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Cell Curriculum Cell leaders can use this as an idea
sheet for teaching topics in cell or on retreats. Many of these topics will
be covered as you study certain books of the Bible (if you are studying the book
of Romans you’ll have to cover spiritual growth in Romans chapters 5-8). You
could make these into topical studies if you wish. Christian Principles: Provisions for Spiritual Growth The Word as a Means of Growth |
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Instructors
Overview :
· Importance of the Word as a means of growth
· Relationship with other means of growth
· Introduction to Inspiration
· Definition of Inspiration
Introduction
Before we begin to look at the Word as a means of growth,
let's take a moment to remember where the means of growth fit into the bigger
picture of us walking with Christ in the power of his Spirit.
Participation in the Means of Growth is
only one of three elements of walking by the Spirit.
· Setting your mind on the things of the Spirit,
· Sow to the Spirit (regular participation in the "means
of growth")
The Means of Growth
Prayer
Body Life (Fellowship and Ministry)
Suffering
· Keep in step with the Spirit (Responsiveness to God's personal leading)
In Church, we have extensively studied "who we are in
Christ." In other words, at the moment we receive Christ, our very
identity changes; God views us as adopted sons and daughters, forever accepted,
secure in Him, etc. Therefore, it is on the basis of what he has done for us on
the cross that we are to respond in certain ways in order to develop depth in
our relationship with him..
These responses include:
Our involvement in God's provisions for growth..
The means of growth- Un-like the discipline of the
Holy Spirit, which God initiates,
These means of growth are our responsibility.
Qualifications:
Beware of participating
in the “means of growth” legalistically!
They don't procure or maintain your
acceptance with God.
They don't make God more willing to
bless you.
Rather, they are provisions for
spiritual growth.
(NUTRITION & EXERCISE).
The means of Growth require
consistently seeking the Lord by faith. God will lead us toward spiritual
growth in a variety of ways and we are responsible to respond to his leading.
Therefore we should prioritize our spiritual growth.
You need consistent participation in all
of these means of growth (BALANCED DIET). This
is not like spiritual gifts, which we may legitimately specialize in or allow.
Habitual neglect of any means of growth can lead eventually to a complete
spiritual breakdown (EXAMPLES)
Most of us tend to gravitate naturally to
some means of growth, and to avoid others. So we say "I've never been a
student, people-person, etc." Be aware of this tendency, and cultivate a
taste for the ones you tend to avoid.
There is also interconnectedness to the
means of growth in which they each make the others more effective (EXAMPLE: The
Word helps us to pray more effectively; prayer helps us minister more
effectively).
Acts 2:42 is a memory verse in this
unit of study because it has all three of these means of growth, and emphasizes
consistency (" . . . they
continuously devoted themselves . . . "). This is a great verse to share
with new Christians, to help them get started on
the right
foot.
Importance of the Word as a means of growth
ESSENTIAL FOR SPIRITUAL HEALTH
(1 Pet. 2:2 like
newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in
respect to salvation,)
Attitude
Newborn babies "drink for their lives." You
need to be in the Word as though your life depends on it—because it does!
This passage is not just about new Christians. Peter says
that this attitude should characterize all Christians.
Appetite
Appetite is normally cultivated—it doesn't just happen
magically.
Most people don't start drinking beer or coffee because
they like the taste. They drink them because they like the effect—then they develop
a taste.
This is the way it usually is with the Word. It can be
difficult, and it is not always super-exciting. But the effect is great, so
this helps us cultivate an appetite for it.
Ask God to give you an insatiable hunger for his Word.
Then by faith, expose yourself to it—and watch God answer!
Aim
Peter says the goal is not merely that we may
"know," but that we may "grow."
This is the clearest passage that the Word is a means of
growth ("salvation" here is a synonym for sanctification).
See also Psalm 1; Matt. 7:24-27; Jn. 8:31,32; 17:17; 2
Cor. 3:18; Rom. 12:2; 1 Tim. 4:6.
There is no growth apart from
God's Word! No amount of intake from other means of growth can make up for
intake of the Word!
How often do we need Word intake?
Acts 2:42 and they were continually devoting themselves
to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer.
- The early church received apostolic teaching "daily."
MANNA (Deut.
8:3; Matt. 4:4) - They had to gather it daily—they could not store it up. It
didn't taste exciting, but it kept them from disease.
Deut. 8:3- "And He humbled you and let you be
hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers
know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone,
but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD
Ps. 1:2; 119:97 - The psalmist meditated on the Word
"day and night."
ESSENTIAL FOR SPIRITUAL MATURITY
(Heb. 5:11-14**) 11 concerning him we have much to say, and
it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by
this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach
you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need
milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not
accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is
for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern
good and evil.
These people were in a state of arrested spiritual
development because they were relatively ignorant of God's Word. We can
conclude that spiritual maturity is dependent upon in-depth understanding of
God's Word. The author holds high standards of biblical understanding for the
average Christian (to whom this is addressed).
He paints a
4-fold profile of spiritually mature people:
We should be familiar with the content of scripture (Heb. 5:13 - "accustomed to the word of
righteousness"). This means we should know all of the major doctrines of
the Bible (sin, salvation, nature of Christ and man, etc.), and be familiar
enough that we could find where they are taught.
We should be able to digest solid food. This means that they should be able not only to understand
and apply to their own lives the simpler "milk" truths (Old Testament
BASICS [Heb 6:1,2]; LOGIC OF SALVATION) . . .
. . . they should also be able to do this with more
advanced spiritual truths (Jesus and Melchizedek >> RELATIONSHIP OF OLD
COVENANT TO NEW COVENANT; BLESSINGS INVOLVED IN BEING "IN CHRIST").
Although we start by depending on being taught and continue to need teaching,
we should all get to the point where we can feed ourselves from the Word. This
is why we teach you Bible study methods.
We should be able to teach others. The gifted teacher is able to explain and apply
"solid food" to groups of people. But even if we don't have this
gift, we should at least be able to explain and apply biblical truths to other
Christians. This is different from the spiritual gift of teaching, which not
all Christians have (1 Cor. 12:29).
We should be able to discern good and evil (1 Cor. 2:15 - "able to appraise all things"). .
This refers to the developed ("who through practice
have trained their senses") ability to appraise every major area of life
from the perspective of God's Word, and reach a verdict about whether it is
true or false, of God or not, spiritually helpful or harmful (CRITICAL THINKING
ABOUT TEACHING >> 1 Cor. 14:29, BOOKS, MOVIES, LECTURES, DISCUSSIONS,
RELATIONSHIPS, PARENTING, DECISIONS, etc.)
Again, this is different from the spiritual gift of
discernment (1 Cor. 12:10), which is evidently the ability to detect demonic
activity in ways that most other Christians cannot.
"How quickly should we be able to
attain this level of understanding?"
We know these folks are behind schedule, but it's not
clear how long they had been Christians. Another passage gives us a better
idea.
Read 1 Cor. 2:13-3:2** ...which things we also speak, not
in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining
spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept
the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot
understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is
spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. 16 For
WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? But we have
the mind of Christ. 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual
men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink,
not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you
are not yet able,
This was about two to four years after Paul planted this
church. So we can look forward to a substantial level of maturity within a few
years—if we get into the Word seriously and are willing to be "doers"
as well as "hearers!"
In-depth knowledge of God's Word has been a core value at
Crosswinds over the years. We have a reputation for many things (some good and
some not so good), but one good thing is the reputation for, "knowing
their Bible." Much of our fruit can be traced to our conviction that all
Christians can and should learn the Bible to this level. We hope this remains a
core value, but it won't happen automatically.
What would
be some signs that we may be going soft in this area?
· Biblical knowledge is a gift. If we hear an increasing number of people
referring to this level of scriptural knowledge as a "gift" which
most do not have.
There are certain gifts, which involve special ability to
assimilate and communicate God's Word, and we must be careful not to expect
everyone to possess these abilities. But if we begin to view any of the
abilities listed above as gifts, we are compromising what God says all should
develop, and even our gifts won't be as effective as they could.
· Emphasize emotional experience opposed to
truth. If we hear an increasing number of people who speak of
spiritual maturity or spirituality more in terms of having emotional
experiences with God than in terms of knowing God's Word.
"I don't want to learn more of the Bible; I want to experience God." Having emotional experiences with God is NOT wrong or unimportant; we can expect that this will happen as we grow. Bible knowledge alone does not equal spiritual maturity. But our emotions and experiences are simply not reliable guides. Unless our lives are firmly anchored in God's Word, our emotions and experiences will lead us away from God into all kinds of trouble
· Emphasize love opposed to truth.
Loving people is
important; Paul says it is the key fruit of the Spirit. And there is such a
thing as knowledge without love that is prideful and ugly. But love must be
tempered and informed by the truth, or it degenerates into sentimentality
(Phil. 1:9; 1 Jn. 3:18). It is not by merely loving one another that we grow
and mature; it is by speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:14,15).
ESSENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE MINISTRY (2 Tim. 3:16-4:4)
(2 Tim. 3:16-17*): [if
time permits]
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness;
17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped
for every good work.
"Teaching": instructing
people in biblical doctrine
"Reproof/rebuke":
confronting people about personal disobedience
"Correction": illuminating areas
of ignorance and replacing them with correct attitudes and actions
"Training in righteousness":
showing people what godliness looks like and how to attain it
4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and
of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing
and His kingdom:
2
preach the word; be
ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great
patience and instruction.
3
3 For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will
accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires;
4
4 and will turn away their ears from the
truth, and will turn aside to myths.
· we learn the Word not only for ourselves, but also to give to others! Learning AND using the Word in our serving of others is
essential for several reasons; our ability to benefit from the Word will
diminish past a certain point, unless we are willing to use it to serve others.
Like the Dead Sea, we will be filled with all kinds of nutrients but void of
life because there is no outflow.
· using the Word in ministry also aids retention
("Use it or lose it.").
EXAMPLES: Sharing in home group what you've
been learning here; reaching out to younger Christians individually to help
them with what you've learned; praying for opportunities to share what you are
learning.
· Competence in the Word is required for effective ministry. Unless our ministries are Word-oriented, they will be
feelings/experience-centered, vulnerable to deception, etc.
· Without the Word you
will rely on human wisdom (yours
and others), manipulation, personality, opinions, etc. If we believe that it is
the Word that changes people's lives, we will make communicating it to others
in ministry the very center of what we do!
(Heb. 4:12*) For the word of God is living and active and
sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul
and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and
intentions of the heart.
Relationship With Other Means Of Growth
PRAYER
In our prayer life, the Bible provides the proper basis for knowing God by telling us what he is like. According to Jesus, effective prayer is based on the Word (John 15:7).
John promises, "If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him" (1 John 5:14).
This is a powerful promise, but
it is conditional. We have to ask "according to His will." But how do we know what God's will is apart from
Scripture?
MINISTRY
Serving love is a means of growth, but effective service
involves "speaking the truth in love"
(Ephesians 4:15). No ministry will have the power God wants it to have
unless the one ministering is powerful in the Word of God. Even
task-oriented ministers who may not teach or preach need the wisdom available
in God's Word. We will not be effective at ministry or in our personal growth
if we cannot fend off the attacks of Satan, and this is not possible unless we
are able to cite our authority from Scripture.
BODY-LIFE
The basis for Christian fellowship is not only love but also
truth. The Body of Christ is a community of truth, and these two can never be
separated. In Philippians 1:9-10 Paul prays, "that your love may abound
still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may
approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless
until the day of Christ." Truth is the framework that makes real love
possible. This is why we are called on to "speak the truth in love"
to one another (Ephesians 4:15).
DISCIPLINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The discipline of the Holy Spirit is a means of growth, but
it won't be effective unless we respond appropriately. We need Scripture, like
that in Hebrews 12, to teach us how to respond to discipline in a way that
promotes growth, as we shall see.
Introduction to Inspiration of Scripture
Because of the Word's
redemptive power, Satan attacks it.
Historically, he has continued to attack its INSPIRATION (divine
origin), CANONICITY (what books belong), INTERPRETATION (how to determine its
meaning), and APPLICATION. Over the next few weeks, we want to equip you in all
of these areas so you are confident of the truthfulness of the Bible and
confident about how to use it in your life and in ministry to others.
Specifically, you need to form deep convictions about the
Bible's inspiration, and be able to defend it (1 Pet. 3:15 but sanctify Christ
as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who
asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness
and reverence...)
—not prove it empirically, but defend it as reasonable.
Revelation & Speculation
In the Bible we have revelation from God of truth that
provides the means for salvation and how we grow closer to Him. Revelation from
God stands in marked contrast to men speculating about god.
(Special) Revelation is God disclosing truth about
himself and his plan to humans that could not be otherwise known (cf. 1 Cor.
2:10).
Reveal (apokalypto) -
To unveil something that was previously hidden or to bring into view something
that was out of sight. It is a divine act in which God unveiled himself to man
through a verbal form of communication over a period of time. He did this by
choosing a select group of people to whom he communicated the reality about:
· Himself
· Humans
· the world (material & spiritual)
· the interrelationship of all of these and He told those people
to record his truth in the Bible.
Contrast to speculation: what humans think about God, ultimate reality, etc.
