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> [!caution] This page contained a drawing which was not converted.
**Luke 12:13–21**
**13** Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the _family_ inheritance with me.”
**14** But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
**15** Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not _even_ when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”
**16** And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.
**17** “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’
**18** “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
**19** ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years _to come;_ take your ease, eat, drink _and_ be merry.” ’
**20** “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This _very_ night your soul is required of you; and _now_ who will own what you have prepared?’
**21** “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Bible Chapel of Shawnee
October 1st, 2017
Part of Life of Christ series
**Outline**
1. Question and Response (13-15)
1. Question from man in the crowd (v13)
2. Jesus cannot answer (v14)
3. Jesus warns against greed (v15)
1. Warning: be on your guard against greed
2. Reason: our lives never consist of our possessions
2. A Parable (16-20)
1. A rich man's land was productive (v16)
2. The rich man reasoned with himself what to do with the extra produce (v17)
3. The rich man decides to build bigger barns (v18)
4. The rich man comforts himself (v19)
5. God requires the rich man's soul that night (v20)
3. Summary (21)

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
February 4th, 2018
Galatians series
Lesson 2: Understand the situation
**Rhetorical theme**: Understand the situation.
**Full theme**: As a father with children, Paul wants the Galatians to understand their situation to prepare their hearts to return to living in the gospel of justification by faith.
1. Introduction
1. Come to the application part of Paul's teaching
1. Defended the gospel source
2. Defended the gospel truth
3. Now he's reinforcing how they can walk
2. Mostly struck a forceful, even harsh tone so far, but Paul is like a father
3. As a father myself:
1. I find myself being forceful to make sure Ethan understands
2. But, always wanting to show tenderness afterwards
1. I want him to succeed
2. I want a good relationship for the future
4. First lesson in 5:1-6
1. Understand the stakes
2. It's all freedom or all slavery
5. Now, the second lesson in 5:7-12
1. Understand the situation
2. It's serious, but definitely recoverable 3. How you got here (vv7-9)
1. Racing analogy - they started off well
1. Mixing analogies?
1. 5:1 - stand firm, things of the mind, doctrine, faith
2. 5:7 - running well, things of action, works
3. Not separate concepts--definitely intertwined
2. Hints in Galatians
1. 3:1-5
1. Hearing with faith
2. Suffer for faith
3. Miracles happening among them
2. 4:14-15
1. Received Paul well
2. Sense of blessing and sacrifice
3. 5:5-6
1. Wait for the hope of righteousness
2. Faith working in love
2. Current state
1. 1:6 - quickly deserting Christ
2. 3:1 - bewitched by someone
3. 5:2-4 - in danger of:
1. Christ of no benefit
2. Enslaved to entire Law
3. Severed from Christ
4. Fallen from grace
3. Active hindrance
1. Encouraging on one hand - if we're running well, we won't suddenly wake up some day and be on the wrong track
2. Warning on the other hand - watch out for deceivers, false teachers
1. Jesus warns of them - Matt. 7:15-16
2. Paul warns of them - 2 Cor. 11:12-15
3. Peter warns of them - 2 Pet. 2:1
4. John warns of them - 1 John 4:1
5. Jude warns of them - Jude 4
4. Foreign persuasion
1. Simply put, not from God
2. How do we know? Paul told us in chapters 3-4_Paul outlined how the Galatians could have known they were believing something not from God. He did so from many different angles:_
1. Experience
2. Historical examples (Abraham)
3. Knowing God's character
4. Culture (heir in a household)
5. Analogy (Sarah and Hagar)
6. Scripture (purpose of Law, promises of God)
3. Galatians were not vigilant enough. Perhaps it sounded spiritual, so they believed it without much discernment.
5. Dangerous doctrine
1. Leaven
1. Several definitions: lump from old dough mixed into new dough
2. Multiples until entire lump of dough is "infected"
2. Law for justification
1. Maybe just started with circumcision?
2. Infected their entire doctrine: Gal. 2:21
3. Other things
1. Mistrust of Paul, Gal. 4:16
2. Hints of relational issues, Gal. 5:15 5. You're not beyond recovering (v10)_You can simply adopt the same view you had, that I still have now. The ones in trouble are the false teachers. They will bear their judgment._
1. Worried Galatians
1. Paul's tone strongly suggests they ARE in trouble
2. Humble hearts would be turned by this point in the letter!
3. Natural to wonder if they're past the point of no return
2. Their task: adopt no other view than what they once had
1. The work of the Lord
2. The grace of the Lord
3. There is trouble for the false teachers: their greater responsibility means judgment. James 3:1 7. You can trust me (v11)_I haven't changed since we first met. I'm still persecuted because I'm still placing the stumbling block in front of the Jews by preaching the cross of Christ._
1. Paul's points from chapter 1
1. 17 years passed but doctrine still lined up with the other apostles
2. Stood firm, even to Peter
2. Since then:
1. His message has been consistent
2. Evidenced by his continued persecution
3. Motivated by the knowledge that doing otherwise would remove the cross of Christ from his teaching 9. I'm not mad at you (v12)_Paul only wishes that the false teachers would go away._
1. Despite his tone, he loves the Galatians
1. Gal. 4:11-12, 19-20
2. The fact that he wrote this letter!
2. His desire is just that the false teachers would leave them alone
10. Conclusion
1. Paul is a loving father speaking encouragement to his children
2. Made two points now
1. Understanding the stakes
2. Understanding their situation
3. Prepared now to return to the right mindset (view)
4. Next: how to live by the Spirit

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
March 25th, 2018
Galatians series
Lesson 3: Understand that freedom is a tool
**Rhetorical theme**: Understand that freedom is a tool.
**Full theme**: Freedom is a tool which we are called to use according to its purpose, without abusing or neglecting it.
1. Introduction
1. A hammer
1. A tool for what?
2. Can you misuse it?
3. What if you never use it?
2. Lesson 3 of the last section of Galatians: restoring confidence in the freedom of the gospel
1. Paul has so far taught two lessons:
1. The stakes are high: all freedom or all slavery (vv1-6)
2. The situation is serious, but recoverable (vv7-12)
2. Now: freedom is a tool (vv13-15)
2. Christ has called us to use it (v13a)_We have a responsibility to use freedom._
1. "Freedom" - what is it?
1. Of course, opposite of slavery
2. Context of chapter 4: story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar
1. Following God's purpose by faith brought about His plan
2. Forcing (or, trying to force) God's purpose by the flesh (son through Hagar) brought conflict, anger, frustration and trouble.
3. Summarized form: freedom to accomplish God's purpose through us by faith. It is the opposite of slavery which is trying to work God's purpose through us by the flesh.
4. Specific context of Galatians: freedom from the pursuit of righteousness on our own. The opposite of continually pursuing (and never attaining) righteousness through following the Law.
2. "Calling"
1. Definition:
to urgently invite someone to accept responsibilities for a particular task, implying a new relationship to the one who does the calling—‘to call, to call to a task.’56
_Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 423). New York: United Bible Societies._
5. By Christ: **Galatians 5:1**
6. Implications
1. Not an optional calling, like a benefit
2. Our freedom comes with responsibility.
3. It can be abused (v13b)_Like any tool, freedom can be abused._
1. Abuse type 1: an excuse for the flesh, "I'm already righteous, now I can do what I want."
2. Abuse type 2: an excuse for self-centered freedom
1. **1 Corinthians 8:4-13** - a great example, eating meat sacrificed to idols
2. **1 Corinthians 10:23-33** - continuing with the example of meat sacrificed to idols
4. It has a specific purpose (v13c)_To be free to lovingly serve one another._
1. Like any tool, freedom has a specific purpose: to serve one another with love.
2. How is this freedom's purpose? When we are concerned with our righteousness, we are enslaved to always wondering if we have achieved it.
1. We can eternally ask questions:
1. Am I righteous?
2. Did I sin today?
3. Did I do that right thing with the wrong motive and lose my righteous standing?
2. In Christ, we _have already_ attained His righteousness by faith. As we continue in this faith, we are free from focusing on ourselves to be able to focus on others.
3. How Jesus used His freedom
1. **Matthew 9:9-13** - Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors
2. **John 4:7-9** - Jesus meets and speaks with the Samaritan woman
3. Notice how Jesus did not cater to everyone. He used His freedom to meet the needs of the "sick". You might see the Pharisees as one who are "weak in conscience" but Jesus did not see them that way. Rather, He saw through their hypocrisy.
4. How Paul used his freedom
1. **1 Corinthians 9:1-23** - Paul does not sin with his freedom, but he focuses on others 6. Using it fulfills the whole Law (v14)
1. Not a new thought from Paul
1. **Matthew 7:8** - the golden rule
2. **Matthew 22:36-40** - the greatest commandment
2. **Romans 13:8-10** - much (or perhaps all) of the Law is how to treat your neighbor to some degree or another. If we always loved our neighbor, we would always be keeping the Law.
3. Remember: purpose is not to conclude that the Law is evil, but that seeking righteousness through it is working by the flesh and will never achieve righteousness--it is slavery.
1. The Law reveals out sin: **Romans 7:7**
2. The Law is good: **1 Timothy 1:8-9a** 8. It can be neglected (v15)_Finally, we neglect to use our freedom at all and instead seek to enslave each other by our biting and devouring._
1. Unsure I can say for sure why Paul has this here?
2. The consequences of abuse?
1. We use our freedom as a club to, instead of serving each other, we nit-pick each other's strength in freedom
2. The result is not that we spur each other on to greater use of a our freedom, rather we consume (use up) each other. Our freedom is expended.
3. The natural result of neglecting our freedom?
1. Paul could be answering the question of what happens when we don't use our freedom
2. We would do what the Galatians are doing
1. Not trusting in righteousness being done in Christ
2. Turning back to the Law for righteousness
3. We become Pharisees, biting and devouring each other's adherence to the Law until we consume each other
4. Everyone is paralyzed and no one grows or serves--we are again in slavery
9. Conclusion
1. Paul has explained two lessons so far:
1. The stakes involved: all freedom or all slavery--no middle ground
2. The present situation: serious, but recoverable
2. Now: that freedom is a tool which we are called use according to its purpose, without abusing or neglecting it.
1. Christ has called us to use it
2. It can be abused
3. It has a specific purpose
4. Using it fulfills the whole Law
5. It can be neglected
3. The freedom we have in Christ has been given to us for the purpose of serving each other in love.
1. It's not a license to sin
2. It's not a club to crush each other
3. It's the rest we have in Christ that our righteousness is accomplished and secure with Him. This peace of mind allows us to now focus outward toward each other in love.

