:7-8

In what ways can we draw near to God?

In what ways does the devil tempt us?

In what ways can we resist the devil?

What does it mean to wash our hands?

How can we purify our heart? 

Pray together;  for a growing relationship with God. 

Discipleship Moment For Boys

Intro: We all need good mates because mates can lead us on good or bad roads. God wants to be more than our mate, He wants to be our best ever friend and King.

Share: your own experience of a good mate and a bad mate.

Read James 4:7-8

In what ways can we draw near to God?

In what ways does the devil tempt us?

In what ways can we resist the devil?

What does it mean to wash our hands?

How can we purify our heart? 

Pray together;  for a growing relationship with God. 

Wednesday May 28, 2014

Read Romans 1:16-17, 2:9, 3:1-4

Who is more guilty?  A small child about 5 years old sees a blue tablet on the table and decides to swallow it, thinking it’s a lolly. A teenager is handed a blue tablet by his peers and after much provocation swallows it. The tablet turns out to be an ecstasy tablet and the teenager in question knew very well what it was. Who is more guilty?

As Paul reaches the climax of his main point in Romans 1-3 he has to ask what advantage the Jews have if they too (see chapter 2) are under the power and problem of sin. The privilege, he tells us, is immense. The Jews have been given no less than the very Word of God. They have been blessed with the immense privilege of being given the Word of the Lord God Almighty! Like our teenager, they too knew what was given to them. They had a responsibility, a task, a job to do and they refused to do it. Like the rest of the world, Israel also fell short of meeting God’s standard but they did it with knowledge of God’s standard and desires (aka the Law or Torah).

Having been given this knowledge, Israel has proven to be “more” guilty by her fall. As we inherently know, those who have more knowledge have more expected of them. That’s why we keep reading that phrase, ‘first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.’ They were offered salvation first and because of their refusal to submit to God, they will be judged first.

God expects us to live according to our knowledge. God  teaches us and grows us and deepens our knowledge of Himself and His word over time and through that knowledge we grow in holiness and righteousness. The Bible uses the word sanctification to describe this process. Those church people who decry knowledge and want only heart stuff and experience have really missed the boat! You cannot grow in holiness without a prior growth in knowledge of God and that happens primarily by learning the Word of God.

But even so, on the Day of Judgement God will be proven right when He speaks and He will prevail when He judges, even if some are shown not to have faith. God will neither be mocked nor made a liar. He will be just and perfect in all His judgements. What a great incentive for us to learn more about God and to put that knowledge into practice.

Prayer:

Given today’s reading jot down your own prayer points:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks

Supplication:

¥ Pray that the cell or home groups in your church would be growing in knowledge of God and wisdom. Pray that this growth would lead to a deeper connection among the members and also in a growing desire to be holy and righteous in all things.

¥ Pray that each and every believer in your church would be immersed in the Word of God and would be growing in love, in depth of knowledge and understanding and also in their ability to be holy in all things. Pray that this holiness would draw many into Christ in repentance and faith especially those who come to your church but haven’t committed their lives to Christ.

 Word Moment:

As you read a book of the Bible keep an eye out for repetition. It’s not that God has writer’s block. He’s emphasizing something to make a point. Check out the repetition of words, phrases etc and be clued into what God is saying.

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Considering Australian society and our laws, can you think of areas where the principle of “the more you know the more responsible you are” is and isn’t applied. Is it fair or not to apply this principle to the law? Explain your answer.

2.  Can you think of other passages that teach or apply today’s principle?

3. A Christian once said, ‘If God asks more of me when I learn more then I am happy to remain ignorant.’ What is a biblical response to this?

Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro: When we are let down by our friends and family it really hurts, doesn’t it. Can you think of a time where you have been let down?

Share: Your own experience of being let down and how you dealt with it.

Read Psalm 41.

How do you think the Psalmist felt when he was let down by his friends?

The Psalm talks about Jesus and the way he was betrayed by Judas. How do you think Jesus felt when let down?

What can we do, according to the Psalm, when we re let down?

Pray together;  Ask God to strengthen you in times when you are let down so that you are able to keep loving that person. 

 Discipleship Moment For Boys

Intro: In battle a good army unity keeps watch over each other. Real life threatening danger occurs when one soldier doesn’t keep watch over the others. Team work is essential.

Share: Your own experience of being let down in a team situation.

Read Psalm 41.

How do you think the Psalmist felt when he was let down by his friends?

The Psalm talks about Jesus and the way he was betrayed by Judas. How do you think Jesus felt when let down?

What can we do, according to the Psalm, when we are let down?

Pray together;  Ask God to strengthen you in times when you are let down so that you are able to keep loving that person.