Is it possible for man to figure God out? If we study the
way people are and the way the physical world operates, will we be able to make
sense of it all and figure out how to live our lives?
Read 1 Cor 2:6-10; Isaiah 55:8-10.
Results of speculation:
Other world religions and belief systems (Hinduism,
Buddhism, New Age, atheism, optimistic humanism, etc.) are mixtures of natural
revelation and man's futile speculations about God (Rom. 1:18-23).
Christian Application: We also ignore revelation and follow our
speculations. We don't want to be self-righteous Christians on this
point. Our walk with God is marred regularly by our efforts to determine for
ourselves what is best in:
The key difference between revelation and speculation is the
origin — from God or from within us.
Verbal Plenary Inspiration
Definition of Verbal Plenary Inspiration
Verbal (the words are inspired) Plenary (all of the Bible is inspired)
Inspiration (God breathed):
God so moved the human authors of scripture that the
resulting product was the Word of God written, totally without error in all
that it affirms in the original autographs, in every area including theology,
history, geography and science.
Why must it include accuracy in things like history, geography
and science? Why not just theology?
Because if it can't be trusted in the areas that we can
test, why should it be trusted in the areas we can't test?
"Inspiration"
does NOT mean:
· People being emotionally moved by the beauty of creation or
the pathos of human life, etc. That is the literary definition of inspiration,
but has its origin in the mind of man.
· Dictation in most cases (cf. 10 commandments), no
"automatic handwriting" ("I'll just let God get a few pages
done while I sleep.")
2 Tim. 3:16* All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable
for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
("Inspiration" theopneustos): literally
"God-breathed"
2 Pet. 1:20,21* - 20 But know this first of all, that no
prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21 for no
prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God.
The message originates
from God, whose Spirit "bears them along" as they record it.
There are two important
qualifications within this definition of inspiration:
· "in the original autographs" - Only the original documents were completely without error.
It is undeniable that there have been minor copyist errors.
"What good does it do to believe in verbal plenary inspiration
if we don't have the autographs?" The number of copies is so
plentiful that we can identify most of the errors, and the copyist errors are
so minor that they do not affect any major doctrine (YARD BAR analogy - even if
the platinum bar at Bureau of Measures & Standards would be lost, we
wouldn't be).
"Why didn't God preserve them?" Perhaps it is
because he knew the human tendency to worship things like this (2 Kings 18:4).
· "in all that it affirms" What the word "affirms" or "intends"
must include these considerations:
Figures of speech
- hyperbole (Luke 14:26); Observational language-"sunset";
Anthropomorphisms ("God's a door, vine, hands of God, His wings - Deut.
32)
Precision - Don't insist on modern accuracy levels
when round numbers are given (Mustard Seed - Mk 4 says it's the smallest of all
seeds when this isn't really true).
Narration does not equal affirmation - Abraham w/
Sarah (lied twice!). Solomon had many wives & concubines.
Literary genres - e.g., a parable shouldn't be held
to reflect actual history - (Luke 18 — a parable usually only has one main
point — this one is directed toward us being persistent in prayer but many ask
why is the judge (whom they believe represents God) so begrudging.
But narrative does record history. Some interpreters like
Clark Pinnock consider some miraculous narrative events to be legend. For
example, in Mt. 17:24-27 Christ teaches on submitting to government authority
by paying taxes. In the passage, he instructs Peter to catch a fish and finds a
coin in its mouth. Pinnock states that there wasn't literally a coin but this
is a legend that makes a point regarding submission to the government (Clark H.
Pinnock, "The Scripture Principle", p.125). The problem is
that this genre is historical narrative, therefore there was a coin because
Matthew states there was).
Selective history does not equal errant history -
Since no claim to be exhaustive is made. (John 21:25)
Topical arrangement: Not responsible for strict chronology
unless another claims it (Mat 8,9 — note the author makes it apparent these are
sequential events).
Irregularities of grammar and spelling - Grammar is
only description of norms and changes (Paul's run-on sentences - normal then,
not now) - punctuation added later.
"Why does it matter that we have a
high view of scripture?"
· once you reject verbal plenary inspiration, there is no logical
stopping place ("SLIPPERY SLOPE"). Some do stop at a fairly conservative
place, but not because it is irrational to do otherwise.
· your view of scripture is closely related to your view of
Christ himself. He has a very high view of scripture (as we will see), so it is
impossible to denigrate scripture without denigrating him.
· your preaching and evangelism will lack confidence and power
unless you trust the truthfulness of God's Word!
Memory Verses
1 Pet. 2:2* - We will always be dependent on God's Word for spiritual
growth.
1 Cor. 2:13-3:2** & Heb. 5:11-14** - Our perspective,
worldview, and ability to discern what is good is dependent on God's Word. An
in-depth understanding of the Word is necessary for spiritual maturity.
Heb. 4:12* - The Bible is applicable in a living way to our
daily lives.
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Prayer
as a Means of Growth |
Instructors
· Introduction To Prayer
· Types of Prayer
· PETITION
· PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING
· INTERCESSION
· CONFESSION
· WARFARE
· Practical Guidelines for Prayer
· Reasons For Un-granted Requests
· Relationship of Prayer to Other Means of Growth
Introduction to Prayer
Prayer is the privilege of personal communication with
God.
The Bible says that one of the greatest benefits of justification
through the finished work of Christ is that we have access to God—the
privilege to come into his presence and commune personally with him at any
time. In ancient times, coming into the presence of a king unannounced was
potentially a capital offense. By contrast, though our king is far more
righteous and powerful, we can approach him with confidence of his acceptance
and delight to fellowship with us!
(Esther 4:11) "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know
that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not
summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds
out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned
to come to the king for these thirty days."
(Jer. 30:21)
'And their leader shall be one of them, and their ruler shall come forth from
their midst; And I will bring him near, and he shall approach Me; for who would
dare to risk his life to approach Me?' declares the LORD.
(Rom. 5:1,2)
Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith
into this grace.
(Heb 10:19)
Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the
blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the
veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of
God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water.
Communication is the gift God gives us to cultivate personal
relationships with other persons—other humans and himself. Imagine a MARRIAGE
in which the two spouses never speak to each other, or only speak in
impersonal, memorized phrases and at certain set times! Yet many of us have
been raised in church backgrounds that emphasize this way of communicating with
God (Matt. 6:7ff.). In this passage Jesus instructs his disciples in personal
prayer. What an irony that many have taken The Lord's Prayer as a ritualistic
approach to God!
(Matt. 6:7) "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words . . . Pray, then, in this way . . . "
In spite of this incredible privilege, most Christians
struggle with their prayer-lives. I
know I do.
(Oswald Sanders) "If you want to humble a man,
ask him about his prayer life."
It's easy to become defeated about our prayer life so we
need to remember a couple of things:
· the desire to pray reveals God's presence in our lives. Our concern for our
prayer lives are evidence that God is at work in our lives and that we are (to
some extent at least) responsive to him. How many of us were concerned about
our prayer lives before we came to Christ? Thank God for this evidence of our
regeneration.
· Expect aversion to prayer due to our sin nature; We should not be
surprised or fall under accusation when we feel extreme aversion to prayer.
This shows us that our sinful nature is still operative, and is not a reliable
indicator of our spiritual health. We should disregard such feelings and choose
to communicate with God (Gal. 5:17).
· God accepts us fully in spite of our poor prayer lives, and he is committed to patiently teach us how to pray
(Rom. 8:26,27).
(Rom. 8:26,27) And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for
we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for
us with groanings too deep for words; (27) and He who searches the hearts knows
what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God.
(James 4:8) Draw near to God and He will draw
near to you.
· Respond to God's initiation with prayer.
(Oswald Sanders) "You are as close to God
right now as you habitually choose to be."
Explain the areas we will cover today:
TYPES OF PRAYER, REASONS FOR
UNANSWERED PRAYER, & PRACTICAL GUIDELINES.
Helpful Books: D.A.
Carson: "Spiritual Reformation" and "Teach Us to Pray"; O.
Hallesby, "Prayer"; Bill Hybels, "Too Busy Not to Pray";
E.M. Bounds, "Power Through Prayer"; Mark Bair, "Mobilized Weakness."
Types of Prayer
The Bible discusses different kinds of prayer, which
represent ways we can grow in our relationship with God. Prayer is verbalized,
propositional communication. In other words, there is solid content serving as
the basis for our prayer and it stems from God being a personal infinite God.
This is in marked contrast to prayer stemming from a pantheistic or occultist
worldview which respectively seeks to empty the mind or to use the spirit-world
to accomplish what you want. The way we pray reveals the way we view God.
NOTE: Remember
to listen in prayer. One key element in a rich prayer life pervades each
type of prayer — listening. Since communication is two way, it
is illogical and even more, unbiblical, to assume prayer is one-way — me talking
to God. Whether praying alone or corporately, while we are praying or
meditating in silence or listening to another person pray, God will often
provide guidance through thoughts, impressions, and leading of His Spirit. We
should not expect to hear an audible voice and we must test spiritual leadings
by scripture before we consider them valid. We need to cultivate sensitivity to
His speaking through each of these forms of prayer. The book, Too Busy Not
To Pray by Bill Hybels (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1988), pp.
107ff. — devotes an excellent chapter to listening in prayer.
Petition: asking God to meet our personal needs (cf. Matt. 6:11)
(Phil. 4:6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything . . . let
your requests be made known to God.
Since God already knows what we need before we ask him
(Matt. 6:8), why must we ask him (Jas. 4:2)?
· because this is the most basic and practical way in which we
express dependence on God. When we pray in this way, we acknowledge that
we are helpless to do the most important things in life (John. 15:4,5), and
affirm that he is adequate.
This is the form of prayer, which comes most naturally to
us, but it needs to be tempered by other forms—and trust in God's loving
sovereignty.
Praise & Thanksgiving:
These two are closely related because they focus on God and
his provision—but they are distinct:
This is a big emphasis in the
New Testament letters. There are about 47 uses of "thanks",
"gratitude", and "thanksgiving"; 84 "blessed"; 28
"praise", etc..
(Col. 3:15-17)
15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
(16) Let the word of Christ richly dwell within
you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
(17) And whatever you do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Why is this type of prayer so important?
· Not because God needs it;
this idea is pagan, and is the result of anthropomorphizing God: God is
insecure and will be more inclined to grant our requests if we stroke his ego.
God is in fact pleased when we praise and thank him— because it shows
that we are maturing. I will be glad if one day my children thank me for doing
my job as a parent. I don't need their thanks to validate me, but I will be
glad for them because their thanks will demonstrate their own maturity.
· Rather, it is primarily for our benefit. Praise reminds us of how powerful and loving God is, and
thus counteracts our tendency to reduce him to our butler. We realize through
prayer that we are not a prisoner of circumstance and we are no longer a
victim. Thanksgiving keeps us "sane" because we are in fact lavishly
and incredibly blessed even though we are sinners who deserve God's wrath. (KID
ON CHRISTMAS DAY WHO DOESN'T GET THE RIGHT COLOR BIKE AND COMPLAINS or PARDONED
DEATH-ROW CRIMINAL WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT HIS LIVING CONDITIONS)
This is why Phil. 4:6,7 connects the peace of God with
thanksgiving. It is as we not only present our requests to God but also thank
him for his loving sovereignty and faithfulness that our hearts come to rest.
Unless we temper our petitions with this, we tend to become more self-absorbed,
envious, and anxious.
Some Christians utilize scriptural songs for this purpose
(Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16)! Scriptural truths on God's greatness and love, combined
with music that you enjoy, has a special ability to lift your mind and heart
and restore your perspective.
Intercession: Praying for others; PAUL AS EXAMPLE (Col. 1:9ff)
Through intercessory prayer, we ask God to help people in
ways that we cannot (ENCOURAGE; CONVICT; PROTECT; ACROSS THE WORLD). All
lastingly fruitful ministries begin with and are sustained by this kind of
prayer.
(Col. 4:12,13)
(12)Epaphras, who is one of your
number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring
earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured
in all the will of God. (13) For I bear him witness that he has a deep concern
for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Why is intercession so important?
· God works through human agency, and human agency
begins with prayer.
(Oswald Sanders) "The
goal of prayer is the ear of God. Prayer influences men by influencing God to
influence them. It is not the prayer that moves men, but the God to whom we
pray." (Oswald Sanders, Spiritual
Leadership, p. 133).
(Hudson Taylor) "It is
possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone."
· through intercession we cultivate and express
an other-centered perspective, which the Bible says is so crucial for
spiritual growth (Col. 4:12,13).
We receive insight into how we can serve others as we pray for them.
Confession: Agreeing with God about our specific sinful attitudes and
behaviors (Ps. 51; 32).
(Ps. 51:3, 4) I know my
transgressions, and my sin is always before me. (4) Against you, you only, have
I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when
you speak and justified when you judge.
Why is confession important?
· it helps prevent hardness of heart. Heb 3:7,8,13 warn
against developing an attitude of unresponsiveness to God's leading. Instead,
the believer is to cultivate a sensitive and responsive attitude toward God's
moral correction (Ps. 32:8,9).
· it is an indicator of growth. The growing Christian is
receiving this kind of correction from God, talking it over with Him, and able
to articulate their convictions, rather than reacting only when others point
out their sin.