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
April 15th, 2018
Galatians series
Lesson 4: Understand the reason to walk in the Spirit (vv16-26)
**Rhetorical theme**: Understand the reason to walk in the Spirit.
**Full theme**: Walking in the Spirit is the means by which we properly wield the tool of freedom to combat the flesh and yield the fruit of the Spirit.
1. Introduction
1. Paul is teaching the Galatians to trust their freedom in the gospel of justification again with several lessons
1. Lesson 1) 5:1-6 the stakes are high, they have to choose freedom or slavery, no inbetween
2. Lesson 2) 5:7-12 their situation is serious, but they can easily recover by adopting the view they previously had
3. Lesson 3) 5:13-15 freedom is a tool for serving one another in love, but it can be abused or neglected
2. Lesson 4 today - understand the reason to walk in the Spirit 3. The promise of walking in the Spirit (v16)
1. But? - in reference to the last section
1. Freedom is powerful tool
1. Potential for abuse
2. Potential for neglect
3. Potential for great reward
2. How do we wield is properly?
2. Notice the action words
1. Walk
2. Not carry out
3. Application, not thinking only!
3. The promise is: you will not carry out the deeds of the flesh
4. Introduces two implied questions_A tantalizing promise! But…_
1. What is walking in the Spirit?
2. Why does walking in the Spirit work? 5. The reason walking in the Spirit works (v17-24)
1. The Spirit fights the flesh (v17)
1. Desires that are diametrically opposed to one another_[Glory (movie) - final scene, Union army attacking the fort while Confederate army defends. Their desires were opposed to one another. The Union army desired to chase the Confederates from the fort while the Confederate army desired to stay firmly put. ]_
2. Both have the same goal: shape your actions_[Glory (movie) - while both armies had opposing desires, they had the same goal: control of the fort. There was no room for compromise. One or the other was going to prevail. This is what Paul means when he says "that we may not do what we wish." There is no third option (our will), there is only following the flesh or following the Spirit.]_
2. The Spirit frees us from the Law (vv18-24)
1. Statement of truth (v18)
2. Deeds of the flesh (vv19-21)
1. Observations
1. These are _deeds_ of the flesh, things that the desires of the flesh will lead you to do
2. These are evident, or obvious, "pertaining to being clearly and easily able to be known".
3. Categories of sin
1. Abuse of ourselves (sexual, sensual sins)
2. Abuse of worship (idolatry, sins toward God)
3. Abuse of others (relational, sins toward men)
4. Abuse of things (alcohol, drugs)
5. Encompass all aspects of life
2. Consequences, "Those who practice such things"
1. Perhaps three ways to interpret
1. These are things unbelievers do, so don’t be associated with them
2. There is real danger, as a believer, of practicing these things and losing reward
3. Or, those who practice such things, claiming to be a believer or not, prove they are not
2. I favor #2 - real danger for believers
1. It explains why Paul is warning them (and why this was not the only time!)
2. 1 Cor. 3:15
3. Fruit of the Spirit (vv22-23)
1. Categories
1. Upward (gifts from God)
1. Love: Romans 5:5
2. Joy: John 15:11
3. Peace: John 14:27
2. Outward (patience, kindness, goodness)
3. Inward (faithfulness, gentleness, self-control)
4. These are developed in YOU as you walk in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit does not necessarily produce fruit in others.
2. Fruit belongs to the Spirit, these are not works
The contrast between works and fruit is important. A machine in a factory works, and turns out a product, but it could never manufacture fruit. Fruit must grow out of life, and, in the case of the believer, it is the life of the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). When you think of “works” you think of effort, labor, strain, and toil; when you think of “fruit” you think of beauty, quietness, the unfolding of life. The flesh produces “dead works” (Heb. 9:14), but the Spirit produces living fruit. And this fruit has in it the seed for still more fruit (Gen. 1:11). Love begets more love! Joy helps to produce more joy!
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 719). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
6. There is no Law against these things
1. Explanation of first statement in v18
2. The Spirit leads us to bear this fruit
3. The Law identifies sinfulness of the fleshly deeds
4. But the fruit is the exact opposite of the deeds.
1. You can't be loving and jealous
2. You can't be peaceful and full of strife
3. You can't be joyful amidst outbursts of anger
5. Therefore, you don't need to be under the Law to avoid the sins of the flesh--following the Spirit will exclude these sins_[Illustration: imagine you've been placed in a dark room, no lights on. Then you hear a voice telling you, "Don't run into the sofa, don't step on the kids' toys, don't trip over that chair. Now, make your way to the door." This is what it's like to be under the Law. To be led by the Spirit would be like have a lighted path shine in the room, guiding your right the door (think of airplane emergency lights). With the right path perfectly visible, you don't need "the Law" to tell you all the things you avoid--you know you'll be in danger of hitting them if you stray from the lighted path.]_
4. Consider the flesh as crucified
1. Not dead yet (still makes its presence known)
2. Sure to die (conquered, no power) 7. Summary statement (vv25-26)
1. We were made alive by the Spirit (salvation)
2. We must not walk in the same way
1. "Walk" not the same word as in v16
2. "Keep in step", "follow", military connotation of walking in rank and file
3. We joined this army by the recruitment of the Spirit, we are going to succeed only by continuing to follow that same Spirit
3. Not giving into the fleshly desires
8. The meaning of walking in the Spirit
1. Paul didn't define it
1. He told us why it works, but not what it is
2. Galatians already had experienced walking by the Spirit (Gal. 3:1-5)
3. Paul didn't need to define it for the Galatians
2. What it means
1. One thing may be obvious: operate within the fruit of the Spirit
1. Love
2. Be joyful
3. Be at peace
4. Be patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and full of self-control
5. We usually know when we've not been loving or kind or gentle
2. But…?
1. What if we don't know how to be loving? (someone who's dealing with sickness)
2. What if being loving will not result in peace? (confronting someone's sin)
3. What if two fruits seem to conflict? (Jesus cleaning out the temple--not gentle, but faithful)
3. How Jesus presented the Spirit to the disciples
1. John 14:16-17
2. John 14:26
3. John 15:26
4. John 16:7-15
5. Truth is the Spirit's primary objective, even revealing things Jesus was not able to reveal to His disciples
6. It seems many traditional habits are exactly what enable us to be walking in the Spirit--reading Scripture, going to church, praying, fellowship
3. Can the Spirit lead through hunches, nudges and feelings?
1. Of course, but we should be careful
_[Dad's hunch to look for a German tutor again]_
3. When we "feel" led
1. Pray
2. Search the Scriptures
3. Ask more mature believers for advice
4. Don't _only_ trust our feelings
9. Conclusion
1. Paul gives us
1. What walking by the Spirit promises: victory over the flesh
2. The reason walking in the Spirit works
1. It fights the flesh by having the opposite desires
2. It frees us from the law by leading us in the fruit of the Spirit
2. Our application is then to let the Spirit teach us how to walk through truth and let Him produce His fruit in us

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Lesson 5: Be humble (6:1-5)
**Rhetorical theme**: Be humble.
**Full theme**: We must be humble as we walk in the freedom that we have in the Spirit.
1. Introduction
1. Before starting let's take a quick refresher
1. Chapters 1-2: Paul defends the source of the gospel - from God, not men
2. Chapters 3-5: Paul defends the truth of the gospel - it has been God's way from the start
3. Chapter 5: Paul teaches the Galatians how to walk in the freedom of the gospel
1. The stakes are high: they must understand that the only alternative to freedom is total slavery
2. Their situation is serious: they must understand how they departed from freedom and how to get back
3. Freedom is a tool: they must understand that freedom is tool used to lovingly serve others
4. Walk by the Spirit: they must understand that the only way to wield the tool of freedom is to walk by the Spirit
2. Now Paul turns to some very practical lessons is using freedom--what it looks like to walk by the Spirit
3. [Read 6:1-5] 3. In dealing with sin (v1)
1. Observations
1. "Caught" - "learn something by surprise"
1. Not an intentional sin
2. Who does the catching?
1. Most likely the brother himself
2. Notice, it does not say "when you are spiritual catch a brother by surprise in his sin"
3. Does to be implied that we are not to be on the prowl for other believers sinning. If it catches the brother himself by surprise, so to say, then it ought to surprise us too.
2. "You who are spiritual"
1. A mature believer, walking in the Spirit: 1 Cor. 2:14-15, 3:1-3
2. Probably not usually a task a young believer should take on
3. Emphasized by the next observation…he must know how to watch out himself
3. "Restore"
1. Definition: set a broken bone, mending fish nets
2. Connection to the body of Christ - mending a member
4. "Looking to yourself"
1. Not "I'm doing better than you so let me help you figure it out"
2. Humility to recognize that we can also be overtaken by sin in the same way
2. What it does _not_ look like: John 8:3–5
1. It seems they may have set a trap
2. They publically shamed the woman--not gentle at all
3. No interest in restoration, the woman was just a tool to trap Jesus
3. _[Dad dealing with Horst in the fallout of his sin]_ 5. In bearing one another's burdens (v2)
1. Observations
1. "Burdens": _baros,_ a burden too heavy for one man to carry, "hardship which is regarded as particularly burdensome and exhausting"
2. "The law of Christ": John 13:34, 15:12
3. The context
1. Bearing the fallout from sin with a brother
2. Application not only in the context of sin: Rom. 15:1
2. In contrast to legalists: Matt. 23:2-4
3. _[Ada dying: entire family and chapel rallied around us, Joel and Annette cancelled vacation and stayed with us, Dad came home early from Austria and helped with funeral arrangements, everyone came the funeral]_
4. _Transition:_
1. The spiritual person (the one walking by the spirit) looks for others who have a burden that needs help in carrying and comes alongside them
2. The legalist looks for someone else to bury under a burden so that, in comparison, he looks righteous, this is what Paul warns of next: the spiritual one will avoid this legalistic tendency if he is humble in his view of himself
6. In our view of ourselves (v3)
1. Definitions
1. Humble: "not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive"
2. Proud: "having or displaying excessive self-esteem"
3. Arrogant: "exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner"
4. Notice the words "excessive" and "exaggerate"
5. So: not being proud or arrogant means having the _right_ amount of self-esteem and the _right_ understanding of one's worth or importance
6. Not: seeing one's self as worthless or good-for-nothing
2. Think of ourselves with sound judgement: Rom. 12:3
3. NLT has a nice interpretation: "If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important."
4. _[Melissa from our NKC Bible study a few years ago: she came late one time because she had needed to stop by QuikTrip first. While there, she saw a woman sitting outside against the building who was obviously strung out on drugs. Instead of passing her by, she took her into her car and drove her all the way down south to a rehab facility of some kind to get her help.]_
7. In examining works (vv4-5)
1. Observations
1. "Examine"
1. "try to learn the genuineness of something by examination and testing"
2. Same word as in 1 Cor. 11:28 -- one of the aspects of the breaking of bread
2. "Own work" - not another's work
3. "Reason for boasting"
1. Other translations
1. NKJV - "rejoicing"
2. NLT - "the satisfaction of a job well done"
2. Not something bad
1. Phil. 1:26 "proud confidence"
2. 2 Cor. 9:3 "boasting" about them
3. Heb. 3:6 "boast of our hope"
4. "In regard to another"
1. Not to compare ourselves to others
2. Rather, compare our works to God's asking of us--have we done well? Are we walking in the Spirit?
5. "will bear his own load"
1. The reason why to examine our own work
2. "Will" is future tense
3. "Load"
1. Not the same word as in v2
2. Used of a pack for marching soldiers, ship cargo, etc
3. A bearable, measured, appropriate load--something we can and should bear
4. Several different takes on this in commentaries
5. Future judgment for the believer
1. 1 Cor. 3:10-15
2. Romans 14:10-13 - very similar context
2. Bearing each other's loads does not give us a free pass to be easy on ourselves
3. It is the opposite of what a legalist does
1. He does not honestly evaluate his own works
2. He concentrates on primarily examining the work of others so that he can feel righteous in comparison 9. Conclusion
1. We are to:
1. Be humble in dealing with sin
2. Be humble in bearing one another's burdens
3. Be humble in our view of ourselves
4. Be humble in examining our own works
2. Paul continues his last third of the letter with his fifth lesson on the freedom of the gospel of justification by faith
3. Simply put, Paul is admonishing the Galatians to walk in humility: this is a key component to walking by the Spirit
4. He uses dealing with sin as a his example, it highlights the differences between legalists and those who walk by the Spirit
Bible Chapel of Shawnee
May 6th, 2018
Galatians series

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Lesson 6: Do Good (6:6-10)
**Rhetorical theme**: Do good.
**Full theme**: Walking in freedom means doing good in very practical ways.
1. Introduction
1. Paul is concluding his letter to the Galatians with encouragement to walk by the Spirit--that is, to have confidence in the freedom of the gospel of justification by faith.
1. Chapter 5 - described that freedom and how walking by the Spirit accomplishes it
2. Chapter 6 - practical lessons in walking in freedom
3. 6:1-5 last time - the first practical, to be humble
4. 6:6-10 this time - second practical lesson, do good
2. [Read 6:6-10]
2. Do good…to our teachers (v6)
1. Two questions
1. Why does Paul bring this up specifically here?
1. Transition from previous section -- an example of sharing burdens
2. Useful in overall context
1. Galatians had believed these teachers
2. When we pay for something we value it more
3. Perhaps this mindset is intended to encourage better scrutiny of teaching
2. Is this really how it's supposed to be, that we trade material things for spiritual things?
1. Lots of support from other Scripture
2. Matt. 10:9-10, Luke 10:4-7
1. Sending of the 12 (Matt.) and 70 (Luke)
2. No money, no bag, no shoes
3. Eat and drink what is given
4. A worker is worthy of his wages
5. Not going to offer carpentry services, going out to preach the kingdom, heal the sick
3. Rom. 15:26-27 - Gentiles indebted to share material things, having received spiritual things
4. 1 Cor 9:6-14
1. Paul defends his and others' right to reap material benefit from sowing spiritual things
2. Refers to Jesus' words
3. Refers to OT
2. Application
1. For teachers
1. Expect a return?
1. I can't imagine preparing for a message with the expectation of being recompensed
2. Motivation would be polluted
3. Risk of skewing a message to please instead of being faithful to the Lord
2. Adopt Paul's attitude - [Read rest of 1 Cor. 9:14-18]
1. Did not make use of his right
2. Not expecting it either
3. Looking to God's reward
4. Offer teaching without charge
5. A goal of winning more to the truth
2. For the one being taught
1. Remember -- all kinds of teachers, not just ones standing up front
2. Remember that teachers are worthy of a wage
3. Don't take their work for granted--it's difficult_[Whit Merrifield interview about his approach to hitting]_
4. Proactively think of ways to share good things with them
1. Definitely not always material things
1. Not all teachers need or want that kind of return
2. We have a different context today
1. Seems easier to imagine teachers needing to give up wage earning time back then or in other nations
2. We are a rich nation with lots of free time
2. Is he sacrificing regular wage-earning time to teach you?
3. Is he traveling to teach you?
4. Is he financially completely fine but could always use encouragement?_[I heard the story of someone here at the chapel who decided to give his former Sunday school teacher a hug every Sunday because he loved her lessons so much. I heard this meant quite a bit to the former teacher.]_
3. Do good…to reap eternal life (v7-8)
1. Paul is getting at the motivation behind doing good
2. Foundational rules of how God made the world to work -- you can't escape the way God created the relationship between actions and consequences.
3. This has been observed from ancient times: Job 4:7-9
1. Eliphaz was false to assert this of Job
2. He confused suffering with the consequences of sin
4. Still true today_[Tiger Woods: confession in press statement (2010)___
_I knew my actions were wrong. But I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have far -- didn't have to go far to find them._
_I was wrong. I was foolish. I don't get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife's family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.]_
8. Not just a warning or all negative: what a wonderful that sowing to the Spirit reaps something so good as eternal life!
1. John 17:3 - As we walk in the Spirit, we come to know God more
2. 1 John 1:2 - eternal life was made manifest to them: Jesus
3. The fruits of the Spirit manifested in us
4. Do good…with perseverance (v9)
1. Paul acknowledges that doing good can become wearisome
2. The simple encouragement is that God is faithful: we _will_ reap in due time
1. Like real farming, reaping is not immediate
1. We must plant
2. We must water
3. We must weed
4. We must wait
2. Unlike real farming
1. No single harvest time when we can expect to reap
2. Only God knows when the harvest is due
3. Do we trust God in this way?
5. Do good…with a sense of urgency and priority (v10)
1. A sense of urgency
1. Eschatological sense
1. Christ is coming
2. We have a limited time on earth to do His work
2. Historical/broad sense
1. While we have peace and prosperity
2. Jews during WWII -- their capacity to do good was severely diminished
3. Our years are limited!
3. Specific sense
1. People come and go in and out of our lives, we have a limited time to affect them
2. Our children grow up and our influence decreases
2. A priority
1. Our fellow believers take priority
2. But our focus should not _only_ be on believers
3. Our resources can be limited - give to believers first_[Easy to illustrate with our own families. Most of us seem to intuitively know that if we do good for all sorts of people, but neglect our own wives, husbands and kids, we're doing damage and we're out of balance.]_ 7. Conclusion
1. Paul's points
1. Do good…to our teachers
2. Do good…to reap eternal life
3. Do good…with perseverance
4. Do good…with a sense of urgency and priority
2. If you want a simple challenge to apply this passage: go home and write down the names of 3 or 4 people who have taught you spiritual truths. Once you've got those names, think of a good thing you can do for them. Send them a card, a check, call them on the phone, give them a hug the next time you see them, go mow their lawn or clean their windows. Tell them you're thankful for their investment in you.
Bible Chapel of Shawnee
July 29th, 2018
Galatians series

