Monday August 4, 2014

 Coming Up: Sonday August 10, 2014

Romans 8:18-39. The Future With Jesus.

 Read Romans 8:18-21

The world is in the grip of a phenomenon that we might call “enjoy now - pay later”. All sorts of companies from car companies to electrical household manufacturers to furniture companies are offering you their goods for free. All you have to do is agree to pay for it later. You can enjoy almost anything now and pay for it later. Some companies are even giving up to 60 months of freedom before you have to pay. The general consensus among the population is that waiting for something is bad. The advice given freely by a majority is to enjoy now and pay later.

This phenomenon parallels what is happening spiritually in the world. Satan has so deceived the world to think they can enjoy everything now without paying. Satan shares with the world the joys of self indulgence but never shares the cost that has to be paid when Jesus returns. Ouch! 

Christianity is somewhat flipped over and opposite to the state of the world. Rather than indulging in the best now and worrying about payment later, we wait for later to enjoy our best, even though Christ has paid the cost in full.  We wait for the glory to be revealed in us when Christ returns. A part of that waiting entails suffering as we follow in Jesus’ footsteps. The mere fact that we refuse to indulge our sensual pleasures in wanton living assures us of persecution. The fact that we choose to live by the Spirit and by that same Spirit to put to death the misdeeds of the body means that the world will be convicted and they’ll persecute us. But we wait in hope, knowing that the glory that will be revealed in us will far outweigh any suffering we face in the present. A person going to an all you can eat feast will gladly suffer missing breakfast and lunch in anticipation of that wonderful feast. Our heavenly feast is coming and we may have to suffer missing out on some things of this world.

In fact, all creation suffers with us. All creation waits with eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. Creation groans while it waits for its own liberation and freedom from bondage. Now is a time of decay and corruption but it’s filled with anticipation of the decay-free, corruption-free new creation. Interestingly, the evolutionist says that the world is getting better and moving uphill. They argue that everything is moving forward in improvement as it evolves but reality and data suggest otherwise. What we see around us is not improvement but decay and corruption. The world doesn’t seem to be getting any better, only worse.

One day the current creation will be removed and the new creation will be ushered in. Together with the Children of God, creation will be ushered into glorious freedom.

The best is yet to come. The new creation will be free from decay and corruption. We will know no death or dying or mourning or weeping or tears. It will know only the glorious freedom won by Christ at Calvary.

Prayer:

Having read today’s passage and notes jot down various prayer points in each:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

¨ Pray that the work of Student Life across Australia will bring many to Christ in repentance and faith. Pray for all the human and non human resources needed.

¨ Pray for the work of Uni-Impact in NZ as well.

 Worship Moment:

Worship is a life of indulging in God rather than in self.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Share what suffering you have faced for Jesus’ sake. Share how you persevered.

2. How does focussing on the glory to be revealed in us help us walk victoriously through suffering?

3. How are we called to conduct ourselves through suffering? Use Bible verses to help you answer.

4. What is the point of suffering?

 Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro: Being a Christian has good points and not so good points. Sometimes we may face persecution or trouble for being Christian.

Discuss how you have faced this in your own life. Share the story and the outcome.

Read John 16:33.

Why does the world persecute Jesus’ followers?

What does Jesus promise us in all of this?

What kind of persecution could you face in your life?

Pray together  for a Jesus like character, especially in tough times.

 Discipleship Moment For Boys

Intro: Sometimes it’s easier to fight than to walk away. But when we follow Jesus fighting is not an option if we are persecuted for our faith.

Discuss a time when you were persecuted for your faith and how you reacted.

Read John 16:33.

Why does the world persecute Jesus’ followers?

What does Jesus promise us in all of this?

What kind of persecution could you face in your life?

Pray together for a Jesus like character, especially in tough times.

Saturday August 2, 2014

Read Romans 8:15-17

We talked yesterday about worldly freedom and biblical freedom. We touched on Galatians 5:13. I wonder if you can remember what that verse teaches?

Picture if you will a so called believer who attends church regularly but throughout the week is a tight fisted, ungenerous man who berates and ridicules his work mates and speaks crudely to them and about them. How does the world see this man and, more importantly, how do they see God through this man?

Before we begin to answer the somewhat obvious, think firstly about what vs15-17 teach us. In verse 14 we are told that we are Sons of God. God is our heavenly Father who adopted us to Himself through the death and resurrection of His one and only legitimate Son, Jesus. The adoption papers were signed in Jesus’ blood. We have the Spirit in us, who allows us to call the Great God Almighty, the holy and righteous God, Daddy! We can come to God with all the intimacy of a young daughter coming to her beloved and trusted Dad. Even more so, the Spirit testifies and confirms to our own spirit that we are Children of God. More than that, He confirms to us that we are Co-heirs with Christ.