(Heb. 3:7, 8, 13) ...."TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, (8)
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS…(13) But encourage one another daily, as long as it
is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Qualifications:
· Confession is not necessary for God's forgiveness or
acceptance (If time, cover 1 Jn. 1:9 misinterpretation - this verse is about experiencing
God's forgiveness).
(Heb. 10:22) let us
draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
· avoid morbid introspection; (self-focus vs.
God/others-focus; cynical investigation of your motives; beating self for
sins). Confession should be in response to God's correction through the Word
(Heb. 4:12), prayer (as per Ps. 139:23,24), and other Christians (Psalms 32:9,
Heb. 3:13) Some of us are more temperamentally disposed to morbid
introspection—while others are just the opposite, and need to take time to pray
as per Ps. 139. If we focus on continuing to move forward with the Lord, he
will show us what we need to see when we need to see it (Phil. 3:15).
(Psalm 139:23,24) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
As we grow in Christ, God continues to point
out our sinfulness. As we agree with him, our appreciation of his grace deepens
and we find ourselves in thanksgiving and praise.
See Jesus' comment about the woman who washed his feet with her tears and hair (Lk. 7:41-47). The woman loved God more because she was more aware of her sinfulness and therefore appreciated God's forgiveness more.
Warfare: battling against spiritual forces of evil
Watchman Nee points out that whenever we pray, we should
always pray to someone, for someone, and against someone.
(Eph. 6:18) With all prayer and petition pray at all times
in the Spirit, and with this in view (previous context is spiritual warfare),
be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints . . .
Key aspects of prayer warfare
· we should pray for alertness and insight into Satan's
tactics in our own lives and in others' lives (Eph. 6:18 — see context).
· it also involves remembering and appropriating Christ's
authority over him and of our authorization to advance Christ's kingdom in
specific situations (before witnessing, teaching, etc.).
Qualifications:
· don’t get more focused on Satan/demons than on God.
· don’t view this form of prayer as a panacea for your own
sins/flesh.
· don’t think that you can avoid all satanic attack by simply
praying for protection (Lk. 22:31,32).
Practical
Guidelines for Prayer
· we need to maintain balance in different types
of prayer (REVIEW)
Petition/ Praise & Thanksgiving/ Confession/
Intercession/ Warfare
Consider using scriptural prayer as models/structure
Matt. 6 (Praise-thanks; petition; confession; intercession)
Eph 1 (Praise/ thanksgiving for what God has done—then
intercedes for the people along same lines)
· we need to maintain balance in different modes of
prayer
Spontaneous prayer (alone and with others; 1 Thess. 5:16-18; Neh. 13:14,22,31)
(1 Thess 5:16-18)
16 Rejoice always;
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will
for you in Christ Jesus.
Planned private prayer —
(Luke 5:15,16) 15 But the news about Him was spreading even
farther, and great multitudes were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their
sicknesses. 16 But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.
(Luke 11:1) And it came about that while He was praying in a
certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."
Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving,
Supplication (Hybels - Too Busy Not To
Pray); other models from authors
It takes time for anything to become a habit, so we must
persevere!
Emphasize frequency
over duration of prayer.
"Pray until you pray" (CARSON):
"What is meant is
that Christians should pray long enough and honestly enough, at a single
session, to get past the feeling of formalism and unreality that attends to
little praying. We are especially prone to such feelings when we pray only a
few minutes, rushing to be done with a mere duty. To enter the spirit of
prayer, we must stick to it for a while. If we 'pray until we pray,' eventually
we come to delight in God's presence, to rest in his love, to cherish his
will."
Draw near by faith, asking God to help you, and keep praying
until you are communing freely with God (vs. constantly trying to sense God's
presence).
Combine with scripture reading; try to consciously tie
requests to scripture (PRAISE & THANKSGIVING; BIBLICAL PRIORITIES).
Write down what you need to pray for (prevents mental drift), and insights that come to you during prayer.
Corporate prayer — Advice
Corporate prayer appears to be more effective than
individual prayer — perhaps because we have a better chance of discerning God's
will this way.
(Mat 18:19*) "Again I say to you, that if two of you
agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by
My Father who is in heaven.
Mat 6 (implied w/ the beginning of the Lord's Prayer -
"OUR Father..."; Acts 1:14ff., 4:23-33, 12, 20; 1 Cor. 14:13ff.
Break this barrier as soon as possible! Find some Christian
friends and pray together.
Unique combination of horizontal and vertical: communicating
to God together; unity of the Spirit.
Accountability helps build consistency (GETTING IN SHAPE
PHYSICALLY).
Work into your schedule several times per week.
Learn how to pray from more mature Christians. Teach younger
Christians how to pray.
Be concise,
sensitive to others; have a strong prayer life with your spouse and children.
Agree with others'
prayers—Say the "Amen."
Reasons For Un-granted Requests
We often struggle in our prayer lives because many of our
prayers are not granted. Let's examine some of the scriptural reasons for
un-granted requests.
1. Our request was not according to God's
will. (God always answers. But sometimes his answer is
"No.")
(Matt. 6:10) " . . . your will be done, your kingdom
come . . . "
(Matt. 26:39b) " . . . not my will but yours be done .
. . "
"Prayer is not a
convenient device for imposing our will on God, or for bending his will to
ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to his. It is by prayer
that we seek God's will, embrace it, and align ourselves with it. Every true
prayer is a variation on the theme `your will be done.'" (John R. W. Stott, Tyndale New Testament
Commentaries: The Epistles of John (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1983), p.
185.)
We can be confident that God will grant our requests only
when our requests are according to his will (1 Jn. 5:14,15*). We are free to
ask for whatever we wish, but unless scripture explicitly states that our
request is God's will, we cannot be confident that God will answer.
(1 Jn. 5:14,15*)
(14)This is the confidence we
have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he
hears us.
(15) And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that
we have what we asked of him.
To pray in Jesus' name is not a magical incantation that
makes God grant our request. It means to pray as Jesus' representative
(GOVERNMENT AGENT REQUISITIONING SUPPLIES). In Jn 15:7, He makes this very
clear.
(John 14:13,14)
(13) And whatever you ask in My
name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
(14) If you ask Me anything in
My name, I will do it.
A child who knows his father is both powerful and loving
will feel the freedom to ask for anything—but he will trust that his father
will answer in the best way — including "NO." Note that the context
before and after this passage is loving others.
(Matt. 7:7-11)
(7) Ask, and it shall be given
to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
8) For everyone who asks
receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.
(9) Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10) Or if he shall ask for a
fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
(11) If you then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is
in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
This is the problem with positive confessionalism (name it, claim it). It
teaches that what matters is the amount of one's faith. Therefore God's denial
of a prayer request indicates unfaithfulness in the petitioner. Realize that
this is another form of magic because it tries to manipulate God to do our
will, and is not grounded in trust in his goodness and commitment to his will.
Are we to conclude Paul lacked faith? In 2 Cor. 12:8,9 Paul
asks the Lord to heal him and is refused.
(2 Cor. 12:8, 9)
(8) Concerning this I entreated the Lord three
times that it might depart from me.
(9) And He has said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly,
therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ
may dwell in me.
Therefore, in our prayers, we should focus on issues about
which we know God's will. When we turn to the Bible, it gives us quite a lot of
knowledge of God's will in many areas of life. There are specific promises that
God makes to all believers. There are direct statements of his will for our lives.
There are inspired examples of what the biblical authors prayed for. These are
the things that should become the focus of our prayer lives.
Biblical Prayer Priorities:
"Most of us get bogged with down with trivia: Jane's sinus
trouble, Ben's discouragement, Mary's problem with her mother-in-law . . . All
of these may be important, but prayer, like warfare, calls for strategy. It is
said of Napoleon that he would watch the development of his battles from a
vantage, quietly analyzing the situation while he watched. His key General
would watch with him. 'That farm,' he once said to Marshall Nay, 'that farm
that you can see on the ridge there. Take it. Seize. Hold it. For if you can,
the battle is won.'
In praying for the Ephesians,
Paul was aware that if the key to the whole battle was won, lesser skirmishes
would sort themselves out rather easily. Smaller problems are so often
symptomatic of larger issues . . . Prayer must be directed to that which is the
key. It concerns itself with strategy, not with tactics . . . If therefore one
thinks that Paul's prayer is spiritual and not practical, it is a sign of how
blind he is to what life is all about . . . " (John White, Daring To
Draw Near (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1977), p. 137.)
· More practical insight into scripture so that you can apply
it to your life (Col. 1:9,10).
· Better understanding of what God has given you in Christ (Eph.
1:16-19) and how much God loves you (Eph. 3:18,19).
· Greater love for other people (1 Thes. 3:12) and better
discernment on how to love them effectively (Phil. 1:9).
· Opportunities for witness and the courage and wisdom to make
the most of those opportunities (Col. 4:2-4*; Eph. 6:19,20).
· Spiritual empowering and protection for ministry (2 Thes.
2:16-3:3).
· Exposure of attitudes that are counterproductive to your
spiritual growth (Phil. 3:15; Ps. 139:23,24).
· Wisdom to understand what God wants to teach you through
adverse circumstances that are in your life (Jas. 1:5).
Note: Of course, these are the very same things that we
should be praying for other people as well!
2. The request was answered, but not
according to our expectations.
Especially if we don't know God's Word very well, we may be
surprised when he answers biblical requests in ways we had not anticipated.
Examples:
Sometimes we pray for symptom issues, and then God answers
by revealing and working on more root issues (WE FIND THAT OUR ANGRY OUTBURSTS
ARE REALLY THE RESULT OF TAKING OUR ACCEPTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE FROM PEOPLE'S
VIEW OF US).
Sometimes we pray for good root issues, but don't realize
that God often deals with them by engineering breaking (PAUL IN 2 COR. 12: God
granted his request for power in ministry by giving him a thorn in the flesh).
(2 Cor. 12:7-9) To keep me from becoming conceited because
of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my
flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. (8) Three times I pleaded with the
Lord to take it away from me. (9) But he said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I
will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may
rest on me.
3. God's timing for answering our request
is different than ours.
Especially in our "instant gratification" culture,
we expect quick answers to our requests. We tend to equate value with
something's ability to bring quick and powerful results. But God's perspective
is very different from ours. He is working from the perspective of eternity,
and he is concerned with quality. "If God wants to make a squash, he takes
three months; if he wants to create an oak tree, he takes a lifetime." He
knows when we are ready for the good things that we ask for—and we need to
trust him.
Examples: marriage (CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION NEEDED); having
children (SAME); more ministry responsibility
Praying for instant deliverance from sin-problems sounds
appealing, but God usually works a slow transformation that lasts.
[(Packer) ". . . The
Spirit works through means - the means of Growth . . . The Spirit shows his
power in us, not by constantly interrupting our use of these means with
visions, impressions, or prophecies, which serve up to us ready-made insights
on a plate . . . but rather by making these regular means effective to change
us for the better and the wiser as we go along
. . ."]
This is one reason why we need to be persistent in prayer. See
Lk. 11:5-13; 18:1-8.
The point is not that God is like the judge or neighbor.
Rather he is unlike them in key ways.
|
Judge |
God |
|
unrighteous & unjust |
righteous & just |
|
no concern for the widow |
concerned (Lk. 12:7) |
|
grants grudgingly |
delights to answer (Jas. 1:5) |
|
puts off until worn down |
grants as soon as appropriate ("speedily") |
This is an a fortiori argument (i.e., "all the
more" - a conclusion drawn of greater necessity than something already
accepted.): If persistence is effective even with people like this judge and
neighbor, how much more will it be effective with the God of the Bible?
Why does God sometimes delay answers?
· He may be waiting for us to fulfill certain conditions
(e.g., Matt. 6:33; Luke 16:11).
· The timing may not be right (MARRIAGE; Interstate-270
LAND?).
· He may be cultivating character qualities (e.g., dependence;
perseverance) that require delay.
4. We have a legitimate request — but asked with wrong motives.
(James 4:3) You ask and do not receive, because you ask with
wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Examples:
Praying to be a leader (Jer. 45:5 contrast to 1 Tim. 3:1);
witnessing opportunities so I can be recognized; teachers who ask for
empowering so they can be praised; pray for spouse to change so you can avoid
your own sins.
Qualification:
· Act while God works to clarify motives. This can be blurry,
but God can make it clear to you if you ask him (Ps. 139:23,24; Phil. 3:15). If
we are doing the right thing with wrong motives, the answer is not to stop
doing the right thing. Rather, it is to ask God to do whatever is needed to
purify your motives.
· Distinguish between needs and wants (Mt 6:32,33). God
promises to meet our needs, but we frequently define wants as needs. Refer back
to James 4:3.
5. We have a legitimate request — but we have a controversy with God.
(James 1:6-8)
(6) But let him ask in faith
without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven
and tossed by the wind.
(7) For let not that man expect
that he will receive anything from the Lord,
(8) being a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways.
"Doubter" here is not talking about someone
who experiences contradictory thoughts or feelings welling up within him—we all
have this at times, and God does not hold this against us (Mk. 9:24). The
"doubter" in this context is the "double-minded man"—the
person who presents an outward show of concern for God's will, but who inwardly
loves the world (note Jas. 4:8 context).