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
October 21st, 2018
Galatians series
Lesson 7: Be Honest (6:11-18)
**Rhetorical theme**: Be Honest
**Full theme**: Being honest in the truth is how we stay the course in the freedom of righteousness by faith.
1. Introduction
1. Paul is concluding his letter to the Galatians with encouragement to walk by the Spirit--that is, to have confidence in the freedom of the gospel of justification by faith.
1. Chapter 5 - described that freedom and how walking by the Spirit accomplishes it
2. Chapter 6 - practical lessons in walking in freedom
1. 6:1-5 - the first practical, **be humble**
1. Be humble in dealing with sin
2. Be humble in bearing one another's burdens
3. Be humble in our view of ourselves
4. Be humble in examining our own works
2. 6:6-10 - second practical lesson, **do good**
1. Do good…to our teachers
2. Do good…to reap eternal life
3. Do good…with perseverance
4. Do good…with a sense of urgency and priority
3. 6:11-18 - this time, **be honest**
2. [Read 6:11-18]
3. Outline
1. Who You Should Not Trust (those guys)
2. Who You Should Trust (this guy)
3. How You Can Tell the Difference (you guys)
2. Pay attention (v11)
1. Observations
1. Using large letters (11a)
2. This is a personal greeting (11b)
2. Two views
1. Paul has vision problems
1. 2 Cor. 12:7 - Thorn in the flesh
2. 2 Thess. 3:17 - distinguishing mark
2. Paul was writing in all-caps for emphasis
3. Either way, safe to say, Paul is calling attention to this last section
1. If Paul had vision problems
1. Might be embarrassing to write in large letters (like a child?)
2. Might take extra effort
2. If Paul is writing in all-caps: same reasons we might do that today--it's hard to miss! 4. Who You Should Not Trust (those guys) (v12-13)
1. Characteristics
1. Want to impress in the flesh (12a)
2. Want to avoid persecution associated with the cross of Christ (12c)
3. Are teaching for their _own_ gain, not the Galatians'
4. Do not keep the Law (13a)
5. Have selfish motives for wanting others circumcised (13b)
2. Conclusion: they're false, they're not being honest about
1. Their teaching
1. Compel them to circumcision for righteousness
2. Can't even keep the law themselves
2. Their motives
1. Not for the Galatians' good
2. To escape persecution
3. To boast in the numbers following them
3. Themselves
1. Saying righteousness comes through the Law
2. Can't keep the law themselves
4. Like the Pharisees that Jesus condemned: Matt. 23:27-28
3. Application
1. Are we in danger of following such men?
1. So many followed the Pharisees
2. The Galatians were being led astray
3. We are in danger
2. But we have this book and Paul's warning, let's ask ourselves a few questions
1. Does he honestly speaks of his need for the cross?
2. Is he willing to suffer for the truth or does he avoid it?
3. Is he the one benefiting from his teaching or are those he's teaching?
4. What do his motives look like? Self-sacrificial or selfish? 6. Who You Should Trust (this guy) (v14-15)
1. Characteristics
1. Refuses to boast in anything for righteousness but the cross of Christ (14a)
2. Knows the cross is the end of any means of righteousness in the world for him (14b)
3. Knows the cross is the end of the world ever considering him righteous (14c)
4. Knows the only thing the matters for righteousness is the new creation (15)
1. 2 Cor. 5:17-21
2. All who are in Christ
3. It is God's work
4. By it we become the righteousness of God
2. Conclusion: he's real, he's honest about his righteousness
1. He had so many credentials to rely on: Phil. 3:2-6
2. He knew he needed the cross--it was his only means of righteousness
3. He knew his righteousness was 100% the new creation of the Lord
3. Application
1. No accident that Paul resembles Christ
1. He suffered for us
2. He lived what He taught
3. His concern was for us
4. We benefitted from Him
2. Can we find people like this today?
3. Are we people 8. How You Can Tell The Difference (you guys) (v16-18)
1. Should go forward walking by this simple rule: the new creation is all that matters (16)
1. …when it comes to righteousness
2. Future tense: there is hope for the Galatians
3. Be honest considering others: are they a new creation or not?
4. Be honest considering ourselves: we're only righteous because of God's work!
2. Should stop causing me trouble (17)
1. One final bit of proof about who to trust
2. Contrast to the false teacher
1. False teachers wanted to mark the Galatians' bodies for their own gain
2. Paul was willing to have his body marked for the Galatians' gain
3. Paul bore the visible proof of his service to Christ on his own body, it was time to stop doubting him
4. Who can we trust?
1. Determining who we should trust can be impossible by what each person is telling us
2. Paul gives us the key: the proof is in the pudding. Who is _living_ out what they are teaching?_[My story of situation where I didn't know who to trust. The actions of the one were to accuse the other and attempt to destroy his reputation in his church and further, never admitting any failure.______The actions of the other were to seek wise council, strive for Biblical accuracy (even publicly admitting when he had failed in this) and seek reconciliation and repair of the damage done. Once I thought of things in these terms, it was easy to know whose story to trust.]_
3. Are still my brothers in Christ (18)
1. Called them brethren throughout the book
2. Unique greeting among Paul's writings
3. Paul's heart: truly _for_ them
1. Enduring lesson of this book: our hearts should be for the restoration of our brothers, not their rejection, not doubting their salvation
2. Debate about others being in Christ?
1. Paul never once doubts this for the Galatians
2. 2 Cor. 13:5 - Paul calls on them to examine _themselves_, not for him to come examine them
4. Application: trust those who sacrificially love us.
9. Conclusion
1. Being honest in the truth is how we stay the course in the freedom of righteousness by faith.
2. We can avoid false teaching (and teachers) by examining their honesty
1. Are they honest in their need for the cross?
2. Are they honest in living out their teaching?
3. Are they honest in their care for us?
3. We can avoid straying ourselves by examining our honesty
1. Be honest about our need for the cross
2. Don't hide behind any false means of righteousness (through worldly/fleshly means)

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
November 18th, 2018
Galatians series
Big Lessons: Lessons from the book as a whole
**Rhetorical theme**: Lessons from the whole book.
**Full theme**: Viewed as a whole, the book of Galatians gives us some rich, practical lessons.
1. Introduction
1. Final message on Galatians
2. What can we take away from the book as a whole?
3. Paul has three big lessons:
1. You can trust the source of the gospel of justification by faith: it comes directly from God
2. You can trust in the truth of the gospel of justification by faith: there are many proofs, going back all the way to Abraham
3. You can trust in the freedom the gospel of justification by faith gives you: you wield with love by walking in the Spirit
4. Through-out the book, several things stood out to me
1. Some obvious and directly stated
2. Some between the lines, by viewing the book all together
5. My hope
1. You have some of your own you've learned through our study
2. Here are some of mine 3. Lesson 1 - It can happen to us
1. It should never have happened to the Galatians
1. They were steadfast believers
1. Called a church (1:2)
2. Called brethren 9 times (1:11, 3:15, 4:12, 4:28, 4:31, 5:11, 5:13, 6:1, 6:18)
3. Called children of promise (4:28,31)
4. Abandoning the gospel (must have been in it) (1:6)
5. Received the Spirit (3:2)
6. Suffered for the faith (3:4)
7. Know/known by God (4:9)
8. Consequences of taking on circumcision indicate they are in Christ now (5:4)
9. Were running well (5:7)
2. They had Paul
1. He preached the gospel to them (1:8)
2. He cared for them like children (4:19)
3. They experienced the power of the Gospel (3:5)
2. So how did it happen?
1. Paul himself not exactly sure (1:6, 4:20)
2. They listened to false teachers (4:17, 5:10)
3. Practical application
1. Galatians fell, despite many advantages
2. It is worth examining ourselves for temptation that we might succumb to an go into legalism
1. Desire for a measure for comparison
2. Fear we're failing, so false reassurance
3. Learn discern false from true teachers (6:12)
4. Key difference: what do they do with Christ?
1. Like major religions
2. Christ their only boast?
3. Christ their primary shame?
4. Lesson 2 - God has always justified by faith
1. To say this, we must know:
1. God justified by faith at the beginning
2. God never changed His methods
3. God still does today
2. These 3 are exactly the proofs chapter 3 gives us
3. The beginning: Abraham (3:6)
1. Genesis in two parts
1. 1-11: how rebelling leads to death (all the earth)
2. 12-50: how God will save (one man's family--Abraham)
2. Abraham, father of all those justified by faith
4. Never changed: God's promise cannot be undone (3:15-18)
5. Still today: belonging to Christ makes you an heir of Abraham's promises (3:29)
6. Practical application
1. Ever been confused by difficult Scriptures?
1. Rich young ruler - Matt 19:16
2. Live by the Law? - Lev 18:5 - help us pick up the nuance of the requirement of _doing_ all of the Law
2. Helps to prevent misusing frameworks: dispensationalism (don't go into hyper-dispensationalism)
5. Lesson 3 - The purpose of the Law
1. My main goal in wanting to study Galatians--how does the Law relate to us today?
2. Clear what it is not intended to do
1. Never to justify (2:16, 3:11)
2. Never to give life (3:21)
3. Clear what it IS intended to do
1. Reveal sin (3:19)
2. Point us to Christ (3:22-24)
4. Practical application
1. Parts of the Law
1. Sacrificial/ceremonial - out because of Christ
2. Temple operations - no temple
3. Civil - we're not Israel
4. Moral/ten commandments - point us to Christ
2. Remind us of our need for Christ
3. Show others their shortcoming before God's righteousness, to lead them to Christ (1 Tim. 1:8-9)
4. Great example: Ray Comfort's method
6. Lesson 4 - Walking in the Spirit produces His fruit
1. Hard concept for me grasp--what does it mean to walk in the Spirit?
2. Two things clear
1. No list of deeds that make up "walking by the Spirit"
1. Except…it's not the deeds of the flesh (5:16)
2. The deeds of the flesh are evident, the deeds of the Spirit are not? (5:19)
2. It will produce the fruit of the Spirit (5:22-24)
1. Not necessarily the deeds of the Spirit
2. The fruit the Spirit produces in us as we walk in Him
3. Practical application
1. Evaluate past actions - did it produce the fruit of the Spirit in me?
2. Choose future actions - what, most likely, will produce the fruit of the Spirit?
1. Know His word (we can't predict the future)
2. Trust His commandments are right
7. Lesson 5 - Pursue those who are straying
1. Paul's example of pursuing the Galatians
2. Observations of how Paul went about it
1. Took the time
1. Not as easy to write a letter and deliver it as it is today
2. Long letter
3. Lots of explanation
4. Lots of doctrine
5. Lots of thought
2. Direct with the truth
1. Abandoning the gospel (1:6)
2. Behaving is foolish (3:1)
3. Blunt with the consequences (5:2-5)
3. Explains Scriptural truth (chapters 3 and 4)
4. Explains practical application (chapters 5 and 6)
5. Reminds them of their close relationship
1. How they met (4:12-18)
2. Calls them his children (4:19)
3. Wants to be with them (4:20)
4. Calls them brethren throughout and up to the end (6:18)
3. Practical application
1. Need to be close to people--personal relationships
1. Time
2. Willingness to attach
2. Need to have a firm grasp on wielding Scripture to use is accurately, gently and lovingly
3. Need to take the time to go after people
8. Conclusion
1. Wonderful summarizing (in my mind) thought from Warren Wiersbe:
The contrast between works and fruit is important. A machine in a factory works, and turns out a product, but it could never manufacture fruit. Fruit must grow out of life, and, in the case of the believer, it is the life of the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). When you think of “works” you think of effort, labor, strain, and toil; when you think of “fruit” you think of beauty, quietness, the unfolding of life. The flesh produces “dead works” (Heb. 9:14), but the Spirit produces living fruit. And this fruit has in it the seed for still more fruit (Gen. 1:11). Love begets more love! Joy helps to produce more joy!
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 719). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
6. If we want living fruit to grow and multiply in our lives, we'll take the lessons of Galatians to heart:
1. Spurning the temptation to measure our righteousness
2. Embracing the act of faith of walking in the Spirit