Now let’s go back to what the world sees. If the world is going to be drawn to God in adoration/worship then it needs to see the character and personality of God. Rightly or wrongly, the world will see God through us and they will form an opinion of God based on what they see in us! What the world needs to see is our heavenly Dad in all His intimacy, generosity and other centeredness. The world needs to see the purity and holiness of God through and in us. If we live like the fellow described above, the world will be turned away from God. If we fail to love other Christians, that will smear the reputation of God in the world’s eyes. If we are stingy or tight fisted, that paints a particular picture of God. If we are selfish or arrogant the world will walk away from God.

Rightly or wrongly, the world judges God by what it sees in us, His children. Our lives can push people away or draw them to God. When we relate to God as Abba Father, as our Daddy, with all the intimacy that this word entails it’s very hard to then live a contrary life. If we are intimate with God then that intimacy will flow outwards into our treatment of others, our generosity and our general conduct in the world.

To achieve this, you and I need to make uninterrupted, unhurried and regular time with God where we can be intimate with Him. We need time and space to weep in God’s presence, to laugh and sing and cry and complain. We need to have time to listen to Him through the Word, to meditate and to respond in song, in praise, in weeping and repentance as needed. As you immerse yourself in your heavenly Dad, the world will be drawn to Christ.

Sonday Church is a time to gather together with your heavenly Dad. Why would you want to be anywhere else?

Prayer:

Having read today’s passage and notes jot down various prayer points in each:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

¨ Pray that tomorrow’s service will be glorifying to God and edifying to the saints.

¨ Pray that any non believers present would be converted to Christ by God’s grace and mercy.

  

The STAY Prayer

If you are not sure whether or not you are Spirit filled or if you have never made a decision to follow Jesus then you can pray this prayer. Remember to tell someone that you have prayed this prayer.

Each letter of the STAY prayer helps us to remember what to say to God. But remember that everything we say must come from the heart.

S stands for sorry. We need to tell God we are truly sorry for rejecting him, for living apart from him and for trying to be our own boss.

Eg; Lord God Almighty, I sincerely apologies for rejecting you, for living apart from you and for trying to be my own boss. I ask you lord God to forgive me for everything I’ve done, said or thought that displeases you.

T stands for Thank you. We need thank God that Jesus died on the cross and rose to eternal life for us personally and to pay for everything we’ve done that displeases God.

Eg: Lord I praise and thank You that Jesus died on the cross to fully pay for all my sins. I thank you that he rose to eternal life for me personally. I thank you that everything needed for me to be saved has been done by Jesus at the cross.

A stands for Ask. We need to ask God into our life through the Holy Spirit knowing that He will dwell in our hearts from this moment on.

Eg: And so Lord God I ask you to dwell in me, to be my captain and Lord. I ask you to lead me and show me how to live in every area of my life so that I can bring glory and honour to you in all things.

Ystands for Yippee!  We need to praise God for saving us and we need to dedicate our lives to Him.

Eg; Father God, I praise you and thank you for saving me and for giving me eternal life through your Spirit. I dedicate every part of my life to you from this moment on.   In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Walk Moment:

Your life paints a picture of God to the world. It can be a good or bad picture. You decide which one it is.

 Discussion Questions

1. Describe when you meet with your Heavenly Dad and what that time looks like.

2. How can you counsel the believer who says she has no time to spend with God?

3. How can you grow in intimacy with God?

4. What elements make for a ‘deep’ and ‘rich’ prayer life?

 Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro: Each of us has a relationship with God. What that relationship looks like depends largely on us and how we treat God.

Discuss what your relationship with God looks like at present and how you would like it to look.

Read Isaiah 55:6-7

What does God want us to do?

How can we do this better?

How can we grow in intimacy with God?

Pray together that you would have a rich and deep relationship with God.

 Discipleship Moment For Boys

Intro: Boys aren’t always good at relationships. Sometimes we struggle to know what to do or to say. Our relationship with God takes a lot of work and practice. 

Discuss what your relationship with God looks like at present and how you would like it to look.

Read Isaiah 55:6-7

What does God want us to do?

How can we do this better?

How can we grow in our relationship with God?

Pray together that you would have a rich and deep relationship with God.