(Ps. 66:18) If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord
will not hear;
"Hearing" here means answering.
"Regarding wickedness" does not mean being occasionally assaulted by
temptations while basically being responsive to God's moral leadership. Rather,
it means to choose rebellion against God's moral will.
(1 Pet. 3:7) You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Peter singles this out as a common controversy with God. If
you choose an unloving, unforgiving, scornful, etc. attitude toward your own
spouse ("Heal my marriage - but I won't forgive my wife!"), this is
such a serious issue that God may have to discipline you. One way he does this
is to stop answering your prayers.
Example: Should a
consistent fornicator expect revelation when asking for guidance on career
choice? Can a man immersed in pornography expect his depression to lift?
In other words, this is a form of loving discipline to get
our attention in the area of controversy.
6. God will not normally violate people's
free will to grant a request.
Since part of God's will is for humans to have free choice, praying
for God to make people do things against their will is probably against God's
will. Rather, we can pray to God for him to influence them.
Examples:
It's fine to pray for people to come to Christ because this
is aligning our hearts with God's will for them. But it seems better to focus
our prayer on things like God showing them their need, convicting them of their
sin, bringing Christians into their lives, empowering us to share the gospel to
them, etc.
This would apply also
to Christians who need to repent of wrong attitudes, behaviors, etc. We should
focus our prayers on things like asking God to discipline them, enabling us and
others to do our parts in confronting them, etc.
Conclusion
We are not saying that we can always determine why
God has not granted our requests. God will not always reveal (in this life) the
specific reasons for this. He chose to explain to Paul why he wouldn't heal him
(2 Cor. 12), but he evidently didn't explain to Job why he lost everything. We
should evaluate the possible reasons on our part, do our best to eliminate
those reasons or amend our prayers—and then trust him with it and go on.
The better we know scripture, the more answered prayer we'll
see and the better we'll understand why some are not answered.
Relationship of Prayer to Other Means of
Growth
|
Fellowship |
Jesus gave corporate prayer a special place when he said,
"If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall
be done for them by My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 18:19). Based
on this promise, we may fairly conclude that corporate prayer is more
powerful than individual prayer, if only because when two or more agree, they
have a better chance of truly discerning the will of God. The prayer ministry
of the church is one of its most important. |
|
Ministry |
A ministry weak in prayer will tend to be overly strong on
human effort. What we cannot accomplish via the power of God, we will try to
supply through our own power. As we lose faith in the effectiveness of
prayer, we may succumb to the temptation to use force and compulsion on
people in an effort to bend them to our will. |
|
Word |
We need to pray that God will take scriptural truth and
apply it to our lives in a living way. If we have learned the scriptures in
good measure, God will find it easier to bring us understanding about what he
is doing in our daily lives. |
|
Suffering |
Cultivating the vertical perspective through abiding in
Christ is a prerequisite for making the Lord's discipline effective in our
lives. As we shall see later, those who will not take their trials to God in
prayer—not just asking that the trial go away, but that they understand what
he is teaching—will not benefit from the suffering they undergo. |
Memory Verses
1 Jn. 5:14,15* -
We can be certain God will answer our requests when they are according to his
will.
Col. 4:2-4* - We
should be consistent, alert, and thankful in prayer. We should pray for
opportunities to share the gospel with non-Christians.
Matt. 18:19* -
Corporate prayer may be more effective than individual prayer.
Crosswinds
|
Body-Life as
a Means of Growth |
Overview
· How involved should we be in Christian fellowship?
· Involved enough in Body-life to act consistently with our
New Identity
· Involved enough to "Love one another as I have loved
you."
· Common barriers to healthy Body-life
· Spiritual Gifts
· Discipleship
Introduction
Review the concept of "means
of growth" and discuss those covered so
far (Acts 2:42).
Remind the students that the Means of Growth are biblically
prescribed avenues through which we receive the life changing power of God.
Remember that it is one of three aspects of walking in the Spirit.
We come now to another means of growth, —fellowship,
or Body-life. This means of growth is not well understood in the church today.
"Fellowship" (koinonia) means "sharing." We are to share the life of
Christ with one another. Spiritual growth has a corporate context.
Fellowship stands in stark contrast to the radical individualism of our culture which often finds its way into "American Christianity." Church is incorrectly defined as a building or the service we attend. "Fellowship" occurs in a hall next to the sanctuary, or people participate in the "ritual of fellowship" (card passing down the pew or shaking a neighbor's hand during the service).
Therefore we purposefully distance ourselves from these
wrong perceptions of church and choose "body life" as a term that
more accurately reflects the New Testament picture of fellowship.
A key question arises: "How involved in Christian
fellowship should I be?" What is the biblically normative level of
involvement in the Body of Christ?
The typical answer is "Attend church worship service on
Sunday mornings." In , this sounds like "Attend central teaching
weekly." Others believe fellowship is defined by the number of committees
on which I serve. These answers are inadequate. If this is the extent of our
involvement with other Christians, we will be seriously stunted in our
spiritual growth, probably seduced by the world, etc. Instead we must see how
the New Testament answers this question. There is a big difference between
"going to church" and "being in fellowship."
For many of us we'll have to challenge our upbringing; our
past experiences in the local church; and our culture. For ALL of us, we'll
have to challenge our priorities and our agenda in life.
To answer this question, we need to go to the New
Testament's description of our new identity in Christ.
Involved enough to live consistently with our new identity
(1 Cor. 12**; Rom. 12**)
Let's take a brief look at the importance of the vertical
aspect of being "in Christ" — our union with Christ. Our standing
before God is based on the fact that we have been "put into" Christ;
1 Cor. 12:13 —review baptism by Holy Spirit — Him indwelling us and
simultaneously placing us into Christ.
What is our identity? Forgiven, Accepted, and Secure in our
relationship with the Creator of the universe. Our greatest needs have been met
by God. This is our new identity.
This is a positional truth—we didn't feel it happen,
but we believe it on the basis of God's Word ("CONSIDER") and choose
to act consistently with it ("PRESENT") in our dealings with God
(e.g., DRAWING NEAR IN
SPITE OF GUILT: (HEB. 10:19ff.). As we do this,
we begin to grow and experience God's love and acceptance (LEARN >> ACT
>> EXPERIENCE).
But having a new identity also has a horizontal
aspect. God has not only changed our standing with him, he has also changed our
standing with other Christians. Our new identity makes us members of one another
(1 Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 12:3-5).
1 Cor. 12:12 For even as the body is one and yet has many
members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body,
so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink
of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
Rom. 12: 3 For through the grace given to me I say to every
man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but
to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of
faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do
not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members one of another.
Therefore, we need to believe this on the basis of God's
Word ("CONSIDER") and choose to act consistently with it in our
interactions with other Christians ("PRESENT"). If we don't, we will
miss out on the growth God offers. Nowhere does the Bible describe a growing
Christian who isn't involved in the Body of Christ.
This interaction
involves two distinct aspects:
· We need to regularly receive the life of Christ from
other members
1 Cor. 12:21>>contrary to AUTONOMY; INDIVIDUALISM; Normally, we learn
this lesson first.
· Then, we need to regularly give the life of Christ to
others
1 Cor. 12:15,16 >> Giving love does not come naturally.
Most people are
naturally self-centered and we see it manifested in behaviors like:
The Body of Christ is a key provision for growth from God by
which our understanding of Christ is deepened, where we have the opportunity to
express Christ's love to others, and where we personally and often intimately
experience the love of Christ.
Therefore, we need to be involved enough to receive and give
the life of Christ. Now that we understand the theological basis for Body-life,
we can move to more practical ways to incorporate this into our lives. Jesus
gives us a similar answer with a little different spin.
Involved enough to "Love one another as I have loved
you"
(Jn. 13:34,35) "A new commandment I give to you, that
you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another."
Explain Jn. 13:34,35. Note the same two-sided
involvement—giving love to other Christians and allowing other Christians to
give love to us.
The disciples were committed to this imperative from Jesus
and therefore committed their ministries to living this out. Their epistles
unpack this command through several "one another" imperatives. NAME
THEM:
· Gal. 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do
not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve
one another.
· 1 Thess. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another, and build up
one another, just as you also are doing.
· Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another . . .
· Jas. 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and
pray for one another, so that you may be healed.
· Eph. 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
· Eph. 4:2 . . . with all humility and gentleness, with
patience, showing forbearance to one another in love . . .
· Rom. 15:7 Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also
accepted us to the glory of God.
· Gal. 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the
law of Christ.
Are we involved enough to know others' concerns, worries,
and burdens?
· Rom. 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give
preference to one another in honor . . .
Devoted: tenderly loving; showing affection. (Rom. 16:18)
· Rom. 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be
haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.
We will look at two of the key ones:
encourage and admonish.
What does this have to do with how involved we should be
in fellowship?
We should be involved enough that we are receiving and
giving this kind of love from and to other Christians on a regular basis. This
assumes an intensive level of involvement with a relatively small number of
people. How could we possibly accomplish this if our only context for knowing
people was a large group meeting on a Sunday morning? These biblical principles
of body life require being in a small setting of people.
· How can you encourage someone unless you're involved enough
to know where and when they need this?
· How can they encourage you unless you are open enough for
them to do the same?
· How can you admonish someone unless you're involved enough
to know what they need to be admonished about?
· How can they admonish you unless you're open enough for them
to do the same?
· How can you show forbearance and forgiveness unless you're
involved enough that they offend or irritate you?
Structures that facilitate this kind of involvement:
· Home groups are meant to
facilitate this. This is the example of the New Testament (Acts 2:42,46,47;
Rom. 16). While they do not assure Body-life involvement, they provide a
context within which to build these kinds of relationships that go on through
the week.
· Cell/study groups: This
is an even smaller context for getting to know people in your home group,
building friendships that carry through the week.
· Fellowship after Central Teaching: Evangelism-focused home groups. Wisely use the time after the meeting to fellowship. Deliberate
effort is made by the church to provide an environment that makes it easy and
fun to stay after the teachings for a while and hang out with one another. It
is a great opportunity for guests to see and experience John 13:34,35 in a
manner that won't happen if the group just gets up and goes home after the
meeting. If we have no guests that week, it is a great opportunity to build
depth with other members of the body of Christ.
· Time outside meetings: e.g.
— regular one-on-one time with others (breakfasts, lunches, hang out at
someone's house, etc.). This is where discipleship usually occurs. There is
time to study the Word together, pray together, discuss personal issues, and
get to know one another on a deeper level.
· Ministry houses: Living
with Christian roommates provides an excellent context for learning
and practicing Body-life.
· Retreats: Many people
experience Body-life for the first time on a weekend retreat when people can
get a sustained dose of it.
· Praying with others in your home group: There is something about talking openly to God with others
that binds you closer together around Christ.
· Vacations with others in your home group: Experiencing new things together, coupled with additional
times for sharing and prayer add a whole new dimension to vacations.
Can a lifestyle of self-giving love be fulfilling?
The worldviews this lifestyle of giving oneself for the good
of others as madness, but God calls us to this (Phil. 2:3-5*).
Phil. 2: 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
This is the paradox of self-giving love, or
"ministry as a means of growth." We
actually receive as we give. We are never commanded in the Bible to
evaluate how well others are doing in their "job" of loving us! That
view comes from our "consumer society" — how well are others serving
me? We are commanded to love others in the power of Jesus Christ based on His
love for us.
We don't wait until we get all our problems fixed before we
give. Often we use the excuse — "I'm too messed up emotionally and
relationally to give to someone else." "I'm going through some hard
times in a relationship, at work, at school — I can't give to someone else
until these are cleared up!!"
God has uniquely designed the cure to our many hang ups through
the paradox: "I'll change you as you serve others." As we give to
others we will be fulfilled by God, as He "fixes" me up. So often it
is an act of faith— I feel acutely in need yet choose
to act in love toward others, trusting that God will meet my needs.
Illustrations:
A healthy physical body is the result of EXERCISE AS WELL AS
NUTRITION.
THE DEAD SEA is dead because minerals and nutrients flow in,
but it has no outlet. These minerals could sustain life, but the Dead Sea
cannot support life because the nutrients are so concentrated. In the same way,
Christians will not benefit from the spiritual nutrients that God supplies if
they are unwilling to love others and practice what they learn. A vital
relationship with Christ requires both receiving his love and giving it away to
others.
Jesus prioritized this lesson with his
disciples:
Jn. 4:34 - Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will
of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.
He modeled it by witnessing to the woman at the well. He was
fed by serving her in this way. He told them that such ministry was a
"food" they did not know about.
Jn. 6:1-13 - Jesus therefore lifting up His eyes, and seeing
that a great multitude was coming to Him, said to Philip, "Where are we to
buy bread, that these may eat?" (6) And this He was saying to test him;
for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. (7) Philip answered Him,
"Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for
everyone to receive a little." (8) One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon
Peter's brother, said to Him, (9) "There is a lad here who has five barley
loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" (10) Jesus
said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the
place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. (11) Jesus therefore
took the loaves; and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were
seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. (12) And when they
were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments
that nothing may be lost." (13) And so they gathered them up, and filled
twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, which were left over
by those who had eaten.