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Blind Bartimaeus: Persistence toward God
**Rhetorical theme**: Persistence in prayer toward God reveals the quality of our faith in Him.
**Full theme**: Persistence reveals faith
1. Introduction
1. _[Read Mark 10:46-52]_
2. Two requests of Jesus
1. Same phrase, "What do you want me to do for you?"
2. Approaches
1. Very different
2. James and John came demanding something in selfish ambition
3. Bartimaeus came begging mercy
3. Response from Jesus is the same
4. Questions asked are similar
1. Wanting something only Jesus could give
2. Wanting something for themselves
5. Outcomes were different
1. Jesus unable to give His left and right seats away
2. Bartimaeus given his sight
3. More similarities in how Jesus responds:
1. With grace
2. With kindness
3. With some explanation
3. Somewhat of a theme in these two stories: how we interact with the Lord and why He may respond in the way he does
4. How we approach God reveals the quality of our faith
1. In James and John, their manner of approaching Jesus revealed their ambition
2. In Bartimaeus, his manner of approaching Jesus revealed a faith unto salvation
3. One particular aspect is highlighted: persistence 3. What does persistence look like?
1. **Persistence shown by Bartimaeus**
1. Manner of his calling out
1. As soon as Jesus was near (v47)_He begin crying out as soon as he heard Jesus was the one passing by.___
2. Loud, obnoxious calling out (v47, krazo)
_κράζω is a word like “croak,” It uses kr + vowel + guttural to suggest a rough or raucous sound. It is based on the croaking of ravens.1 The meaning is a. “to croak or cry with a loud and raucous voice_
_Grundmann, W. (1964–). κράζω, ἀνακράζω, κραυγή, κραυγάζω. G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 3, p. 898). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans._
7. Continual calling out (v47 "began to cry"; v48 "kept crying out", "all the more")_The verbs indicate ongoing action, not a one-time action._
9. Despite resistance (v48)_He continued calling despite many sternly telling him to be quiet._
11. With undiminishing hope (v50)_He was ready and expecting when Jesus called him (not surprised he was finally answered)._
2. Content of his calling out
1. "Jesus" - knew Jesus
2. "Son of David" - knew His heritage
3. "Have mercy on me" - knew his own need
_[Transition: why did Bartimaeus have to show such persistence to get Jesus' attention? Why is it so highlighted in this story?____Was it just happenstance in this instance?_
_Or, is this something expected of us too?]_
2. **Persistence encouraged by Christ**
1. Luke 11:5-13 - two parables
1. Neighbor needing bread: persistence is rewarded
2. Son asking for a fish or egg: when good is asked, evil is not given!
2. Luke 18:1-8
1. Purpose: pray at all times, not lose heart
2. Conclusion: if even an unrighteous judge is moved by persistence, how much more will our righteous God and Father
_[Transition: why does Jesus teach such persistence?____What's the purpose of it?_
_It's one of the more confusing aspects of the Christian life to me. Are we annoying God into doing something for us? Is He testing us to see if we stick with it?____Jesus tells Bartimaeus: "Your faith has made you well."_
_Jesus asked, "will He find faith on earth?"._
_I think this the key to the purpose and effect of persistence. It is a matter of faith.]_
4. How does persistence reveal faith?
1. **How did Bartimaeus show faith?**
1. Jesus said, "Your faith has made you well".
2. We saw in Bartimaeus
1. Persistence
2. Virgo
3. Expectation
4. Hope
3. What does this tell us about what was going on in his head?
1. Jesus' authority: He believed Jesus could grant him mercy
2. Jesus' compassion: He believed Jesus would not reject his call
3. Jesus' power: He believed Jesus could heal his blindness
4. Jesus' trustworthiness: He believe Jesus would not trick him
2. **Why might God have us wait and show persistence?**
1. The biggest reason: we don't know the big picture
1. We simply can't see how it all fits together
2. God can see all of it and knows the right timing to give an answer
3. Look at Christ's genealogy
1. What happened because Abraham and Sarah couldn't wait for a baby?
1. Turmoil in the family
2. Ishmael born and from him a people that have continually been at odds with Israel
2. What if Rahab doesn't believe the two spies and leaves her house during the attack?
3. What if Ruth doesn't go back with Naomi?
4. What if Joseph caved to pressure to put Mary away?
5. God would have worked things another way, but it shows how small, seemingly unrelated events in our lives affect the big picture.
4. It takes faith to believe this
1. Trust that God is doing what is the very best for us and everyone
2. Trust that temporary (even life-long temporary) suffering may fit best into the whole picture
2. Test our own conviction of the need
1. Ever been convinced you needed something or something needed to happen? But then, when it didn't, over time you realized how unimportant it was?
2. TV shows for me illustrate the experience
1. Have to watch the next episode!!
2. But when we just go to bed, sometimes I forget we were even watching the series
3. Or maybe the opposite? As time passed, you realized all the more how important it was to do something--you become more sure it is right.
3. Practical reasons: Daniel 10:10-14
1. God answers prayers in practical ways: not magic
2. Gabriel needed to be the one to answer Daniel, but he was delayed, so Daniel had to wait 6. Conclusion
1. In Bartimaeus we see his faith revealed in his persistence in calling out to Christ for mercy
2. What we see revealed is what he truly believed about God
1. He is good
2. He will hear me
3. He will not turn me away
4. He will show compassion
5. He will answer at the right time
6. He will do me good
Bible Chapel of Shawnee
January 27th, 2019
Adult Sunday School

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
April 31st, 2019
Learning to handle emotions
**Rhetorical theme**: Learning to handle emotions
**Full theme**: Learning to handle emotions involves telling the Lord, depending on the Lord and remembering the Lord.
1. Introduction
1. Psalm 40:10
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
3. Psalm 66:16Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.
5. Some of the story of Ada's death
1. Three years ago on March 19th
2. Born at 32 weeks and died 10 hours later
3. Sorrow we had never known before
6. How we read the Psalms afterward
7. What we noticed as we read
1. Emotions freely and frankly expressed
2. Character of God clearly described
3. Comfort came a result
8. Began to understand how to deal with our sorrow
9. Want to share those encouragements with you
2. Tell the Lord (Psalm 13:1-2)_To deal with our emotions, we must start by telling the Lord.___
1. Psalm 13
1. Fear
2. Loneliness
3. Despair
4. Sorrow
2. After Ada died
1. Deep sorrow
2. Confusion
1. Why would God allow this?
2. With so much abortion in the world, why would God take a wanted baby?
3. How is He compassionate and gracious but also allow such heartbreak?
4. In other words, our emotions were not neat or clean
5. Are these things you can tell the Lord?
6. Do we have to sort out our emotions before we come to Him?
3. Examples
1. 1 Kings 19:1-18 Elijah after Carmel - despair, exhaustion, fear
2. Habakkuk 1 Habakkuk - confusion, anger
3. Job - injustice, anger
4. Observations
1. Frank, honest with the Lord
2. They told the Lord even though
1. The emotions seemed to betray lack of faith in God
2. The emotions seemed to be accusations against God
3. God responded with grace and gentleness
1. Elijah
1. Provided food
2. Comfort
3. Gentle questions
4. Gracious answers
2. Habakkuk
1. Gentleness
2. Reassurance of God's character (righteousness)
3. Job
1. A sharp rebuke
2. But, restoration and forgiveness
5. We can expect the Lord to be the same with us
1. Gentle
2. Kind
3. Comforting
4. Restoring
3. Depend on the Lord (Psalm 13:3-4)_When we approach the Lord, it must be with the right attitude of dependence on the Lord.___
1. Psalm 13
1. Call for the Lord to answer
2. Call for the Lord to enlighten
3. Call for the Lord to deliver
2. Examples
1. Elijah
1. Quite literally put himself in a position where only the Lord could rescue him
1. Deep into the wilderness
2. Servant left behind
2. Responded to the Lord's questions
3. Probably no accident that he went to the mountain of the Lord--he sought His presence
2. Habakkuk
1. Calling upon the Lord's righteous character
2. Standing and watching for an answer from the Lord
3. Not turning away in his confusion in anger, going to the Lord instead
3. Job
1. Though self-righteous
2. Seeking out God's judgement
3. Calling out to God for explanation
3. Common theme
1. Going to God, looking for His answer
2. Trusting God and His explanation
3. Trusting God that He will answer
4. What our attitude must be with one caveat of feelings of doubt: God honors an honest pursuit of truth, even if we feel uncertainty about whether He is the true God
_[Transition: Dependence on the Lord is key because it reveals an inner agreement with the truth regardless of how strong they are, our emotions don't tell the whole story. So, there is danger in following the path our emotions lead us down. God is the only one with the whole picture who can contextualize our emotions properly and return us to a right, sober mind.]_
4. Remember the Lord (Psalm 13:5-6)_To put our emotions in the right context, we must remember the Lord.___
1. 5a Refresh our knowledge of God's character
1. What you can find in the Psalms
1. King forever and ever (10:16)
2. Is righteous, loves righteousness (11:7)
3. A refuge (14:6)
4. My rock, fortress, deliverer (18:2)
5. My shepherd (23:1)
6. My light, my salvation (27:1)
7. My strength, my shield (28:7)
8. Good (34:8)
9. Against evildoers (34:16)
10. Sustainer of my soul (54:4)
11. On and on…
2. The objective truth: this is who God is
3. Step of faith: believe it or our emotions?
2. 5b Remember God's historical works
1. God has been consistent in all His actions
3. 6 Remember God's personal dealings
1. God has been consistent personally, in my life
5. Conclusion
1. Psalm 18:1-19
1. Read at Ada's funeral
2. Encapsulated how the Lord comforted us
1. He's a refuge and deliverer
2. He hears us
3. He answers us and brings comfort swiftly
2. We saw the Lord put His comforting Word into action through His people
1. Grace's parents cancelled vacation, sat with us
2. Dad cut his Austria trip short, helped me with the funeral
3. Entire family came for the funeral, including all of Grace's sibling with their spouses and kids
4. Countless friends brought meals, spoke encouraging words, things I still remember today
3. Grace's remark in conversation
1. Shocking how something so painful can so firmly be behind us
2. The memories of it are emotion
3. The pain is healed and we are restored
_[Transition: But we have to be careful too, dumping our emotions on the Lord can be done in an unrighteous way.]_