 Suggestions for Cell

 Welcome and Catch-up time

Word:

             Read Romans 8:1-17

Worship

The leader can choose songs or have the group choose favourites.

             Prayer Time.

As people share prayer points encourage them to also share how they would like prayer based on Romans 8:1-17.

Word & Walk.

Discuss as a group.

Is everyone certain that they are Spirit filled? Discuss and go through STAY prayer if needed.

How would you sum up the main point of this week’s passage?

What caught your attention in Romans 8:1-17? Why?

What challenges did you face in the reading notes this week?

Read the notes for Saturday August 2 and do the Discussion questions.

Witness

Let each person share who they are seeking to witness to about Jesus and spend time as a group praying for all the people mentioned, for open doors to share and for conversions.

Friday August 1, 2014

Read Romans 8:12-14

The world thinks of freedom as the power or ability to do whatever one pleases. The world seems to think that freedom is the right to self rule and to make decisions for one self based on one’s needs and desires. Freedom is the right to take a holiday when desired. Freedom is the right to shop where ever one wants. Freedom is the right to read whatever one desires, or to look at whatever one wishes on TV or the internet. Freedom is the right to do whatever feels good.

While some of these notions are certainly implicit in freedom, we have seen some terrible trends in the world. Violence has increased. Perversity has risen. Drug, alcohol and other substance dependence has sky rocketed. Depression and mental illness has increased. And in all of these things, the age at which they occur has dropped dramatically to serious lows. Professionals are now dealing with children aged as young as 6 or 7 performing indecent acts on others, drinking excessively and abusing drugs. Freedom has not delivered!

Biblical freedom is a totally different. Biblical freedom is the freedom to die to self and to serve God. The kind of freedom described in the Bible is the kind of freedom that allows us to serve others and to put our own needs at the bottom of the pile. It allows us to joyously give up things that God hates and that hurt or offend others.

 Biblical freedom allows us to put to death the misdeeds of the body - even if they feel good or bring us quick and instant pleasure. This kind of freedom gives us the strength and character to say ‘No’ to things and acts that are immoral or displeasing to God. This kind of freedom empowers us to say ‘yes’ to those things that build up others, bless others and bring glory to God, even if they cause us to miss out or to have less. Galatians 5:13 captures it so well.

             Galatians 5:13 (NIV84)

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Biblical freedom is a Spirit-filled and Spirit driven freedom that leads us towards eternal life, not eternal death. At times it means we may be taken down the narrow road, even as we watch the world run down the wide, multi-lane super highway. It may mean going without, denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Jesus in paths that the world would never take. 

When the world sees our freedom in Christ they should see Jesus, not hypocrites! If we use our freedom to indulge the sinful nature, that’s exactly what the world will see and they will be pushed away from Christ. But if they see us joyfully loving each other and putting others’ needs above our own, they will be powerfully drawn to worship our Lord and Saviour.

Prayer:

Having read today’s passage and notes jot down various prayer points in each:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

¨ Youth group meets tonight. Pray that they would grow in Christ-likeness, in depth of knowledge and insight. Pray for a growth in love and compassion for the needy and the lost.

¨ Pray that our youth leaders would teach the Bible clearly but also that they would live it out and model their teaching day by day.

 Witness Moment:

If the world sees us living as hypocrites, they’ll never come to Christ for salvation. They need to see His character and personality in our lives before they’ll be attracted to Him.

 Discussion Questions

1. How does the Spirit help us to put to death the misdeeds of the body?

2. Explain what role you have in this and what role the Spirit has?

3. What does verse 12 mean when it talks about our obligation?

4. How do you counsel a believer who wants to continue in their sin under the pretext of being free in Christ?

 Discipleship Moment For Girls

Intro: The daily battle with the sinful nature and our desires is won by the power of  the Spirit.

Discuss: If you can remember a time when the Spirit helped you in a particular struggle share that story.

Read Galatians 5:22-25

What fruit is produced by the Spirit in us?

How can we help that fruit grow?

What can we do to stay in step with the Spirit?

Pray together For daily victory and for remaining in step with the Spirit.

 Discipleship Moment For Boys

Intro: We will never win the flesh battle by ourselves. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit. Only through Him can we win the battle.

Discuss: If you can remember a time when the Spirit helped you in a particular struggle share that story.

Read Galatians 5:22-25

What fruit is produced by the Spirit in us?

How can we help that fruit grow?

What can we do to stay in step with the Spirit?

Pray together For daily victory and for remaining in step with the Spirit.