Next, he put them in a situation in which they could
discover it for themselves. Notice that as they gave to others (in the midst of
their own need), they found their needs met as a result (Twelve baskets full
corresponding to the twelve disciples).
Jn. 13:1-17 - Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus
knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the
Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end .
. . (3) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and
that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, (4) rose from
supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself
about. (5) Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the
disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded . . .
(12) And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined
at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?
(13) "You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. (14)
"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to
wash one another's feet. (15) "For I gave you an example that you also
should do as I did to you. (16) "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is
not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one
who sent him. (17) "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do
them."
Based on believing in the sufficiency of his Father's
love for him (vs 1-4), Jesus modeled it again for them (while they were
arguing about who was greatest), then he told them they should do it with each
other, then he delivered the point in vs 17 (makarios means
"fulfilled").
Acts 20:35* - " . . . remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to
receive.'"
Whereas the world teaches that we will be happy when we get other people to love us the way we want them to, Jesus teaches that we will be fulfilled when we learn to love others the way he loves us. If we believe that we will be happy only when others love us, we will live in utter bondage. Then we will allow our fulfillment/happiness to be controlled by others. We must realize that people will never be equipped to meet our needs. Only Christ can provide true fulfillment.
Qualification:
Many times Christ would take time to rest and eat (and
taught his disciples to do the same) — e.g. Mk. 6:31. He would not wait for all
needs to be met but rather understood that our finite nature and our call to be
stewards of all our resources (including our physical and mental capabilities)
required rest. Rest enables us to go the long distance for Christ. If we do not
have the ability to say "no" at any time, we will ruin our families
and ourselves.
Most of us are not apt to give too much, but are selfish. We
are committed to our rest and comfort and need to recognize our selfishness as
a barrier to spiritual growth. We need to commit to a servant lifestyle and
learn balance in our finances, schedule, vacations, etc. as we serve God.
Common barriers to healthy Body-life
1. Culturally glorified autonomy ("Needing
other people is a sign of personal weakness.")
(1 Thess. 3:1) Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we
thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone . . .
Paul viewed being without Christian fellowship as the last resort.
Are you embarrassed to ask for help?
Do you recognize that God may communicate his wisdom to you
through other members of the Body of Christ? We need to value the counsel of
those who know God's word and learn it so we can help others grow.
2. Codependence ("You must meet my
needs" vs. "God meets my needs, sometimes through you or
others.")
(Phil. 4:10-19) But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now
at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned
before, but you lacked opportunity. (11) Not that I speak from want; for I have
learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. (12) I know how to get
along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and
every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry,
both of having abundance and suffering need. (13) I can do all things through
Him who strengthens me. (14) Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me
in my affliction . . . (19) And my God shall supply all your needs according to
His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Paul is thankful for their help, but makes it clear that he draws his life from Christ.
What's wrong with this statement: "I
am taking care of George (a young Christian)?"
3. Super-spirituality ("Involvement with
other Christians hinders my intimacy with Christ.")
(1 John 4:19,20) We love, because He first loved us. (20) If
someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for
the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he
has not seen.
You don't really love Christ if you aren't
involved with his people.
(Col. 2:2,19) . . . that their hearts may be encouraged,
having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes
from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of
God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself . . . (19) (The false teachers are) not
holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held
together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
Autonomy can lead to doctrinal imbalance.
4. Materialism ("I'm too busy with my
career/schooling/hobbies/house to be this involved with other
Christians.")
(1 Jn. 2:10,15) The one who loves his brother abides in the
light and there is no cause for stumbling in him . . . Do not love the world,
nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father
is not in him.
Loving the values of the world-system is
contradictory to loving one another with God's love.
(1 Jn. 3:14-17) We know that we have passed out of death
into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
(15) Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (16) We know love by this, that He
laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
(17) But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and
closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Note how John prioritizes relationships
with other Christians over hoarding material goods.
Is this a valid excuse, or is it a statement of your
priorities? What are you willing to sacrifice for your spiritual growth?
Keeping a time-log will reveal how you really spend your time and perhaps
clearly demonstrate your priorities.
5. Tribalism ("We are so busy with my
children's [sports, music, etc.] that we don't have time for fellowship."
Or"God first, my family second, church third . . . " or "My
family is my ministry").
Eph. 5,6; Col. 3 – Paul speaks first of our identity as
brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, and then addresses our various
social roles (including family roles). His point is that healthy family life is
based on and must be rooted in vital involvement in Christian fellowship.
The Bible does not set these priorities or dichotomize these
two areas of our lives. We should serve God in both contexts. Involvement in
Body-life is necessary for a healthy home, just as healthy home life affects
our impact on the Body of Christ.
Qualifications:
There may be times, particularly during family crises, where
God calls on us to reduce our normal involvement in ministry in the church in
order to take care of family needs (e.g. missing fellowship due to a child's illness,
or more long term crises).
Even when we are considering structural changes during the life of our church, this is taken into consideration. A few of our home groups have changed to every other week to accommodate family ministry due to increased family needs.
6. Moral impurity (Often manifested by
withdrawal from fellowship &/or complaints about the church.)
(1 Jn. 1:7) . . . but if we walk in the light as He Himself
is in the light, we have fellowship with one another . . .
Note the connection between close fellowship with other
Christians and responding to God's moral guidance.
Sometimes, this is what keeps Christians from ever getting
involved in Body-life. Other times, this is why we leave fellowship or distance
ourselves from close relationships. Young Christian workers seem to rarely
consider this cause when a younger Christian they are working with begins to
withdraw.
7. Rebellious attitude ("Who are you to
tell me what to do/how I should act?")
(Heb. 13:17) 17
Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as
those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief,
for this would be unprofitable for you.
This comes to light when leadership calls for change, or
when other Christians correct us. Whether or not we are rebellious is
determined not when we agree with authority figures, but when we disagree. If
we must have things our way, we have a problem (as long as the authority is
operating within the parameters of scripture). We should realize that authority
and discipline are expressions of love (for our benefit), rather than tools to
exploit us.
(Heb. 12:6,9,10) Those whom the lord loves he disciplines,
and he scourges every son whom he receives . . . (9) Furthermore, we had
earthly fathers to discipline us . . . (10) they disciplined us for a short
time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may
share His holiness.
The author acknowledges that our earthly parents did not
always deal with us properly, but this is no excuse to refuse to submit to
God's discipline. Often times, rebelliousness is a reaction against unrighteous
authority figures (e.g. unfair or abusive parents, employers, etc.). Authority
figures can be unrighteous by being too permissive or too strict.
8. Shy or introverted ("I'm just
shy and introverted." "I'm just not a people-person.")
(2 Tim 1:7) For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
Spiritual Gifts
As we are involved in Body-life and practicing Christian
love, God will eventually reveal certain ministry strengths. These are called
spiritual gifts. Scripture teaches that all Christians have at least one
spiritual gift (bestowed at conversion). Gifts come in various combinations and
degrees. (1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12; Eph 4:7-11; 1 Pet. 4:8-11).
We shouldn't become obsessed with discovering our gift(s),
as though doing this is somehow the "key" to our spiritual life.
Rather, we focus on being involved with other Christians and practicing the
"one another" imperatives. We can rest assured that God will reveal
our gifts.
As we discover our spiritual gifts, we have opportunities to
use these gifts not only in the context of our closer fellowship relationships,
but also with people we do not know very well. In this way, we can build up the
Body of Christ.
At Crosswinds we facilitate the discovery and deployment of our spiritual gifts. Our Ministry helps us find MINISTRY TEAMS, which can utilize their gifts. It is not uncommon for people to be involved in more than one ministry team.
Discipleship
As you become more spiritually mature, God will give you the
opportunity to help younger, hungry Christians learn how to walk with him (Col.
1:28,29; 2 Tim. 2:2). We call this ministry discipleship. This is one of the
most exciting ministries God offers us, and we believe that God calls all
Christians to this ministry.
In the context of a close (mentoring) relationship, we meet
regularly (often over several years) and practice the "one another"
imperatives with them. We are committed to helping them in their spiritual
vitality, character formation and ministry development. These folks often
become some of our closest friends, and eventually become our colleagues in
ministry.
NOTE: Healthy discipleship takes place within the context of
involvement with many other Christians. God normally uses many different
Christians to disciple us in different areas over a period of years. Beware of
disciplers who want to minimize your involvement with other Christians.
Body Life (Receiving & Giving Christ's love) as it
relates to the other means of growth
|
The Interaction of Body-Life (Receiving Christ's
Love) |
|
|
Prayer |
The church is to be a praying community. By precept and
example, prayer plays a central role in the life of the church. Others can
stimulate us to love and good works (Heb. 10: 24,25), including by prayer. By
establishing regular times to pray with others, we can strengthen our prayer
habits, while gaining the discernment of the other members. Prayer is the
spearhead of the church's ministry; opening doors, producing conviction in
the hearts of those who hear, protecting those reached from Satan and
granting spiritual empowerment to Christian workers. |
|
Scripture |
The church exists to accomplish ministry, both to its members
and to the world outside the church. Ministry carried out by myself is never
as impacting as that accomplished with others. I need to learn to disciple
(train) others so they can carry on the same kind o ministry. I may have to
be disciples myself before I can be effective at ministry, and this is best
accomplished in a healthy local church. |
|
Discipline of the Holy Spirit |
When we are undergoing difficult times of spiritual
discipline from the Lord, Christian fellowship is sometimes the only thing
that keeps us from falling apart. We were never meant to undergo significant
breaking without the support of a loving community. At the same time I
receive support, I have the opportunity to give support and to coach young Christians
on how to understand God's hand in their lives during trials. |
|
The Interaction of Body-Life (Giving Christ's Love) |
|
|
Prayer |
Those who are strong in ministry know how many times their
ministries have spurred them on to intense periods of prayer. It is hard for
such people to imagine what it would be like to feel the obligation to pray,
but without the natural and healthy motivation created by ministry. As
ministers, no longer are we merely praying because it's the right thing to
do, or because we hope we can feel better as a result. Instead, there are
real tasks to accomplish through prayer in the lives of others. Those who are
established in defined and personal ministry consistently demonstrate more
appreciation for prayer than those who are lacking this vital means of
growth. |
|
Scripture |
When others are looking to us for guidance and help in their
Christian walks there will be a new urgency in our study of Scripture. This
is because as discussed earlier, Scripture holds the key to successful
ministry. Feeding young believers the Word of God is basic to most kinds of
ministry. Even service-oriented ministry should be carried out in light of
the Bible and should include the use of Scripture. |
|
Discipline of the Holy Spirit |
Spiritual discipline is largely intended to make us more
effective in ministry. At the same time being in ministry will cause us to
experience maximum benefit from discipline. We regularly find that those who
are tied into extensive ministry are prepared and able to endure the
necessary suffering to be conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of
those people who depend on their ministry. Those who are not active in
ministry find it too easy to run in the face of painful discipline. |
Memory Verses
Rom. 12** and 1 Cor. 12** - Christians are members of the
Body of Christ and therefore members of one another. This is the basis for
interdependent involvement with other Christians.
Phil. 2:3-5* - God calls on all Christians to practice a lifestyle
of sacrificial, self-giving love.
Acts 20:35* - Giving sacrificially to others is a key means
of fulfillment for Christians.
Crosswinds
|
The Role of Suffering in Sanctification |
Instructors
Overview
· Three Types of Suffering
· Fallen World
· Wrong Actions
· Following Christ
· Proper and Improper Responses to Suffering
Introduction: Review Keys
To Growth
Remember: The
goal of spiritual growth is not only formation of Christ-like character and
thinking, but ultimately influencing others for Christ (GREAT COMMISSION).
One key way by which we grow: Walk by the
Spirit. As we take the initiative
to do this, our "inner man" is progressively built up and others are
affected to some extent.
But there is still the problem of the "outer man"
(2 Cor. 4:7-16)--the flesh, or sin-nature. Building up the "inner
man" doesn't really affect it. For this problem, God has another outward
process by which our outer man is broken down so that the life of Christ can be
released.
This is the primary role of suffering in the Christian life
(2 Cor 1:8,9), and we will not get beyond a primitive level of spiritual
maturity unless we learn this truth and respond properly. Christians who don't
understand and respond to suffering in a Biblical fashion often "bail
out!"
(2 Cor. 1: 9) Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of
death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who
raises the dead.
(2 Cor. 4:7-12) But we have this treasure in jars of clay to
show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (8) We are
hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; (9)
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (10) We always
carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also
be revealed in our body. (11) For we who are alive are always being given over
to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.
(12) So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
(Luke 9:23) And He was saying to them all, "If anyone
wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses
his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."
Note: This is a
"daily" process that leads to increased spiritual life.
(Phil. 3:10,11) . . . that I may know Him, and the power of
His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Note: The
"and" after the phrase, "…that I may know Him…" probably
means "that is" and serves the purpose of a colon. In other words,
Paul is telling us that knowing Christ involves an ongoing process of suffering
("being conformed to his death") by which the resurrection
power of God is unleashed and we come to know Christ better.
(Rom. 5:3-5) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; (4)
perseverance, character; and character, hope. (5) And hope does not disappoint
us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
whom he has given us.