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
May 19th, 2019Life of Jesus series
How to Guarantee You'll Never See the Truth
**Rhetorical theme**: How to Guarantee You'll Never See the Truth
**Full theme**: We can guarantee we'll never fully see the truth by maintaining pride and fearing men.
1. Introduction
1. Continue the Life of Christ series
2. As others have said, getting into the last days and hours of Christ--His last words to some groups of people
3. Context
1. Triumphal entry
2. Entered the temple and cleaned it out, then went back out of the city
3. Cursed the fig tree
4. Re-entered the temple and taught the people
5. Was confronted by chief priests, elders, Pharisees and Sadduccees
1. Questioning His authority
2. Parable of the two sons
3. Parable of the landowner
4. Parable of the marriage feast
5. Question about tribute to Caesar
6. Question about resurrection
7. Question of the greatest commandment
6. Eight woes: tremendous condemnation of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees
7. Leaves the temple
8. Judas' betrayal, arrest, judgement, sentencing and crucifixion
4. What starts this final series of challenges is our passage today
_Read 21:23-27_
3. Why the question?
1. From the immediate context
1. Recent events might prompt anyone to ask the question
1. Triumphal entry
2. Temple cleansing
3. Received praise from the people
2. Religious authorities would need to ask the question
_[Illustration: if someone knocked on your door, demanding to come in and search your house, you would have the right to ask the same thing. What authority do you have to search my house? Who gave you this authority? If it turned out the man was a police officer (showing you his badge) you would know he was demanding to search your house by the authority of his position as police officer. If he then showed you search warrant, you would know a judge gave him that authority.]_
2. From the broader context
1. More to the story, of course
2. Pharisees, scribes, chief priests so far
1. Matt. 9:3 - **accused** Jesus of blaspheming when He forgave the paralytic from his sins
2. Matt. 9:11 - **questioned** Him eating with tax collectors and sinners
3. Matt. 9:34, 12:24 - accused Him of casting out demons by the ruler of the demons
4. Matt. 12:2 - **accused** his disciples of breaking the law of the Sabbath when they picked and ate heads of grain
5. Matt. 12:14 - **conspired** to destroy Him after He healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath
6. Matt. 12:38, 16:1 - **asked** for a sign (despite all the miracles they personally witnessed)
7. Matt. 15:1 - **accused** Jesus' disciples of breaking the tradition of the elders when they didn't wash their hands--which may have been their only true accusation
8. Matt. 19:3 - **tested** Him with a question about divorce
9. Matt. 21:15 - became **indignant** when they saw what He did upon entering Jerusalem (wonderful things, receiving praise from children)
_[Illustration: now our illustration doesn't seem to match the scenario so well. You would be justified to demand the credentials of the man at your door if you didn't know him. But, it would be a completely different story if you knew the man at your door very well. So, to be more accurate in the illustration, we'd have to say that this was the police officer who rescued your cat from a tree last week, caught the man who stole your wife's purse a month ago, pulled you over for speeding yesterday, investigated the break-in of your car last year and waved at your every time he drove by while you were mowing your lawn.]_
3. Why the question?
1. Clear it was most likely not from good motives
2. Most likely: undermine Jesus' popularity in the minds of the people
1. As in many previous encounters
2. Setting: Jesus teaching people (people around)
4. Application
1. Most frightening about the religious leaders?
1. So deceived and blinded: didn't see their own Messiah
2. Would they have believed you if you told them they would reject and kill their own Messiah?
2. Lots of similarities between us and religious leaders
1. Have the Scripture
2. Lots of time has passed since God last spoke
3. Lots of man-made institutions built up
3. How do we keep from landing in the same mess? Talk about it with the last point…
_==>_
_Transition: Seems clear that Jesus would be justified in simply sending them away! Why counter with a question about John? Why not skip right to the woes at the end of ch. 23?_
_==>_
7. Why the response?
1. Grace - giving them another chance
1. Even though they were not honest
2. Even though it was His last days/hours to be with His disciples
3. Religious leaders' last chance to change course
1. Chapters 21-23 in the temple, answering questions, teaching
2. Chapters 24-25 answer disciples questions about end times
3. Chapters 26-27 last supper, Judas betrays, Jesus goes to the cross
4. Bringing them back to the beginning: John
1. John's ministry was done
2. The fruit of it could be clearly seen and evaluated
3. If they could see John truthfully (the forerunner to the Messiah), they would have to conclude Jesus was the Messiah
_[Illustration: Let's say you're a math teacher teaching multiplication. Your students challenge you on why they should trust you that this multiplication stuff really works. You might ask them, "Well, your teacher last year taught you addition. Was his teaching correct or not?" If they didn't trust their last teacher who prepared them before you for your class, how would they trust you? Jesus was doing the same thing. John and Jesus' authority came from the same source. John taught the truth, preparing the people for Jesus. If they didn't believe John, why would they believe Him?]_
2. Exposing their hypocrisy to themselves
1. The way they had to reason with themselves
2. An opportunity to realize how ridiculous it was that they couldn't honestly answer a simple question that the "simple" people had figured out long ago
3. Application
1. Not be afraid to approach the Lord with honest questions
2. For dishonest men, He:
1. Heard them
2. Gave them a chance to hear an answer
3. Gave them an opportunity to honestly reflect on themselves
3. How much more for an honest man?
_==>_
_Transition: It was clear to so many people at the time that John was a prophet. And now that some time had past, there was even more opportunity to see the fruits of his ministry and his disciples and see whether his message and baptism was from God or not. So why did they have to reason it out? Why wasn't the answer obvious?_
_==>_
11. Why the reasoning?
1. Two halves
1. Unwilling to be corrected
2. Fearful of men
2. Amazing arrogance
1. Jesus says: John's baptism was from heaven
2. People say: John's a prophet
3. We say: there's no way we believe John
3. Why the reasoning? They had no interest in the truth.
1. If they had been interested, they could have said either answer
1. Heaven or men
2. Jesus would have answered either way
2. Would have cost them something
1. If from heaven: exposed to have failed to believe John
2. If from men: lost stature with the people
3. Wasn't it worth knowing the Messiah?
4. Application
1. Make the simple realization: the religious leaders were hindered from understanding truth because they refused to humble themselves
1. See the conversion of John's disciples (tax collectors and prostitutes!), they still refused to believe
2. Seeing all the miracles of Jesus, they refused to believe He was the Messiah
3. Given an opportunity to hear truth from Christ, they refused to humble themselves and admit they did not believe John
2. Be willing to be perceived as foolish by some when we are confronted with having been wrong 13. Conclusion
1. Beginning of a series of challenges and tests
2. Looked at three questions about the passage
1. Why the question?
2. Why the response?
3. Why the reasoning?
3. We saw:
1. The blindness of the religious leaders, refusing to recognize their Messiah right before them
2. The grace of the Lord to offer one last avenue of opportunity to believe, change course
3. The true motive of the religious leaders
1. Maintain their pride
2. Maintain their standing among men
4. Which lead to the truth being hidden from them
4. We can be challenged to always be willing be humbled or risk the same fate of never perceiving the truth

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
June 23rd, 2019
**Rhetorical theme**: When to keep silent
**Full theme**: There are times when it is better to keep silent with what we know.
1. Introduction
1. In Scripture and probably in our experience, the tongue is dangerous tool
1. James 3:2-12
2. Matthew 12:33-37
3. Should we ever say anything again??
4. We need to be careful with what we say
2. Especially difficult when we know something
1. A new article we read
2. A juicy tidbit about someone
3. Question: what age do we live in?
1. Answer: Information/Digital Age
2. So many tools to gain knowledge
3. How long is a beluga whale? 14ft
4. Not only tools to gain, but also spread knowledge
1. To hundreds, thousands or even millions
2. With no barriers (a tool for it is in most of our pockets right now)
1. No faces in front of us to gives us pause
2. No fear of immediate repercussions
5. General, cultural consensus: this is very good
1. People are saying things like:
Knowledge is power. Information is power. The secreting or hoarding of knowledge or information may be an act of tyranny camouflaged as humility. - Robin Morgan
> From <[https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robin_morgan_271953](https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robin_morgan_271953)>
4. When we know something we should share it
3. Is this what God says about sharing knowledge? Living in the digital age, I feel an urgency to know what Scripture says about sharing the things I think I know so freely._[Read Proverbs 25:11-13]____[Read Proverbs 12:23]____[Read Proverbs 11:13]_
5. Verses like these give us the impression that sharing knowledge isn't an essential good. It isn't always good to share what we know. So, how do we know when to keep silent?
1. There are some ways that are obvious
1. If it's not true
2. If it's motivated by sin (hate, jealousy, pride, anger)
2. But, there are less obvious times where we might feel within our rights to speak.
3. There is wisdom in the Proverbs to guide us when not to
1. When it would separate intimate friends
2. When it is part of a broader, unknown picture
3. When it cannot be made acceptable
2. When it would separate friends (Prov. 17:9)
1. Seems like an obvious one: of course bringing up a friend's sin over and over would be bad
3. After all, we have a biblical duty to confront each other's sin
James 5:19–20
19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Galatians 6:1
1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
8. I have found it hard to know, motivated to keep our friends from sin
1. Friend who I thought was marrying an unbeliever
2. Friends whose daughter was marrying someone they thought she should not
3. Where do you draw the line between going to far and working hard to turn a sinner from his error?
10. Key word is "repeat"
1. We do have that duty to confront each other in sin, to perhaps win them back
3. But, we can go too far: with my friend_[Illustration: Kept emailing him to convince him, even with warning to the result of a broken friendship]_
1. My friend did not repent (I might have been wrong)
2. But this would especially be so when a friend has repented
4. A good balance: friends with their daughter
1. She was moving forward regardless
2. They, seeking a continued loving relationship, after making their objections known, chose to keep the relationship to continue to be part of their daughter's life and help her when the inevitable difficulties came
5. Application
1. At some point, it is best to remain silent for the purpose of keeping a loving relationship
2. Run the risk of saying nothing at all, when we need to remember the biblical mandate to confront each other in love 4. When it is part of an unknown broader picture (Prov. 10:14)
1. Interesting imagery of storing up knowledge_[Illustration: collecting tools to do a job, wisdom to know all that you need, not just one or two tools, but the whole set]_
3. Idea of knowing there is always more to know
Proverbs 1:5
5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
Proverbs 9:9
9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
8. Could paralyze us to never speak, not what we want
10. But, knowing the vastness of things we do not know should keep us from the temptation to speak of things we really know nothing about
12. Story of Job and God's response to him
1. God humbles Job! Job 38:1-11
2. Job realizes he spoke of things he did not know: Job 42:1-6 6. When it cannot be made acceptable (Prov. 15:2)
1. A wisdom of its own: wisdom to make wisdom acceptable
3. About the speaker (us) and hearer
1. What mood am I in?
2. What mood are they in?
3. What circumstances are they currently in?
4. Are you in private or public setting?
5. What kind of relationship do you have? Friend? Close friend? Stranger? Family?
4. Risk of never speaking as we never know how someone will receive it, not what we want
6. Paul's Mars Hill sermon a great example: Acts 17:22-34
1. Presented the gospel in a way they could hear it
2. Clearly spoke of the resurrection, even though he probably knew they _wouldn't_ receive it
3. He presented in a way that _could be acceptable_ (even though did not accept the resurrection)
4. Walked the balance perfectly: not afraid to speak truth, but presented it in such a way as to be acceptable
5. Some believed and followed
7. Application: rather be silent when we don’t have the wisdom to make knowledge acceptable, but be mindful of simply being fearful of rejection 8. Conclusion
1. Christian duty today to evaluate what is good or not in our culture
2. One to be careful about: knowledge is always meant to be shared
3. Scripture gives us the wisdom to know when this is not true, three today
1. When it separates intimate friends
2. When it's part of a broader, unknown picture
3. When it can't be made acceptable
> From <[https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robin_morgan_271953](https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/robin_morgan_271953)>