(Rom. 8:35,36)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is
written, "For thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were
considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we
overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
Note: Again,
Paul speaks of a continued process of suffering ("all day long") which somehow
releases the power of God to be victorious in the midst of our sufferings.
John 15:2 I am the true vine, and My Father is the
vinedresser . . . every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear
more fruit.
Note: This
passage speaks of an ongoing "pruning" in the life of growing Christians
so that greater fruitfulness results.
(Watchman Nee)
"What God is now doing is the pruning
work of the vinedresser. In our souls there is an uncontrolled development, an
untimely growth that has to be checked and dealt with. God must cut that off.
So now there are two things before us to which our eyes must be opened. On the
one hand God is seeking to bring us to the place where we live by the life of
his Son ("abide
in me"). On the other hand he is doing a direct work in our hearts to undo
that other natural resource (our sin-nature). Every day we are learning two
lessons: a rising up of the life of this One, and a checking and a handing over
to death of the other (sinful nature). These two processes go on all the time,
for God is seeking the fully developed life of his Son among us . . . What does
this mean? It simply means that I will not take any action without relying on
God. I will find no sufficiency in myself. I will not take any step just
because I have the power to do so. Even though I have that inherited power
within me, I will not go ahead solely upon it as (a) basis; I will put no
reliance on myself." (Watchman Nee, The
Normal Christian Life [Fort Washington, Penn.: Christian Literature
Crusade, 1961], pp. 157,158)
(John 12:23-26) And Jesus answered them, saying, "The
hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (24) "Truly, truly, I
say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains
by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (25) "He who loves
his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to
life eternal. 26 "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am,
there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
Note: Jesus is
referring first to himself (vs 23: " . . . The hour has come for the Son
of Man to be glorified . . . ")--his atoning death enables God's spiritual
life (zoe) to be given to others. But then he applies this principle to
his followers--we must also be willing to follow this path (parallel to Lk.
9:23,24) if we want to bear fruit for God.
Remember that suffering in this life has value in our
sanctification and is inevitable in proclaiming God's truth to the world (Col. 1:24,25; Rev. 6:11), but suffering has no atoning
value.
(Heb. 12:5-13) And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, (6) because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." (7) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (8) If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. (9) Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! (10) Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. (11) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (12) Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Three Causes of Suffering
People often say that suffering is a big problem for
Christianity--either God is powerful enough to stop suffering but isn't loving,
or he wants to stop suffering but lacks the power to do so. Actually, the Bible
presents us with a comprehensive (although not exhaustive) explanation.
We can distinguish between three kinds of suffering. God
sovereignly works through all of these sufferings to accomplish his
purpose in our lives. We may often experience all three kinds of suffering
involved in a single situation, as we will see.
1. Fallen World
Christians (including committed Christian workers) are not exempt from the sufferings that come from living in a
fallen world
Examples: Sickness &/or
crippling accidents; financial stress from mechanical failures, job loss, etc.;
death of loved ones; children rebelling; impact of others' wrong choices (Divorce;
crime), Genetic problems whether physical or mental.
The "Health & Wealth"
teaching that those who have enough faith will not experience these sufferings
is wrong!
When these things happen, many Christians ask:
"Why
is God doing this to me?" or "Why is God allowing this to happen to me?"
To the first question, the answer is usually "God did
not do this to you." These
sufferings are simply part of
living in a fallen world (UNIT #1).
We should especially reject the idea that God is paying us back for sins we
have committed, since the Christian is forever exempt from God's retributive
wrath.
(Luke 13:1-5)
Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the
Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (2) And He
answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were
greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate? (3)
I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (4) Or do
you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed
them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? (5) I tell
you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
(Rom. 8:19-23)
For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the
sons of God. (20) For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own
will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope (21) that the creation
itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of
the glory of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation
groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (23) And not
only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even
we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our body.
Why is God allowing this to happen? To this question, we usually cannot answer why God allowed
this particular suffering at this particular time. But we do know that God is sovereign in all of these sufferings to teach us
deeper dependence on him, to mold our characters, and thus to make us more
fruitful in his service (Rom.
8:28,29 - BUT NOTE THE 2 CONDITIONS OF THIS PROMISE IN VS 28B!).
We also know that God understands our suffering because
Christ has suffered in all ways
(Heb. 4:15), and we know that God can comfort us in the midst of our suffering
if we turn to him (2 Cor. 1:3-7).
2. Wrong Choices
Natural Consequences: God often simply lets us experience the negative consequences
of our wrong choices. This is what Solomon refers to as the "reproofs of
life" (Prov. 6:23). Many Christians wrongly believe that being under grace
means that God will protect us from this, but there is no scriptural promise to
this effect--and many passages which warn us against such presumption (1 Cor.
6:17,18; Rom. 1:24-27 [see also Ps. 81:10-12]
Examples: Poverty from sloth or
unwise spending leading to heavy debt load; damage in marriage from sexual
promiscuity; more difficulty in career because of laziness in school.
(Rom. 1:24-27) Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of
their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them . .
. (26) For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their
women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, (27) and in
the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and
burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent
acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
(Proverbs 6:25-29) Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her catch you with her eyelids. (26) For on account of a harlot one is
reduced to a loaf of bread, and an adulteress hunts for the precious life. (27)
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? (28) Or can a
man walk on hot coals, And his feet not be scorched? (29) So is the one who
goes in to his neighbor's wife.
"We cannot ultimately break God's moral laws; rather, we break ourselves upon them."
Disciplinary Intervention: As a
loving Father, God sometimes initiates a painful experience in our lives so
that we will not have to "learn the hard way" through serious natural
consequences.
Examples: Spanking child for playing in the street so he does not get
hit by a car; church discipline &/or human confrontation; discipline at
work/school.
(Matt. 18:12-17) What do you think? If any man has a hundred
sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on
the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? (13) And if it
turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than
over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. (14) Thus it is not the will
of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. (15) And
if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you
have won your brother. (16) But if he does not listen to you, take one or two
more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE
CONFIRMED. (17) And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and
if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and
a tax-gatherer.
(1 Cor. 11:28-32) A man ought to examine himself before he
eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. (29) For anyone who eats and drinks
without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
(30) That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have
fallen asleep. (31) But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under
judgment. (32) When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that
we will not be condemned with the world.
If you are a growing Christian, will you experience more or
less of this kind of suffering?
· We don't call this "suffering for Christ"--it is
what Peter calls "suffering as an evildoer" (1 Pet. 4:15) and hopefully we'll experience less and less
of this as we mature. But we can respond spiritually to this kind of suffering,
and then it will have a redemptive effect in our lives. Rather than giving way
to self-pity or anger at others, we should humbly focus on what God is
correcting, and determine with his help to not make the same mistake next time.
Warning: God
will often bring this kind of discipline through very imperfect human agents
(BOSS WHO CUSSES YOU OUT AS HE FIRES YOU FOR CHRONIC TARDINESS; DAVID'S
RESPONSE SHIMEI 2 SAM. 16:5-12). Which will you focus on--the flaws of the
human agent, or the lesson a good God wants to teach you?
· Don't learn everything the hard way. In fact, the growing Christian is able to learn vicariously
from the Word's instruction and the mistakes of others (Prov. 5:1-14)!
(Prov. 5:1-14)
My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, 2 that
you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the
lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in
the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go
down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 She gives no thought to
the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. 7 Now then, my
sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. 8 Keep to a path far
from her, do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you give your best
strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, 10 lest strangers feast
on your wealth and your toil enrich another man's house. 11 At the end of your
life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. 12 You will say,
"How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! 13 I would not
obey my teachers or listen to my instructors. 14 I have come to the brink of
utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly."
We don't have
to learn everything "the hard way!" We're not brute organisms! To say "I have to learn everything the hard way"
is not a sign of maturity--it is a confession of immaturity (Ps. 32:8-10; 1
Cor. 10:6,10, Is. 48:4).
3. Following Christ
The earlier passages (Luke 9:23, etc.) refer to the additional
(and avoidable) sufferings we encounter because we have decided to serve Christ. Jesus
refers to this as "taking up our cross." 2 Cor. 4:7-12** is a key
passage concerning this . . .
The Problem: Read vs 7. Note the same concept as Jn. 12. The
"treasure" within us is the life of Christ (vs 6)--but it is enclosed
by our "outer man" (vs 16).
God's Solution: Read vs 8-11. As we follow Christ, we will experience an
ongoing process of sufferings which are called "the dying of Jesus"
and which result in "manifesting the life of Jesus." Note the process
language in vs 10 and 11. Note the four kinds of sufferings this involves
in vs 8,9:
(2 Cor. 4:7-12) But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (8) We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; (9) persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (10) We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (11) For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. (12) So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Examples:
Afflicted (thlipsis): nagging
negative circumstances
Loss of comfort to serve others: night's sleep; hospitality cost; material sacrifice; hectic
schedule; people who rub us the wrong way
(Paul: 2 Cor 11:25b-27) " . . . three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a
day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from
rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the
Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea,
dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many
sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and
exposure."
Perplexed (aporeo): "without
a way;" confusion about next step; doubt--not just about your own life,
but also about others
Confusion can be a normal part of the Christian life; God does not make every step of the way clear if you are
walking with him. Direction for your own life turned upside down; not clear
what God is doing in your life; anguish over others who you care for.
(Paul: 2 Cor. 11:28,29) "Apart from such external things, there is the daily
pressure upon me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being
weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?"
(Gal. 4:19) "My children, with whom I am again in labor until
Christ is formed in you--but I could wish to be present with you now and to
change my tone, for I am perplexed about you."
Persecuted (diokoo): hostility and
attack from enemies
Satanic attack; rejection by non-Christian friends & society; Christians wrongly attacking; marital &/or family conflict; job mistreatment because of commitment to Christ
(Paul: 2 Cor 11:23-25a) "Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as if insane) I
more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without
number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews
thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned . . .
"
(Heb. 12:3,4)
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so
that you may not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the
point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.
We benefit from contact with those who are
really persecuted like many Christians in other countries are. This helps maintain the proper perspective
on our sufferings.
Struck Down (kataballo): to be cast
down
Sudden, unexpected failures; cherished plans or
relationships lost; ministry failure; betrayal of fellow-workers; deeper
revelation of sinful nature
(Paul: 2 Cor. 11:30-33) "If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to
my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever,
knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was
guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in
a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands."
This is when Lam. 3:1-33 comes in handy!!
If you are a growing Christian, will you
experience more or less of this kind of suffering?
Read vs 12. The Results: Because we are willing to undergo this death process, the
life of Christ is released to effectively influence others.
Other
results include:
There is no authenticity/depth without this!! Are you willing to die so others can live, and so you can
have deeper satisfaction of fruitfulness??
Reflections on suffering and spiritual
maturity
(J.I. Packer) "We should
not be. . . too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging
things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in His wisdom
means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and is dealing
with us accordingly. Perhaps He means to strengthen us in patience, good humor,
compassion, humility, or meekness, by giving us some extra practice in
exercising these graces under specially difficult conditions. Perhaps He has
new lessons in self-denial and self-distrust to teach us. Perhaps He wishes to
break us of complacency, or unreality, or undetected forms of pride and
conceit. Perhaps His purpose is to draw us closer to Himself in conscious
communion with Him; for it is often the case. . .that fellowship with (God) is
most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is greatest, when the cross is
heaviest. Or perhaps God is preparing us for forms of service of which at
present we have no inkling (see JOSEPH &
Gen. 50:20)."
(Oswald Sanders) "How is
the process of forming Christ within the believing life advanced? Every
circumstance of our lives has been planned with this end in view. Our heredity
and environment, our temperament, and all the frustrations and disappointments
of life are not the result of blind chance . . . As we subject ourselves to the
Word of God, the lordship of Christ, and the leading of the Spirit, the
circumstances will combine to wean us from the old life of self-pleasing and to
conform us to the image of Christ. Our Father loves us so well that He places
us in positions of great difficulty and perplexity, withdraws some cherished
object of love, places us to live and work with or among uncongenial
people--all in order that we may despair of ourselves and learn to draw more on
the resources which are for us in Christ. The process of Christ being formed in
us usually progresses more rapidly in times of adversity than in prosperity.
When all runs smoothly, we tend to forget our dependence on God, but in times
of trouble we turn to Him and appropriate His grace and help. Some of the
greatest saints have been those who have been tested most severely. Rightly
received, the disciplines of life serve to reproduce in us the likeness of
Christ."
* Note his point that the very blessings that God sends our
way become our reasons to forget God. We see this in Proverbs 30:8,9; Neh.
9:25-26; Deut. 8:7-17; 32:14-15; Hosea 13:5-6; Rev. 3:14-17.
(John Newton) I
asked the Lord that I might grow in faith and love and every grace,
might more of His salvation know and seek more earnestly His face.
'Twas He who taught me thus to pray, and he, I trust, has
answered prayer;
But it has been in such a way as almost drove me to despair.
I thought that in some favored hour at once He'd answer my
request
and by His love's constraining power, subdue my sins and give me rest.
Instead
of that, He made me feel the hidden evils of my heart,
and bade the angry powers of hell assault my soul in every part.
Nay more, with His own hand he seemed intent to aggravate
my woe,
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed, blasted my gourds, and laid me low.
"Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried.
"Wilt Thou pursue this worm to death?"
"This is the way," the Lord replied, "I answer prayer for grace
and faith.
"These inward trials I employ from self and sin to set
thee free,
And cross thy schemes of earthly joy that thou might'st find thy all in
Me."
How should we respond to
suffering?
While we should initiate in feeding the inner man
(i.e., "present yourself to God." "walk according
to the Spirit"), with the
breaking of the outer man we should respond properly to God's initiative (contra ASCETICISM).
Our response to God's discipline/breaking process is
crucial. We do not have the ability to escape from suffering, but we do have
the ability to nullify God's good purpose for it.
Listed below are the proper and improper responses to
suffering most emphasized by the Bible. Identify your most common wrong
responses, and give special attention to replacing them with the proper
response.
Don't be surprised.
(1 Pet. 4:12) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery
ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange
thing were happening to you.
(2 Tim. 2:3,4) Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of
Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs
of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
New Christians should be informed of this ASAP. (Acts 14:22 - " . . . strengthening the souls of the
disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, `Through many
tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.') "Forewarned is
forearmed!"
Older Christians also need to be reminded when things
get harder than they thought
(Heb. 12:5) "
. . . and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
`MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU
ARE REPROVED BY HIM'"
Arm yourself to suffer (1 Pet. 4:1,2; 2 Tim. 2:3). We must prepare our minds,
accepting the fact that hardship is certain.
Don't compare your sufferings to others
(John 21:18-22) "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you
were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when
you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you,
and bring you where you do not wish to go." (19) Now this He said,
signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken
this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" (20) Peter, turning around, saw
the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back
on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays
You?" (21) Peter therefore seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what
about this man?" (22) Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain
until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"
"Why aren't they suffering as much as I am? They must
be more spiritual.” I must be more spiritual than them since I'm not
suffering." These meditations are foolish, and give birth to self-pity,
envy and pride--the very things from which God is seeking to deliver us!
God has his own plan for each of us. Our concern for others
should be on how we can encourage them to follow Christ. Our main focus should
be on following him and learning what he wants us to learn.
Do focus on God's promises.
(2 Cor. 4:17,18) For momentary, light affliction is producing
for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, (18) while we look
not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the
things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are
eternal.
(Heb. 12:11*) All discipline for the moment seems not to be
joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
(1 Pet. 5:9,10*) But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing
that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren
who are in the world. (10) And after you have suffered for a little while, the
God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself
perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
In This Life: more fruit (Jn. 15:2; Phil 1:12,13 - including increased impact on
others); the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. 12:11*); perseverance,
proven character & hope (Rom. 5:3,4); strengthen, confirm, perfect &
established (1 Pet. 5:10); purifying your faith (1 Pet. 1:6,7)
In The Next Life: reward (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17); full understanding (1 Cor.
13:12). Like a TAPESTRY, we only see the underside of it during this life. It
is full of knotted threads of different colors, and we see no real beauty or
pattern. But in the next life, God will show us the top of the TAPESTRY. We
will see how it all fits together, and how his hand was always working with
perfect love and wisdom to fashion our lives into something that gave glory to
him.
Do give thanks while you are suffering.
(James 1:2-4*) Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter
various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
(4) And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing.
This is a key way we can express our trust that God is
sovereignly working through this suffering (Rom. 8:28).
Antithesis:
complaining; self-pity; becoming embittered toward God; etc.
It is also a privilege to suffer for the cause of
Christ (Phil. 1:29; Acts 5:41)!
There is cause greater than our own personal comfort: The cause of Christ.
Antithesis: We
don't see the willingness to suffer for anything amongst most western people.
American hedonism/narcissism--no cause is greater than my own comfort.
This is a choice (imperative), not a feeling! We can and should choose to thank God on the basis of his
truth, in spite of our contradictory thoughts and feelings. The result of
turning to God in the midst of suffering is a growing trust and realization of
his infinite provision and commitment.
Do tell God how you feel and decide to
follow his will.
(Matt. 26:39-42) Going a little farther, he fell with his
face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup
be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (40) Then he
returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep
watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. (41) "Watch and pray so
that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is
weak." (42) He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it
is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will
be done."
Some Christians think it is unspiritual to admit to God that
they are in pain, or to ask God to
deliver them from suffering--but Jesus (and many other Old Testament authors)
shows us this is not the case. To draw near to God in this way is a precious
feature of our personal relationships with him.
But alongside this freedom, there must be the determination
to do what God wants us to do rather than to go outside God's will to spare
ourselves from suffering. Under
girding this determination, of course, is the choice to believe that God's will
is both wise and loving and good.
Summary
(Heb. 12:3,5)
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so
that you may not grow weary and lose heart . . . (5) and you have forgotten the
exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard
lightly the discipline of the lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him . .
. "
It may go on longer than you thought it would, or be more
intense than you thought it would be. Remember God's promises that he won't subject you to more than you can
bear (1 Cor. 10:13).
Joseph (After
years of imprisonment and hardships, Joseph comforts those who sold him into
slavery by concluding, Genesis 45:5 "And now do not be grieved or angry
with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to
preserve life.)
We need to prize perseverance, endurance the way God does (70+ times in the New Testament)--to "play with
pain," to stay at our posts instead of deserting (2 Tim. 4:10). And guess
how God cultivates this!
Check Your Understanding
Grace is the greatest news there is, but some Christians
have a confused understanding of God's grace as it relates to this area of the
Christian life.
Try this "True-False" quiz to check your
own understanding.
1. "God will never reject me no matter
what I do." True (Rom. 8:1)
"God will always spare me from the consequences of my wrong
decisions." False
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, his father forgave
completely--but he still lost his share of the inheritance (Lk. 15:31). God's grace will always forgive us, but poor
marriage choices can result in real pain in marriage (and divorce), habitual
drug use may have hindered our relational development and taken away years that
could have been spent in spiritual growth and ministry.
2. "God will eventually make me mature
regardless of my response to his discipline." False
"God will continue to initiate discipline in my life
regardless of my response." True (Heb. 12:6)
Read Heb. 12:5-13. In Heb. 12:12,13, the author
reminds us to cooperate with God when he disciplines us. He likens this discipline to setting a broken or
dislocated limb. In those days, because there was no anesthesia, such remedies
were horribly painful. Many people refused to endure such pain--but they then
lost the use of that limb for the rest of their lives. Likewise, God can heal
our lives through his discipline, but we must choose to cooperate with him if
we want to experience that healing.
3. "God's role in my life will never be
diminished by my disregard of his discipline." False
(Gen. 25) Esau evidently believed in the Lord, and so he
will be in heaven. He also played a
role in God's plan for history by fathering what became the nation of Edom. But
he forfeited the role he could have played by trading his birthright for a bowl
of soup. God held him to his decision, and would not allow him to regain his
birthright later--even when he begged for it with tears.
Another excellent example is Sampson (Judges 13-16) who is a picture of squandered potential
because is persistently spurned God's discipline.
We are like "diamonds in the rough" that God is
fashioning into a beautiful gem that will manifest his character. If we resist his "chiseling" process, a crack may
occur in the stone, which means that the resulting gem may be smaller than it
could have been.
We see numerous examples of people who have great gifting
and potential as God's servant, but never reach that potential due to
unwillingness to respond to his discipline. Think of 2 Tim 2:19-22** and consider why one may never
become a "vessel of honor…useful to the master."
4. "God is willing and able to work for
good even through my wrong choices." True (Rom. 8:28; PETER'S DENIAL)
Clearly, if God brought just as much good from our wrong
choices as from our proper choices, there would be no importance to choose
rightly! But it does matter whether
we choose to do the Lord's will. If, for example, we choose to put off
spiritual growth because we are "too busy," we will forfeit growth
and ministry opportunities that may never be regained.
Memory Verses
Heb. 12:11* -
reminder that discipline is painful now, but rewarding later if you
submit to its training
2 Cor. 4:7-12** - 2 Cor. 4:7-12** - main ways that we suffer due to our commitment to Christ
Jas. 1:2-4* -
rejoice during trials because of their beneficial results
1 Pet. 5:10* -
God will perfect, strengthen, confirm and establish us after we persevere
through suffering
Assignment
Read John 14-16
and answer the following questions:
· What different ministries of the Holy Spirit does Jesus
promise? Explain each of them in your own words and explain why they are
important.
· Which of these ministries were only for the original
audience (Jesus' disciples), and which are for all Christians? On what basis do
you make this determination?
Instructors
Overview:
· Foundational Considerations
· Practical Guidelines
· Foundational Principles for Discovering God's Guidance
· Road Signs
· Conclusion
Learning Goals
· Know the foundational principles involved in determining
God's will.
· Know the "road-signs" and what bearing they have
in determining God's will.
As Christians, we will regularly confront difficult
decisions. They are difficult because their relationship to God's moral will is
not obvious. Some of these decisions will have a major impact in our lives
making them even more important.
E.G. -- although it is within his moral framework to marry a
Christian, he doesn't specify which one.
E.G. -- he does say we must work in order to provide for our
household and share in his work -- he doesn't tell us which job to take.
"Should I go back to school or not?" "Should
I buy a new or used car?" "What kind of house should I live in --
where?" are examples where we don't find direct guidance.
Yet, does that mean that God doesn't guide us in these areas?
That he has no opinion on the matter? That the decisions we make don't matter?
That they can't impact our walk with him in any way?
Today we'll be talking about guidelines to
help us make these types of difficult decisions.
God does not lead mechanically.
· Because God is personal and we are personal, he leads us
personally, not mechanically. Therefore we should avoid any such attempt to
find a formula, and be open to let God lead us in the way he chooses.
· Because God guided me in a certain way does not mean that he
will always guide me that way, nor that he will guide other Christians in that
same way.
· Apply this to yourself and in working w/ others.
· Read if possible The Letters of Francis Schaeffer, p.
164.
Thus we face a balance--by living in a
personal relationship to God, and by not living as if God were not there. But
this does not mean that I must find God's leading in a mechanical and legalistic
way, and perfectly in every case, or God will cast me off.
I personally could not live for twenty-four hours without looking to the
leading of the Lord, and this is how I live my life, not in theory, but in
practice. But I also know the freedom I have of knowing there is no mechanical
formula given in the Scripture, but that it must be a day-by-day closeness to
God...And I have the freedom of knowing that if I honestly miss this way
somewhere, God will still deal with me gently."
(Francis Schaeffer. The Letters of Francis Schaeffer. (Crossway
Books. Westchester, IL. 1985) p. 164.)
· Examples of different ways God led people (Gideon, the
prophets, direct vision of Cornelius, Ethiopian eunuch).
Two Personal Questions:
· Are you teachable/leadable? Will you follow God's will once
you know it?
· Do you believe that God desires to lead you? God will lead
if you will follow. See John 10 and Psalm 23- Depiction of God as a shepherd offering
guidance to the sheep.
Three Foundational Considerations
God's personal will has 2 dimensions:
· Moral/ Sanctification (Rom. 12:2*; 8:29; 1 Thess. 4:3)
(Rom. 12:2*) And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of
God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
God's desire for each of us is our sanctification. He
recognizes that each of us is unique and His plan for change will vary
individually, but he clearly desires to see us progress spiritually.
(Eph. 2:10) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in
them.
It's our new
identity in Christ that gives us the basis for following his will.
(Rom. 8:29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to
become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among
many brethren;
(1 Thess. 4:3) For this is the will of God, your
sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;
· Ministry Purpose (Col. 1:9,10; Rom.
12:2a,3-8)
(Rom. 12:2a,3-8) And do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will
of God is . . . (3) For through the grace given to me I say to every man among
you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so
as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (4)
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have
the same function, (5) so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members one of another. (6) And since we have gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if
prophecy. . . (7) if service. . ., or he who teaches. . .. (8) or he who
exhorts . . ., he who gives . . ., he who leads. . ., he who shows mercy. . .
God has a particular role for us to play in the body of Christ based on the way he gifts each of us. With this role comes the opportunity to exercise our gifts in meaningful and fulfilling ministry. Discussion making for the Christian must bring these factors to bear on decisions.
Illustration: Consider each of these as river banks which constrain the
flow of the stream. They offer the broad structure and God provides specific
guidance.
Spiritual maturity brings increasing
knowledge of God's will
(Col. 1:9,10) For this reason also, since the day we heard
of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled
with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so
that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all
respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of
God;
Paul prays that the Colossians would be filled with the
knowledge of God so they can make the right decisions as they face adversity.
As Christians mature they grow in a working knowledge or God's will.
(Heb. 5:14)- But
solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained
to discern good and evil.
The author of Hebrews expected the audience to grow in their
knowledge of God's word so they would be able to practically apply it to
everyday situations.
(Col. 4:12) Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave
of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in
his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of
God.
This prayer recognizes
a connection between maturity ("...you may stand perfect") and
increasing knowledge of Gods will ("...all the will of God.").
Sometimes God reveals his will
specifically.
Acts 8:26-40- Philip's call to "go to the road that
descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." Then later to "go up and join this
chariot."
Acts 10- God reveals his will to Cornelius and Peter
Acts 16:9ff- Paul's vision of the man from Macedonia.
Qualification: This revelation is at God's discretion and
not ours. Note that these individuals were aggressively serving God and the
more dramatic revelation came.