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
September 29th, 2019
**Rhetorical theme**: Faith in the life of Abraham
**Full theme**: There are many observations we can make about walking in faith by observing it in the life of Abraham.
1. Introduction
1. I ask myself questions somethings, sometimes hear others asking the same things
1. I wanted to do this thing, does that mean it's of the flesh--not walking by faith?
2. I did all my homework, sought counsel, read my Bible, prayed, weighted the pros and cons, but never felt like I got a specific answer from God. Does that mean I don't know God's will yet? Do I need to wait?
3. Where does God's will come into play when I don't seem to hear His specific answers to my questions and prayers?
2. All questions of what it looks like to walk in faith
4. All questions motivated by _wanting_ to walk in faith
6. Abraham a great study for answer to what it means to walk in faith_[Abraham's life slide]_ 3. Walking in faith is a process of growth
1. See how God speaks to Abraham_[Handout of the three pairs of God's communication with Abraham]_
1. Phase 1: Simple command (go), then lots of repetition and expansion of God's promises
2. Phase 2: Difficult command (covenant), then more repetition and expansion of God's promises
3. Phase 3: Impossible command (sacrifice), then more repetition and expansion of God's promises
2. Each command is more difficult
4. Each command is achievable
1. Certainly challenging
2. But, God had built the foundation for Abraham to be able: His proven faithfulness.
5. Take the long view
1. We are all somewhere along the process desires for us
2. First thing God asked of Abraham was to just continue the journey his father started
3. Greater things, more challenging, more rewarding may come later 5. Walking in faith will include mistakes
1. Several mistakes recorded about Abraham
1. Twice feared for his life because of Sarah
1. With Pharaoh
1. Thought he would be killed to get her
2. Very early on, young in faith?
2. With Abimelech
1. Thought he would be killed to get her
2. Much later, old habits die hard?
3. Not hard to figure out this was a mistake
1. Pharaoh - early on, yes, but how could God make him a father of many nations if he was dead?
2. Abimelech - much later, heir specifically promised through Sarah, what was he thinking??
1. After Isaac had been promised within a year
2. Sarah potentially pregnant at this time
3. Was he thinking: God doesn't need me anymore???
4. The Lord rescued him both times
1. Great plagues for Pharaoh and his household
2. A dream to Abimelech
5. Consequences still
1. Hard times with Sarah? Not told, but seems likely!
2. Kicked out of Egypt
3. Strained relationship with Abimelech
4. Not mention
1. Plagues brought on Pharaoh!
2. Barrenness brought on Abimelech!
2. Took Hagar when Sarah was barren
1. Clearly not God's way: descendants named through Isaac
2. The Lord rescued him
1. Blessed Ishmael too
2. Told Hagar to submit to Sarah
3. Consequences still
1. Problems between Hagar and Sarah
2. Problems between Ishmael and Israel
2. Nothing derailed God's fulfillment of His promises
4. Knowing this, we should not fear
1. Of course, can't be lazy to do well
2. We know difference between
1. Intentional sin
2. Mistakes and lapses 7. Walking in faith will include living with mystery
1. Many things Abraham did not know
1. "Go" without knowing where to stop
2. Promised the land while many nations still dwelt there
3. Rescued Lot with no guarantee of success
4. Promised a son with a barren, old wife
5. Told to sacrifice without knowing how God would let him live
2. Why things this way?
1. Difference between being told and experiencing
2. Experience is the better teacher
3. Teachers, mentors, bosses: ever purposefully not explained something?
4. Parents
1. Even with warnings, experience is often the final teacher
2. Take them to Grand Canyon instead of just describing
3. Christmas: keep gifts a secret
3. The hard part: why didn't God just tell Abraham how his son would be born?
1. Led to messing up with Hagar?
2. Avenue for us to accuse God?
3. First, let's be clear: sort out responsibilities
1. Abraham's choice to take Hagar
2. Pretty easy to know it was wrong: God's way from the beginning was one man, one woman, produce family
4. Let's not pretend like God "could have prevented some huge tragedy"
1. What huge tragedy?
2. God blessed Ishmael
3. Millions of people born through Ishmael, many nations
4. Abraham not somehow responsible for choice of Ishmael's descendants
5. By not knowing
1. Abraham experienced first-hand God's
1. Power over nature (Isaac's conception)
2. Power to redeem through failure
2. Prepared to trust God's miraculous power with offering Isaac 9. Walking in faith is done mostly without specific direction from God
1. Three instances of specific direction in entire 175 year life_[Slide of God speaking to Abraham]_
1. Go out of Haran (75)
2. Keep the covenant (99, 25 years later)
3. Sacrifice Isaac (115? 15 years later?)
4. One of the most significant characters in Scripture it only tells us of three times God gave him direction
2. Only two with lasting elements of obedience
1. Live in Haran, direction for the rest of his days
2. Keep covenant, activity for the rest of his days
3. Significant things in rest of his life
1. Going to Egypt
2. Deceiving Pharaoh about Sarah
3. Separating from Lot
4. Going to war, rescuing Lot
5. Having Ishmael with Hagar
6. Pleading with the Lord about the righteous in Sodom
7. Deceiving Abimelech about Sarah
8. Burying Sarah, negotiating the burial plot
9. Finding a wife for Isaac
10. Marrying Keturah
4. Many other intervening years we know nothing about with no specific direction from the Lord, as far as we know
6. Point is this:
1. If God needs to accomplish as great of things through you as He did through Abraham
1. Birth a nation
2. Start the line of the most significant person in all of history (Christ)
3. Establish a pattern of righteousness through faith for all generations afterwards
2. He won't need to tell more than 3 specific things
4. If on the same schedule as Abraham, but live to 100, you're going to hear from him at 42, 56 and 65--and that's it!
6. What are you going to be doing the rest of the time??
1. Waiting for Him to tell you what to do next?
2. Does He do that?
3. Instead: grow in wisdom and knowledge of God to take action accordingly. Each of Abraham's "non specific" actions:
1. Either done well by knowing something of God (ex. separating from Lot accomplished peace)
2. Or done poorly by failing to act according to the knowledge of God (ex. Marriage being avenue of children, not Hagar!)
7. More likely we are like Ruth or Esther: no specific direction from God, but must rely on His wisdom and knowledge of who he is 11. Conclusion
1. Walking in faith is a process of growth
2. Walking in faith will include mistakes
3. Walking in faith will include living with mystery
4. Walking in faith is done mostly without specific direction from God

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
December 29th, 2019
Rhetorical theme: Love of the brethren
Logical theme: The love of the brethren is a primary occupation of the believer.
Outline
1. Introduction
1. Interesting time of year
1. Reflect on what has happened
2. Look forward to what is to come
3. You hear a lot about resolutions
1. Things to start
2. Things to stop
3. Things to keep doing
2. If you're having trouble thinking of things to work on this new year…there's one thing we as Christians can always have on our list: loving the brethren.
1. If we're not doing it, we should certainly start
2. If we're avoiding it, we should certainly stop.
3. If we're doing it, we should certainly grow in it.
3. Thessalonians are a wonderful example of love
1. In 1 Thess. Paul praises them for their love
2. Broadly known throughout the Macedonian region
3. Yet, Paul encourages them to excel still more in love
[Read 1 Thess. 4:9-12]
5. Love of the brethren is **learned** but **living**. (4:9-10)
2. Learned (v9)
1. Taught by God, not men
2. Go a little beyond this passage to understand details
1. How are we taught?
1. 1 John 2:27 anointing in us teaches us
2. John 14:26 the Helper teaches all things
2. Why not from men?
1. He is the example: 1 John 3:16 we know love by Christ's sacrifice
2. He gave us the commandment: 1 John 3:23 love one another
3. He is the source: 1 John 4:7-8 love is from God
4. Can we learn from other men?
1. Men can show God's love but it is just that: God's love
2. There is no "building onto" God's love and expanding it, we either reflect it or not
3. A student can exceed the skill of his master in almost any earthly skill. But the student of God's love can never do this, never exceed God's love.
3. Living (v10)
1. Though taught, never accomplished
_[Illustration: many analogies to more tangible skills. How many college graduates do you know with a specific degree who were set for their career for life? Probably no one. It's understood that an education (college, trade school, on-the-job training) is just the beginning. So it is with love, the essential skill of the believer.]_
3. Excel still more in two ways
1. Quantitative growth (love more often, love more people)
2. Qualitative (love better)
_[Illustration: human growth. Much of our growth at first is adding skills. When we first come out, we learn to breath air. Then we drink, see, smile, laugh, crawl, walk, talk, etc. Our quantity of skills grows. As we mature, we continue to grow, but now more in quality than quantity. We learn to speak more eloquently or think more logically or cook more deliciously.]_
_[Illustration: Like talents--both natural and nurtured. Lionel Messi, perhaps the best, most naturally-gifted soccer player to ever play. No one could teach him some of the things he can do. Yet, he recently explained in an interview how he has learned to improve his freekick success by careful study of goalkeeper's movements.]_
7. Love of the brethren is **private** but **public**. (4:11-12)
2. Private in its ambitions (v11)
1. Lead a quiet life
1. Quiet - not silent, but calm, peaceful, ordered, see Acts 11:18
2. _[Illustration: Ever taken a moment to contemplate modern-day city services? Trash pickup, sewer, water, gas, electricity, etc… They quietly hum along--necessary, essential, important, foundational to the efficiencies of modern living. We don't notice them because they work so well: quietly, organized, efficient, well-run, ordered. Their quiet functioning frees us to do so much that would be impossible if we were concern with hauling water, removing our trash, etc, etc. So, a quiet life for the believer frees us to serve and love others and so is one of the pillars of a smoothly functioning lifestyle that enables loving the brethren.]_
2. Mind your own business
1. Obvious one, but repeated often--must be a needed message!
2. Other references
1. 1 Peter 4:15, 2 Thess. 3:11, 1 Tim. 5:13
2. Prov. 25:17 - the most blunt!
3. Work with your own hands
1. Consistently Paul's own example
2. Frees you to:
1. Provide for others yourself as you are not be a burden to the assembly
2. This, in turn, frees the assembly to provide for the truly needy
3. 2 Thess. 3:10-12 is very clear
1. Problems are
1. Unwillingness to work
2. Undisciplined lifestyle
3. Being busybodies
2. Problems are _not_
1. Those who we support to free them for full time gospel work
2. Those who we support because they cannot work
_Transition: if the private foundation of a believer's life is solid, the fruit can be manifested publicly in his ability to generously love others._
6. Public in its fruit (v12)
1. Proper behavior toward outsiders (unbelievers)
1. Well-ordered lives are good testimonies
2. Loving communities are rare
3. Perhaps, if we've grown up in Christian, well-ordered homes, we don't realize the profound impact seeing one can have_[Illustration: article about Mormon mommy-blogger reader. These are just blogs which surely don't portray the full breadth of what a real Mormon home is like, just like any other social-media. But they show the power of attraction that a well-ordered, peaceful, restful life can have on someone today when this is so far from the norm.]_
2. Not be in need: we have the freedom to be a provider instead of a consumer, contributing to the love expressed by a church and not just consuming it
7. Observations
1. Two seem obvious, one less so
1. Quiet life: our culture emphasizes/rewards hectic lives--more convicting
2. Mind your own business: though there are downsides to it, our culture is very private and individualistic, seems pretty obvious to us, as a result
3. Work with your own hands: our culture rewards hard work and generally punishes laziness
4. We have some godly values instilled in our culture, some weaknesses too
2. No pattern prescribed
1. No schedule given (10 minutes rest and 50 minutes work per hour, two trips a year, etc)
2. Each person's gifting, calling, personality, strengths and weaknesses are different
3. Right application
1. Personal conviction
2. Encouragement to others (help them lead restful lives)
4. Bad application: "because his schedule would overwhelm me, it must overwhelm him too"
8. Conclusion
1. The new year is a natural time to take stock of things in our lives
1. Reflect on where we started
2. Consider where we are now
3. Examine where we are going
2. As we do so, let's especially consider how we love the brethren
1. Look to be taught by God
2. Remember that our love is a living thing--it should grow in quantity and quality
3. Resolve to make our ambition to strengthen our private habits
4. Watch for the public fruit that God brings
Why I can't stop reading Mormon housewife blogs
I'm a young, feminist atheist who can't bake a cupcake. Why am I addicted to the shiny, happy lives of these women?
…
So why, exactly, are these blogs so fascinating to women like us -- secular, childless women who may have never so much as baked a cupcake, let alone reupholstered our own ottomans with thrifted fabric and vintage grosgrain ribbon?
…
Well, to use a word that makes me cringe, these blogs are weirdly "uplifting." To read Mormon lifestyle blogs is to peer into a strange and fascinating world where the most fraught issues of modern living -- marriage and child rearing -- appear completely unproblematic. This seems practically subversive to someone like me, weaned on an endless media parade of fretful stories about "work-life balance" and soaring divorce rates and the perils of marrying too young/too old/too whatever. And don't even get me started on the Mommy Blogs, which make parenthood seem like a vale of judgment and anxiety, full of words like "guilt" and "chaos" and "BPA-free" and "episiotomy." Read enough of these, and you'll be ready to remove your own ovaries with a butter knife.

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
February 9th, 2020
Family Bible Hour
**Rhetorical theme**: Fasting
**Full theme**: What the Bible teaches about fasting.
1. Introduction
1. Topic of fasting
1. Probably not an unfamiliar term to you
2. "Facebook fasts"
3. Popular dieting trend: Intermittent fasting
4. Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican practice during lent (starting in a couple of weeks)
5. In form or another, fasting is present in our culture
2. Scripture speaks of it too
1. Israelites fasted
2. Moses, Elijah, Hannah, Esther, Nehemiah, Ezra, Jesus and Paul all fasted
3. Like me?
1. Unsure exactly what Bible says
2. Required or recommended?
3. Purpose?
4. Relevant for today? How? 3. Purpose of fasting
1. Examine: when does Scripture speak of fasting
1. Praying, inquiring of the Lord
1. Israel, going into battle against Benjamin (Judges 20:26)
2. David, baby's life (2 Sam. 12:16)
3. Jehoshaphat and Israel, huge army coming against them (2 Chron. 20:3)
4. Ezra and Israel, seeking protection for their journey (Ezra 8:21)
5. Nehemiah, favor from the king (Neh. 1:4)
6. Jews, success for Esther (Esther 4:16)
7. Daniel, answer regarding 70 years in Jeremiah (Dan. 9:3)
8. Anna, fasted continually in the temple with prayer (Luke 2:37)
9. Cornelius, praying and fasting (Acts 10:30 [NKJV])
10. Antioch believers, praying for Saul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3)
11. Paul and Barnabas, appoint elders with prayer and fasting (Acts 14:17)
12. Believers, devoting themselves to prayer and fasting (1 Cor. 7:5 [NKJV])
2. Repentance
1. Israel, upon return of the ark from the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:6)
2. God, asking Israel to truly repent (Joel 2:12)
3. Ninevites, after hearing Jonah's message from God (Jonah 3:5)
3. Confession of sin
1. Nehemiah, Israel's sins (Neh. 1:4)
2. Israel, having returned to Jerusalem (Neh. 9:1)
3. Daniel, Israel's sins (Dan. 9:3)
4. Mourning
1. Men, after death of Jonathan and Saul (1 Sam. 31:13, 2 Sam. 1:12, 1 Chron. 10:12)
2. Jews, hearing Haman's decree (Esther 4:3)
3. God, asking Israel to fast and mourn (Joel 2:12)
4. Ezra, mourning unfaithfulness of exiles (Ezra 10:6)
5. Daniel, after hearing prophecy of Messiah being cut off (Dan. 10:3)
2. Common theme: humility
1. Prayer: we need God's help and guidance
2. Repentance and confession of sins: we fail and need God's forgiveness
3. Mourning: we are frail and all succumb to death
4. David fasted for this purpose (Ps. 35:13)
4. Why fasting may be relevant to us
1. Rich society
1. Such an abundance of all necessities
2. Rarely, if ever, have we been in true need
3. I can't think of a single time I ever truly feared for a real necessity: food, shelter, clothing, love
1. Closest I got: hail storm on mountain hike, found shelter under a rock, had coats, backpack for protection, lift station not far away if help was needed
4. I think it's possible for this to lull us into a false sense of security
2. Reality is, we are much closer than we think
1. Food supply illustration
1. Not scaring you, but how much is your control?
2. What did you do to make that food grow? Sun, rain, fertilize?
3. What farm does your food come from? Is he reliable?
4. Who does he ship it to? Is their safety good?
5. What if a few parts break down? Prolonged bad weather? Electricity goes out? Roads aren't maintained? Gas supply runs out for transportation? Refrigeration not possible?
2. How much do you depend on electricity?
1. Even after it gets to your house, do you really control it?
2. Do you even know what this stuff is?
3. Where is your power generated?
4. When your power goes out, you remember how nice it is that there are workers out there who know how to restore it. You're appreciation goes up! Your humility goes up! Your bravado goes down.
3. Fasting reminds us how dependent we are on the Lord
1. Certainly very practical reason: hunger pangs can remind us to pray
2. But, biggest reason: reminds us how frail and dependent we are, humbles us
5. Mechanics of fasting
1. Fasting can be done together
1. Few: men (1 Sam. 31:13)
2. Many: all of Judah (2 Chron. 20:3)
2. Fasting can be done alone
1. David (2 Sam. 12:16)
2. Many others
1. Moses on Mt. Sinai (Ex. 34:28)
2. Elijah going to Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
3. Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4:2)
3. Fasting can be for a short time
1. Israel, just a day (1 Sam. 7:6)
2. Israel, just an evening (Judges 20:26)
3. Darius, just a night (Dan. 6:18)
4. Fasting can be for a long time
1. Few men: seven days (1 Sam. 31:13)
2. Moses, Elijah and Jesus for 40 days and nights (Matt. 4:2, Ex. 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8)
3. Daniel for three weeks (Dan. 10:3)
5. Fasting can be spontaneous
1. David, when his baby was dying (2 Sam. 12:16)
2. Jehoshaphat and Israel, when large army came against them (2 Chron. 20:3)
6. Fasting can be planned
1. Jews, in response to God's word through Jeremiah (Jer. 36:9)
2. Jews, feast of booths after returning to Jerusalem (Neh. 9:1)
3. Purim (Esther 9:31)
7. Fasting almost always has a favorable outcome for the faster
1. Israel, victory against Benjamin (Judges 20:26)
2. Jehoshaphat, deliverance from large army (2 Chron. 20:3)
3. Ninevites, God relents of His judgement (Jonah 3:5)
4. Ezra, protected on journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21)
5. Nehemiah, favorable answer from the king (Neh. 1:4)
6. Daniel, seeking answers after observing Jeremiah (Dan. 9:3)
8. Fasting doesn't always have a favorable outcome for the faster
1. David, his baby died (2 Sam. 12:16)
9. Fasting can be done for yourself
1. Daniel, seeking answers (Dan. 9:3)
2. David, for his child (2 Sam. 12:16)
3. Ninevites, their own preservation (Jonah 3:5)
10. Fasting can be done on behalf of others
1. Nehemiah for Jerusalem's plight (Neh. 1:4)
2. Jews for Esther (Esther 4:16)
3. Ezra, for unfaithfulness of exiles (Ezra 10:6)
11. Fasting is never commanded: only interpreted as part of the command to "humble your souls" during the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29)
6. Warnings about fasting
1. Fasting cannot manipulate God
1. David, true humility, but could not change God's decision (2 Sam. 12:16)
2. Fasting must reflect the inner man: right with God or a desire to be right with God
1. Ahab, difference between 1 Kings 21:4 and 21:27
1. No trouble seeing Ahab's heart in v4
2. Surprising true humility in v27
3. It was as easy for God to see Ahab's true humility in v27 as it is for us to see his selfishness in v4
2. Israel, fasted sincerely, but got this confused (Is. 58:3)
1. They bowed their heads, put on sackcloth and ashes, why did God not hear?
2. But, they mistreated each other, their works, had strife and contention, did not feed the hungry, cloth the naked, house the homeless
3. Pharisee, proud of his fasting compared to humble tax collector (Luke 18:12)
1. Pharisee's fasting did him no good because it did not reflect an inner, humble man
2. Tax collector had no pretenses of righteousness
3. Fasting is better done in secret to avoid the praise of men
1. Hypocrites, fasted and made sure everyone saw (Matt. 6:16)
4. Fasting is not the right tool for every battle
1. Saul's oath to not eat in battle (1 Sam. 14:24)
1. 14:24 Saul commits everyone to fast
2. 14:29 Jonathan exposes the foolishness of it
2. Contrast to Christ's fasting before temptation (Matt. 4:2)
1. Might think top physical needed to resist
2. But, it was a spiritual battle and fasting prepared Him
3. Right tool for spiritual battles, not physical
8. Conclusion
1. Battle is not against flesh and blood, it is spiritual (Eph. 6:2)
2. By ourselves, we are no equipped to win this battle!
3. We depend entirely on the Lord
4. To with this battle we must rely on Him in total humility
5. Fasting is a useful weapon in our arsenal to help us humble ourselves
Raw notes from fasting study
1. What fasting is
1. Fasting can be done in groups
1. Judah (2 Chron. 20:3)
2. Israel (Judges 20:26, 2 Sam. 1:12, 1 Sam. 7:6)
3. Men ( 1 Sam. 31:13)
2. Fasting can be done alone
1. David (2 Sam. 12:16)
2. Ahab (1 Kings 21:27)
3. Jesus (Matt. 4:2)
4. Moses (Ex. 34:28)
5. Elijah (1 Kings 19:8)
3. Fasting can be for a short time
1. Just an evening (Judges 20:26, 2 Sam. 1:12)
2. Just a day (1 Sam. 7:6)
3. Just a night (Dan. 6:18)
4. Fasting can be for a long time
1. Seven days (1 Sam. 31:13)
2. Long enough to make David weak and thin (Ps. 109:24)
3. 40 days and nights (Matt. 4:2, Ex. 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8)
4. Three weeks (Dan. 10:3)
5. Fasting can be done on behalf of others
1. Nehemiah for Israel (Neh. 1:4)
2. Jews for Esther (Esther 4:16)
3. David, when his enemies were sick (Ps. 35:13)
4. Ezra, mourning sins of exiles (Ezra 10:6)
6. Fasting can be spontaneous
1. David, when his baby was dying (2 Sam. 12:16)
2. Jehoshaphat and Israel, when large army came against them (2 Chron. 20:3)
3. Ahab, hearing his judgement (1 Kings 21:17)
4. Ezra and Jews, needing protection for their journey (Ezra 8:21)
5. Nehemiah, hearing Jerusalem's state (Neh. 1:4)
6. Jews, for Esther visiting the king (Esther 4:16)
7. Men, after burying Jonathan and Saul (1 Sam. 31:13, 2 Sam. 1:12, 1 Chron. 10:12)
7. Fasting can be planned
1. Jews, feast of booths after returning to Jerusalem (Neh. 9:1)
2. Purim (Esther 9:31)
3. Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29)
8. Fasting can make you physically weak
1. David (Ps. 109:24)
9. Fasting may be reproached by others
1. David (Ps. 69:10)
10. Fasting almost always has a favorable outcome for the faster
1. Ahab, no judgement in his life (1 Kings 21:27)
2. Jehoshaphat, deliverance from large army (2 Chron. 20:3)
3. Ezra, protected on journey to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21)
4. Israel, victory against Benjamin (Judges 20:26)
5. Nehemiah, favorable answer from the king (Neh. 1:4)
6. Daniel, seeking answers after observing Jeremiah (Dan. 9:3)
7. Ninevites, God relents of His judgement (Jonah 3:5)
11. Fasting doesn't always have a favorable outcome for the faster
1. David, his baby died (2 Sam. 12:16)
12. Fasting is an earthly practice and will not be needed when we are with Christ
1. Disciples, did not fast when with Jesus (Matt. 9:14)
13. Fasting is only commanded as part of the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29)
2. Purpose of fasting
1. Reflect true humility
1. Israel, after second defeat against Benjamin (Judges 20:26)
1. They asked "who shall go up" (assuming they should)
2. Then they asked "shall we go up again"
3. Then they asked again "shall we go up again or cease" (confessing their own sin through the offerings with fasting)
2. Ahab, after hearing of his judgement (1 Kings 21:27)
3. Jehoshaphat, powerless against the army (2 Chron. 20:3)
4. Ezra and Jews, seeking protection for their journey (Ezra 8:21)
5. God, asking Israel to repent (Joel 2:12)
2. Accompany humbling events in life
1. Fasting can accompany inquiring of the Lord (prayer)
1. Israel, going into battle against Benjamin (Judges 20:26)
2. David, baby's life (2 Sam. 12:16)
3. Jehoshaphat and Israel, huge army coming against them (2 Chron. 20:3)
4. Ezra and Israel, seeking protection for their journey (Ezra 8:21)
5. Nehemiah, praying for Jerusalem (Neh. 1:4)
6. Jews, success for Esther (Esther 4:16)
7. Daniel, after observing 70 years in Jeremiah (Dan. 9:3)
8. Anna, fasted continually in the temple with prayer (Luke 2:37)
9. Antioch believers, praying for Saul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3)
10. Paul and Barnabas, appoint elders with prayer and fasting (Acts 14:17)
11. Believers, devoting themselves to prayer and fasting (1 Cor. 7:5 [NKJV])
12. Cornelius, praying and fasting (Acts 10:30 [NKJV])
2. Fasting can accompany repentance
1. Israel, upon return of the ark from the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:6)
2. God, asking Israel to truly repent (Joel 2:12)
3. Ninevites, after hearing Jonah's message from God (Jonah 3:5)
3. Fasting can accompany mourning
1. Men, after death of Jonathan and Saul (1 Sam. 31:13, 2 Sam. 1:12, 1 Chron. 10:12)
2. David, before death of David and Bathsheba's baby (2 Sam. 12:16)
3. Ahab, hearing his judgement (1 Kings 21:27)
4. Nehemiah, hearing the plight of Jerusalem (Neh. 1:4)
5. Jews, hearing Haman's decree (Esther 4:3)
6. God, asking Israel to fast and mourn (Joel 2:12)
7. Jesus, associates fasting and morning (Matt. 9:14)
8. Ezra, mourning unfaithfulness of exiles (Ezra 10:6)
9. Daniel, after hearing prophecy of Messiah being cut off (Dan. 10:3)
4. Fasting can accompany confession of sin
1. Israel, after second defeat against Benjamin (Judges 20:26)
2. Nehemiah, on behalf of Israel (Neh. 1:4)
3. Israel, during feast of booths upon returning to Jerusalem (Neh. 9:1)
4. Daniel, on behalf of Israel (Dan. 9:3)
5. Fasting can accompany service to the Lord
1. Anna, fasting and serving in the temple (Luke 2:37)
2. Antioch believers, fasting and ministering (Acts 13:2)
6. Fasting can accompany great spiritual tasks
1. Moses, receiving ten commandments (Ex. 34:28)
2. Jesus, resisting Satan's temptation (Matt. 4:2)
3. Fasting can be for the purpose of humbling yourself
1. David (Ps. 35:13)
4. Fasting can teach us to depend on spiritual strength over physical strength
1. Jesus, fasted 40 days before Satan tempted him (Matt. 4:2)
1. Certainly physically weak
2. Yet, showed now weakness in temptation
3. Full of the Word
3. Warnings regarding fasting
1. Fasting should be done in secret rather than for the praise of man
1. Hypocrites, fasted and made sure everyone saw (Matt. 6:16)
2. Fasting cannot manipulate God
1. David, stopped when his baby died (2 Sam. 12:16)
2. Israel, fasting ritually without inward righteousness (Is. 58:3)
3. Israel, sinning but still fasting (Jer. 14:12)
3. Fasting is a reflection of the inner man being right with or desiring to be right with the Lord, it is not a ritual to be performed purely out of obedience or habit
1. Israel (Is. 58:3)
1. Fasted, bowed their heads, put on sackcloth and outwardly humbled themselves
2. Wondered at not being heard
3. God responds that He would rather see
1. Good treatment of workers
2. Peace (not contention and strife)
3. Removing wickedness
4. Freeing those who are oppressed
5. Feeding hungry
6. Clothing the naked
7. House the homeless
8. Care for your people
4. These things would reveal a heart in alignment with the Lord for which fasting is a true benefit
2. Israel, fasted and confessed, but continued in sin (Jer. 14:12)
3. Israel, fasting regularly through the year, but without humble hearts (Zech. 7:5)
1. God would rather see
1. True justice
2. Kindness
3. Compassion
4. No oppression for widows and orphans, stranger or poor
5. No devising evil in our hearts against one another
2. Israel would not listen when called to, so fasting (them calling on God) was ignored
4. Hypocrites, fasted so everyone would see (Matt. 6:16)
5. Pharisee, proud of his fasting compared to humble tax collector (Luke 18:12)
4. Fasting is foolish if the battle ahead is physical
1. Saul, swore his men to a fast (1 Sam. 14:24)
1. Jonathan summarizes the foolishness of it: victory would have been much greater if the men had their strength
5. Fasting can be done in selfish pouting for no spiritual purpose at all
1. Ahab, after Naboth would not give him his vineyard (1 Kings 21:4)