"I believe God has an individual will for my life and
for every life, but its realization depends on a true surrender of my will
and your will to Him for the fulfillment of His plan as
and where He sees best. He may, however, leave considerable freedom of choice
within His moral will…(J. Oswald Sanders. Every
Life is a Plan of God. (Discovery House Pub. Grand Rapids. 1992) p. 39.)
Practical Guidelines for Discovering God's
Will
Three sections: Principles of Guidance,
"Road Signs" or Tools that sometimes apply, and Important
Qualifications.
1. Ways to improve your discernment of
God's will
a. Scripture--Soak your mind in
it.
· Learn
what the Bible emphasizes
(Isaiah 55:8,9) "For My thoughts are
not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than
your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
We need to be humbly aware that our thinking is much
different than God's.
(1 Cor. 2:9-16) but just as it is written, "THINGS
WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE
HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." (10) For
to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things,
even the depths of God. (11) For who among men knows the thoughts of a man
except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no
one knows except the Spirit of God. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit
of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things
freely given to us by God, (13) which things we also speak, not in words taught
by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual
thoughts with spiritual words. (14) But a natural man does not accept the
things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot
understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (15) But he who is
spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. (16) For
WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? But we have
the mind of Christ.
God gives us the Holy Spirit so we may "have the mind
of Christ." Having his mind allows to understand and apply his word
(12b-".. things freely given to us by God").
(Rom. 12:2a) And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of
God is . . .
· Memorize Scripture
"The Spirit cannot recall what the mind has not
installed."
(Col. 3:16)- Let
the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
· Apply Scripture
(James 1:22) - But prove yourselves doers of
the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Qualification: God leads through Scripture. He will never lead us to go outside
scripture (Jeremiah 14:14,23:32 ,23:35,36)
· Further, while we should seek his leading and follow it as
we understand it, we should avoid being as dogmatic about God's personal
leadership as we are about the clear teaching of scripture.
· We can never be as certain about God's personal leading in
our lives as we can be about scripture. We may be mistaken about God's
subjective leading, but the objective Word is essentially clear in its
guidance.
· Saul ignored God's law and acted anyway. 1 Sam. 13:12 ff; 1
Chron. 10:14.
· Read The Letters of Francis Schaeffer, (Below) p. 163.
Another thing to lean against is [the
idea]...that we can know God's leading with the same finality that we have concerning
the teaching of Scripture, for example, about the deity of Christ. When we are
led, we must acknowledge that since we are both finite and sinful we can be
mistaken. Thus, the Lord can lead us so clearly [in a particular moment], and
yet we can never say at that moment that we personally know this to be truth on
the same level as Scripture. When the Lord led my wife and myself to begin
L'Abri, the leading was so clear that not to have moved forward would have been
disobedience. And yet if you had asked me at that time if I was as sure of this
as I was that which Scripture taught, I could not have said yes. But as the
years have passed there is no doubt that we did understand the leading of the
Lord [in beginning L'Abri]. (Francis Schaeffer.
The Letters of Francis Schaeffer. (Crossway Books. Westchester,
IL. 1985) p. 163.)
b. Willing--Be willing to do God's will before you know
it.
· John 7:17*; James 1:5ff;
(John 7:17*) "If any man is willing to do His will, he
shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from
Myself.
(James 1:5ff, 6-8) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him
ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will
be given to him. (6) But let him ask in faith without any doubting, . . (7) For
let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, (8) being
a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
· Unwillingness to do this betrays unbelief in God's goodness
for you, which must be resolved first. Many times, you must struggle before God
in prayer to admit that you don't have this attitude and then adopt it
Qualification: God's leading may not be obvious before we decide.
· Many times we can perceive his guidance before the
situation. At other times, we may be able to look back in retrospect and see
his guidance.
· During those times when we must make a decision even though
God's leading is not clear, we can be confident that because we have presented
ourselves to him to be used as his instruments (Rom 6:13), he is guiding
and leading our lives.
· This is an important perspective to maintain, because it
guards against destructive introspection and/or indecisiveness when God's
guidance is not clearly perceived in advance of a decision. Since we have
presented ourselves to God, and since we know that he is guiding us, we can
step out in faith when the situation calls for a decision.
· Joseph made many decisions without anything but moral
guidance and only understood retrospectively what God intended (Gen. 39-50,
especially 50:20).
c. Acting- Act on God's moral will that you know.
· Mt. 13:12*; Heb. 3:7-19; Jesus in Gethsemane (" . . .
not my will, but your will be done . . . ")
(Mt. 13:12*) "For whoever has, to him shall more be
given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he
has shall be taken away from him.
· Are you in revolt in an area already revealed? God will
often withhold further guidance until you end this controversy. EXAMPLE:
Fornicator wanting guidance on where to go to school.
· Positive point: Are you committed to sanctification and
serving God in ministry as your highest priorities? Without these priorities,
you probably won't get a whole lot of guidance, because God wants to guide you
primarily in these 2 paths (see above)! If you are committed to these two
priorities, you can rest assured that God will guide you and not leave you in
the dark.
· "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who
say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy
will be done.' ...No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever
miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened." (C.S.
Lewis. The Great Divorce. (MacMillan Pub. Co. New York. 1946)
p.72)
d. Praying--Pray regularly for God's guidance?
· "Faced with a pile of
problems, we may say with our lips that only prayer can solve them, yet we talk
more than pray, worry more than pray, and scheme more than pray.
"In sum, we put everything before prayer; other things are placed in
prominent positions while prayer is relegated to last place; it is the only
thing which is not so important."
--Watchman Nee
· Beware of creeping autonomous DEISM (Prov
3:5,6)!
(Prov. 3:5,6) Trust in the LORD with all your
heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
· Read Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, pp.
117-121.
Conclusion: If these are habits in your Christian life,
you won't stray far. For most of us, the absence of one or more of these
principles is the reason why we are experiencing confusion.
2. "Road Signs" - Things that sometimes reveal God's
will.
Qualification: Avoid the extremes of
Christian Deism vs. "super-spirituality."
· Some tend toward an excessively subjective
view--and unhealthy emphasis on feelings and experience.
· Others
tend toward a view that makes virtually no room for God's personal guidance.
This promotes a more impersonal and less prayerful relationship with God.
· Know
your tendency, lean the other way, and teach others to do the same.
· Read The
Letters of Francis Schaeffer, p. 163 for a balanced view on this.
"There are two
things to be leaned against simultaneously: the first is living as though God
did not exist and as though He could not or would not lead us; the second is
living as though God's leading were almost magic without any use of the mind." (Francis Schaeffer. The
Letters of Francis Schaeffer. (Crossway Books. Westchester, IL. 1985)
p. 163.)
· Example
of Christian Deism: Joshua 7:2-13. A negative example of super spirituality:
Colossians 2:16-23.
The key is knowing how to use them--what
they can and can't do for you.
a. Common Sense: The ability
to consider different courses of action and the likely implications of each.
· "Spiritual
expedience" is applying common sense within a framework of biblical values
and priorities. "What course of action will enable me to most
effectively achieve biblical values and priorities?"
· "Look
before you leap." Don't be a fool--leaping before you look.
· Read
Titus 1:8. This kind of common sense is a qualification for eldership (phroneo
- sensible).
(Titus 1:8) but hospitable, loving what is
good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled
· QUALIFICATION:
Avoid using this to rationalize fearfulness. Do you have a category for
scary/costly steps of faith? We are promised adversity in our service of Christ
and therefore should expect it.
· Use a
"Pro's and Con's" list--BUT be sure to prioritize the
"pro's" and "con's" in the light of scripture.
b. Spiritual counsel
· Wise
counsel can give you additional light on Scripture and common sense/ spiritual
expedience. "Have you considered this implication?"
· Prov.
11:14; 24:6 "In the abundance of counselors is victory."
· Prov.
12:15; 13:10,18 "The wise man listens to advice."
· Prov.
15:22 "Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many
counselors they succeed."
· Prov.
19:20 "Listen to advice."
· Prov.
20:5 "A plan in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of
understanding draws it out."
· Prov.
20:18 "Plans are established by counsel"
· Prov.
27:17 "Iron sharpens iron"
· QUALIFY:
Seek mature counsel (grounded in the Word and/or previous experience)
from people who know you well.
- Give them full information--not partial.
- Seek counsel from several mature Christians.
- Avoid people who you know will only see it your way ("ear
ticklers").
· REMEMBER:
The advisor is not are responsible for the decision.
- Advisors beware-- some people like others to make their decisions for them.
("What would you do?")
c. Personal Desires
· Avoid
the extremes of asceticism ("Whatever I want, the opposite is God's
will") or selfishness ("If I want it this badly, it must be God's
will"). Which do you tend towards? Lean the other way!
· EXAMPLE:
Enjoying an area of ministry often indicates gifting or burden
(E.G."I really like working with kids.")
d. Gifts/ ministry burdens
· As we
grow in our gifting/ministry we gain clarity about God's will (e.g. type of
personal ministry you should take on).
· This
raises the obvious question: "How do I discover my gift(s)?"
e. Intuition
· This includes
leadings, prompting, impressions spontaneously emerging in our mind, especially
during prayer.
· If they
are from God, they will be consistent with the Word, with who you are (Hybels
questions, pp. 134-137) and with an attitude of servant hood.
· When
they line up this way, assume they are from God and follow them. You'll often
be amazed at how fruitful they are!
· The
more you are in the Word, understand your ministry role, and are committed to
servant hood, the more this area will come into play.
· ALSO:
The more regularly you spend time alone with God, the more aware of these
through the day you will tend to be.
f. Inner peace
· This is
a certain kind of intuition, deep seated calmness from God about a direction
you've chosen to take.
· When
this is present it confirms and strengthens our resolve to follow God's will.
· QUALIFICATIONS:
We are not talking about a constantly tranquil state. Our emotional fallenness,
the fact that we're in a battle, and taking scary steps of faith will produce
inner turmoil sometimes.
· When
peace is absent, re-evaluate your decision (i.e. especially in moral areas or
matters of conscience).
g. Follow delegated authorities
· This
includes parents, husband, state, employer, church leaders.
· EXAMPLE:
You are musically inclined and believe you have been led by God to be involved in
that type of ministry in your home group. You ask your home group leaders if
you can provide some music for the group. They think about it, and say
"No, thanks."
· Now
you wonder what to do? Should you continue to press them because you really
feel led by God? Should you rally the troops to see if there is a consensus?
NO--you should submit. You also should find an outlet for your burden and
skills.
· QUALIFICATIONS:
We do outgrow authority or change them at times. We may have to disobey if
against the written word of God (not against your feelings, or "what you
believe in your heart").
· Question
yourself: "Why am I leaving this delegated authority?" Are you aware
of any character issues that God is teaching you through this person? Have you
learned the lesson? Can you cite changes in your character? If you can't
specifically note the progress God has made in your life through the situation,
then you're probably on the run.
h. Circumstances
· Circumstances
play a relatively minor role in major complex decisions. They explain the
options presently available. They play a major role in confirming after a
decision is made.
· Fleecing
(see Gideon). Note that God had already told Gideon his will. This was for
confirmation and encouragement. This is not the norm, so don't expect God to do
it for you.
· It is
generally more helpful when negative, because it narrows the range of options.
· Open/closed
doors not necessarily mean "NO" or "YES. " With Paul, they
were not all yes/no (2 Cor 2:12,13; 1 Cor 16:8,9).
i. Results
· Learn
from them! Why did the decision lead to good/bad results?
· Helpful
in determining gifted areas.
· How
often do you thank God when you get guidance (10 lepers - Lk 17)?
· QUALIFY:
Results don't in themselves confirm or deny the wisdom of the decision
(pragmatics are not the only considerations).
· What kind
of results? Biblical or carnal?
· Biblically
correct decisions may not yield immediate or external results.
· Results
which followed past decisions do not guarantee the same results from similar decisions
now (e.g., church growth methods).
Conclusion
Teach others the importance of personally
discerning God's will for their lives--DON'T TEACH THEM TO FOLLOW YOU!
This principle is important to observe in
our work with younger Christians if they are to become "independently
dependent on the Lord." When discussing important life decisions, it is
important to tell them that God can guide them if they ask for his guidance and
if they have the willingness to do his will even before they know what it is.
In this way, we teach them to do what they do out of conviction that it is
God's will, not merely because we told them to do it.
Avoid the extremes of "paralysis by
analysis" (e.g. - people making decisions about home group or ministry
involvement)
(Ps. 32:8,9 --
"I will instruct you and guide you in the way you should go; I will
counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or the mule with no
understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in
check.")
Remember to apply God's grace.
While disregarding God's leadership may
result in loss, we should never feel that our lives are destroyed. God is a God
of grace, and this means that when we turn back to him, he will continue to
lead us from there and to bless us and use us. (Letters of Francis Schaeffer, pp.
163-164).
Memory
Rom. 12:2* God's will for our life revolves
around our sanctification and his role for our lives in his purpose here on
earth.
Jn. 7:17* Learning God's will is predicated
upon our first being willing to do his will, even before knowing what it is.
Matt. 13:12* As
we are responsive to God's will in our lives, he will continue to unfold his will in the other areas. The reverse is
also true.