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Bible Chapel of Shawnee
April 5th, 2020
Teaching meeting, online with Zoom during coronavirus "stay-at-home" order
River Valley Christian Fellowship
April 19th, 2020
Teaching meeting, online with Google meet during coronavirus "stay-at-home" order
Rhetorical theme: The thought patterns of a mature believer
Full theme: The thought patterns of a mature believer lead him to mature action in the Lord.
1. Introduction
1. Inner thoughts of a believer
2. A remarkable transformation
1. From depths of despair
2. To proclaiming hope
3. How?
1. No a super-Christian
2. Revelation of man's internal thoughts
4. Thought patterns of a mature believer
1. Strengthen upward thoughts
2. Matures us to expand our thoughts outward
3. Begins inward
2. Inward (vv1-2)
1. He is in trouble
2. He admits his trouble
3. He calls out to the Lord
3. Upward (vv3-6)
1. Sin and Forgiveness
2. Waiting and Hoping
4. Outward (vv7-8)
1. Seeing the needs of others
2. Hope for the future
5. Conclusion
# Introduction
Psalm 130 records the thoughts of a believer who goes through a remarkable transformation: from the depths of despair to proclaiming hope in the Lord to his nation.
How does this transformation happen?
This is not a psalm about a unique event or a special tragedy or an especially remarkable man accomplishing a gargantuan feat that no one can again accomplish. This is not a super-Christian battling forces of darkness with fantastic spiritual super powers.
No, instead, it is the straightforward revelation of a man's internal thoughts as they transform from deep darkness to light; of despair to hope for the future; of desperation for his own rescue to confidence that others can be rescued as well.
What we see in this psalm are the thought patterns of a mature believer; patterns we ought to emulate and repeat in our own lives.
Now, when I say "mature believer", I want to make sure you've got the same picture that I do. I don't mean someone who "has it all figured out". I definitely don't mean someone who has reached some "higher spiritual plane". All I mean is someone who has walked with the Lord for a long time and has trained his thoughts in the patterns we'll see. He falls. He fails. He's done it before and he's experienced enough to recognize it and know how to get back up again.
If we copy these patterns of thought, they will drive us to strengthen our upward confidence in the Lord and then matures us to expand our thoughts outward toward our fellow men. But, it begins where it must: our inward thoughts, thoughts directed toward ourselves.
_Read Psalm 130._
# Inward
_Read verses 1-2._
The author of this psalm begins by revealing the state of his mind: his inward thoughts. He uses only two words to do this: "the depths".
## He is in trouble
By themselves "the depths" might conjure up enough for us to imagine that he is in some kind of trouble. He's not feeling good. But, this word isn't just a word for how deep a hole might be. Everywhere else it's used in Scripture, it's used to describe deep waters and especially the depths of the sea. That's another kind of "depths" altogether.
If you've ever taken a swim you can begin to imagine the analogy he is painting. You've probably felt the slight panic to get back to the surface when you stayed under the water a little too long. You've perhaps felt the water pressure when you dove down to the deep end of the pool.
But, the swimming pool is nothing like the depths of the sea. When you get down deep, the light disappears. The sunlight fades until there is only utter blackness. If help was on the way to pull you out, you couldn't see it coming. You can't even see your hand in front of your face. You're surrounded by darkness. There are no waypoints. No landmarks to recognize. No signs to point the way of escape.
All comfort of heat vanishes the deeper you sink. Before much depth, the cold becomes unbearable.
As the waters above increase, the pressure mounts until it would easily crush you.
Then, of course, you cannot breath. In the depths of the sea you are far from the surface, far from breath. You will suffocate in a matter of minutes--certainly before you make it to the top on your own.
Darkness, cold, pressure, suffocation--it paints a desperate, hopeless, life-threatening situation. This man is in great trouble.
## He admits he's in trouble
But, notice the first thought pattern we can recognize of a mature believer. It's the one important thing he does first: he admits he's in trouble. There's no denial here. There's no trying to make the situation not seem so bleak. He's in trouble he cannot escape. He knows it and he says so. This is the first thing we can note as the sign of a mature believer. The mature believer makes honest confession of his desperate need. He frankly admits his trouble and makes no attempt to hide it from himself or from the Lord.
## He calls out to the Lord
The second thought pattern of a mature believer is quickly noticed next. Admitting his situation has freed him ask for help.
What would you do if you were sinking, with no one in sight to save you?
I think my first instinct would be to call out as loudly as I could for someone--anyone at all--to come rescue me!
My second oldest, Gideon, is not quite able to dress himself yet. When he gets stuck in his shirt or can't quite work the button on his pants, he has the habit of desperately calling out "Somebody! Anybody!". He doesn't care if me or Grace or even his brother (sometimes) helps him. He just needs someone to get this shirt off!
But, this is not exactly what he does here. He cries out. But he specifically calls out to only one person: the Lord. And there's no doubt who he means. He uses the name of the Lord, Yahweh. He pleads with Him to hear his voice, to hear the voice of his supplications; or, "pleas for mercy" as the ESV translates it.
It seems counterintuitive to call out for a specific person. If he's truly desperate wouldn't any help be welcome, no matter who it came from? But, this too is a thought pattern of a mature believer. He knows the One who not only _can_ save him, but is _willing_ to save him. There is only One such person and He is the Lord.
He is the one who will put it on the heart of your spouse to say the right kind word at the right time. Or burden a preacher with an exhortation from the Word that encourages you. Or embolden your brother to give you the strong admonition you need.
An interesting thing happens next. From a dire situation, his thoughts begin to shift. His calling out to the Lord has shifted his focus from his circumstances to the Lord Himself. He now begins to drift away from his inward thoughts and toward upward thoughts.
# Upward
_Read verses 3-6._
Notice how his thoughts are still on himself, but no longer inward. His thoughts have turned to who he is in light of his relationship to a holy God. They have turned upward.
## Sin and Forgiveness
What would it be like if the Lord marked our iniquities? What if he kept a record and closely watched them? It's obvious--our case would be hopeless! We'd have no chance of standing at that judgment.
Think of the things this reveals about his view of God in relation to himself:
- First, he knows he has sinned and does not hide it
- He knows his sin is serious, and it has fearful consequences
- He also knows the Lord knows these sins
- Beyond this, he knows he ought to be rightfully accountable to the Lord for these sins
- But, he also believes that the Lord does not keep a record of these sins
- More than that, he knows it's not a matter of the Lord misplacing the official sin record, but the marks are gone because there is _forgiveness_ with the Lord
- As a result of this forgiveness, he fears the Lord
So, we can notice the third and fourth thought patterns of a mature believer.
First, he knows he is a sinner, forgiven by a loving God. This is how he stands, even though he has sinned. This is both a humbling admission and a strengthening encouragement and they are in a kind of balance. Thinking only of ourselves as sinners neglects the truth of God's work to forgive us. Thinking only of the forgiveness we have in the Lord neglects the truth of our sinfulness that necessitated His work in the first place.
Second, rather than a license to sin, this forgiveness leads him to fall fearfully before the Lord in humble worship. Perhaps, like me, you don't normally associate God's forgiveness with fearing Him. I, for one, am much more likely to associate it with relief or gratefulness or happiness.
But the connection is perhaps closer than we think. When we acknowledge that God is the one who forgives our sin, at the same time, we're acknowledging that He has the authority and the power to do so. The natural reaction to such a thought is to fear, follow and worship such a God who wields such power over us, but choses instead to forgive us.
The forgiveness of the Lord also frees a man to leave the things behind him (his sins, weaknesses and failures) and press on in the work of the Lord. In other words, it leads to a greater desire to follow the Lord. As we follow Him, we know Him better. As we know Him better, we can only fear Him more. This certainly seemed to be Paul's mindset in Philippians 3:
Philippians 3:12–17
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;
16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Notice the connection and progression from leaving what lays behind to striving for the upward call to keeping an attitude of holy living.
## Waiting and Hoping
Earlier, in verses 1-2, the psalmist honestly admits his circumstances and this leads him to action: to call out to the Lord for rescue. Here too, having turned his thoughts upward to the Lord's forgiveness of his sins, he now takes action. He trains his thoughts on waiting for the Lord and hoping in His word.
There are at least two things to notice in these two verses. First, the repetition and second, the comparison to the watchmen.
It's interesting how he repeats, to himself, how he will wait for the Lord. It's almost as if he needs more than one reminder to wait for Him. Perhaps he is retraining his thoughts away from fearfulness and despair to an expectant, waiting hopefulness.
Keep in mind that we have no indication that his circumstances have changed at all. But his thinking is brightening considerably. His concentration is no longer on his circumstances, but on the Lord who certainly will rescue him.
Second, we should ask ourselves what the waiting of a watchman for the morning is like. Even for a new watchman, on his first day on the job, I can't imagine he has any question or uncertainty about the morning coming! There is a confidence that the sun will rise and the watch will end.
The fifth thought pattern of a mature believer now emerges. He trains his thoughts to confidently hope in the Lord, waiting on His rescue, no matter the circumstances.
As before, now another interesting things happens. As he moves away from inward thinking to upward thinking, he grows in his confidence to trust the Lord as he remembers the lovingkindness of the Lord. In that confidence his thoughts now turn completely away from himself and outward, towards his fellow countrymen.
# Outward
_Read verses 7-8._
Now, the mood of the psalmist has completely changed from where he started. Far from crying out in desperation for help, he is now calling out to his countrymen to hope in the Lord!
I think we can notice two more thought patterns of the psalmist to emulate.
## Seeing the needs of others
The first is a sense of responsibility to share his confidence in the Lord with others.
His thinking has been so transformed that, though we still have no indication that he has been rescued, he sees the need of his fellow man for the same trusting hope in the Lord. His own issues are no longer the only ones he sees. Others are in similar circumstances, similar "depths". So, he calls on them to hope based on two characteristics of the Lord: His lovingkindness and his abundant redemption.
## Confidence in the future
The second is a confidence in the future actions of the Lord.
How does he know that God will redeem Israel from all his iniquities?
I think the answer is relatively simple. He has seen the past actions of the Lord in his life. He has observed the character of the Lord worked out in his own life. Having drawn closer to the Lord, he knows Him better and can look out into the future, confident that the Lord will do the same then as He has done in the past.
# Conclusion
To summarize this psalm, I think we could say this. The mature believer is not someone who has reached a higher plane of Christian living, never finding himself in the depths, but always thinking upward and outward. I'm confident that every believer finds himself in the depths at some time or another and most likely even quite regularly.
Remember, the one writing this psalm, who I see as a very mature believer, is one who has fallen! But remember what Proverbs 24:16 says:
Proverbs 24:16
16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
Rising again is what the mature believer does. But how? That is what this Psalm spells out for us.
The mature believer is the one whose has learned certain patterns of thought to a consistent way of thinking that does one simple thing: it always turns him to the Lord for rescue. This then enables him to grow his thoughts from necessary introspection (those inward thoughts), upward, to the joy of the reality of his relationship with the Lord. It also emboldens him to reach outward to share with those around him the bounty of hope and lovingkindness available in the Lord.
_Don't close in prayer (RVCF meeting…they discuss afterward)._
Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents.
1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.
3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.
8 And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

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1. Faith and works
1. How do they work together?
2. Abraham and Sarah
1. God told them they would have a child
2. Both very old--beyond child-bearing years
3. Time passed after God promised them a child
4. Eventually, "gave up" and allowed Hagar into the mixed
5. God's plan all along was to give them a child through the means that He had always intended for children to be born: from within a marriage--between a man and his wife, no outside interference
6. Conclusion
1. Faith _should_ have meant trusting God that now extra-biblical method was going to be needed to accomplish God's own promise
2. Knowing God's plan is children within a marriage and give that Abraham and Sarah were already married, though tough, they should have waited for God to accomplish this with in the confines of their marriage
3. Going at it "according to the flesh" was forcing the promise of God
4. Going at it by faith would have meant
1. God's perfect timing
2. No marital problems
3. No generational problems (Ishmael's people are the Arabs)
3. Paul going to Rome
1. God told him he was going to testify in Rome
2. Even though he was shipwrecked and snake bit him, he knew he would survive and get through all of it (though, I'm sure, nothing felt easy) because he trusted Gods word
3. So, his actions (works) reflected his faith in God's word because he believed God, no matter what happened in the interim.
4. Moreover, he simply made his way to Rome.
1. Would you mistrust your choice of ship once you saw the foolishness of the captain and storm coming, causing a shipwreck?
2. Paul didn't seem to really ask any questions--he just went, finding his way along. The "failures" along the way--the amazing resistance he met with (snakes, shipwrecks, delays)--were not in his thinking in terms of causing him to doubt _his_ decision making--that is, that he "must have done something wrong" because it didn't look like he was getting to Rome any time soon
2. Hell
1. Words used for it?
2. How is it described in the NT and OT?
3. Can I really do it justice in a weeks' worth of study?
3. Book study
1. Hebrews? Have only just started…don’t know much yet at all. Seems like Hebrews has been done a lot lately
2. Something in the OT?