Book Study of Philippians: Jesus Our Master, philippians 1:1-18

 JESUS OUR MASTER

Philippians 1:1-18

HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF, SLAVE OR FREE

V:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul saw himself as a servant of Jesus. We know we are disciples by our

relationship with Jesus. The question is do you see yourself as a servant?

We cannot be good disciples unless we see ourselves as servants.

Jesus set the example for a servant. He said. I did not come to be served,

I came to the servant. I am a servant of all.

Matthew 20:28

the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Service requires a sacrifice of time and resources for someone other than yourself.

We should serve God gladly for what His Son has done for us.

1 Peter 2:18

Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect,

A disciple means a follower of Jesus.

You can serve without being a disciple. But you can’t be a disciple without

service.

1 Peter 2:18

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

NIV

A servant looks after the interest of his master. The second thing we have to

see is Jesus as our master. We are not the master of our souls. We are not

the masters of our destination. We cannot determine what tomorrow will

be like. But Jesus is the master of our days.

Every Christian need the support of other Christians. We need to support

each other in the ministry. Throughout Paul’s ministry, he had the companionship

of other brothers in Christ. Timothy serve with Paul after being baptized by him

Acts 16:1-3

Where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area.

True friendships are cultivated over time. Paul attached himself to Timothy and

trained him in the ministry. Timothy became Paul’s traveling companion. God

called us to the ministry to work with other brothers and sisters in Christ. After

creating Adam, God said it is not good for man to be alone. We were designed to

have a need for companionship. Everyone has been given talents and skills to

work along side others in the ministry.

THANKS, AND PRAYERS FOR CHURCH MEMBERS

V:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

We ought to have an attitude of thankfulness for those who serve in the ministry.

All of us bless each other with our time gifts and talents. For that reason, we ought to

always be in prayer for one another. We have a choice to find joy in the presence of

each other. No one is perfect. But joy overlooks imperfections.

We are all partners with Christ. He ascended back into Heaven and left us with the

commission to make disciples. He even guaranteed our success with the promise that

we would do greater things than He did on earth.

Again Paul relates that it was Jesus who began a good work in us. It is Jesus that will

ensure the completion of His work through us. The Work will not be complete until

Jesus comes back for His Church.

SHARE THE GRACE OF GOD TOGETHER

V:7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

It is good for brothers and sisters in Christ to think about each other, pray for the

success and well-being,  and to encourage with kind words. Paul was in prison in

Rome for preaching the Gospel when he wrote to the Philippians. No matter how

difficult our circumstances are, it is good for us to think of others in love. When we

consider that God has favored us with like-minded believers who share the mission

of the Gospel, we realize that we are part of an organization in Jesus that changes

the world. We must also consider that our current conditions are part of God’s plan

to grow us in the ministry.

LOVE, THE KEY TO THE GOSPEL

V:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.

A key element in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is love. Without love, the Gospel becomes

burdensome and loses it importance in our lives. Without love for Jesus we will

not take the time to study His Word. Without love, we will not submit to the guidance

and direction of the Holy Spirit. Without love, the Gospel takes a back seat.

Another key element is the knowledge of the Word. Gaining knowledge of the word is

much more than reading the Word. If you want to know the Word you must spend

time researching the Word. The Word of God was not written in our language,

in our time, or in our culture. Those who translated the Word from Greek and

Hebrew couldn’t consider how word meanings in English change over time.

Our perceptions of what a verse means is colored by our sinful flesh and worldly

desires. We tend to reject that which does not meet our standards. We tend to

interpret a word buy our experiences

GOD TROUBLES YOU TO GROWTH

V:12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Paul was no stranger to trouble. From the beginning of his ministry, he was rejected by the Jewish hierarchy. He was chased out of most cities where he preached the

Gospel by those who opposed Jesus as Lord and Savior. He was trained by the best

Jewish teachers of the Law. As long as Paul followed the Jewish interpretation of

the Law and their traditions, he was ok with the establishment. The moment Paul

started preaching to Jesus, he was a marked man for persecution and death.

Paul was the author of 13 of the 26 books of The New Testament.

The books of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were

written while he was under house arrest in Rome prior to his execution.

Paul recognized that what he went through was for the advancement of the Gospel.

Some of the trials and tribulations we go through are because God has designed

them. Listen to what Jesus said about Paul;

Acts 9:15-16

But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Paul’s best work was due to his suffering for the Lord. You and I can do some

serious praying when we are in trouble, when we have an illness that aspirin

won't handle, and when we can’t see our way out of satiation. That’s when we

can focus on our weaknesses and God’s power.

When God has done a miracle in our lives. Our testimonies are strengthened.

God uses trouble to get our attention and get us ready to serve Him.

We know the value of trusting and serving God when has done the impossible

in our lives.

Are you ever encouraged when you see someone faithfully serving in spite of

the misery they are facing? When those around you see you trusting God

in troubled situations they are encouraged. You make a statement about who

you serve when your daily walk praises God. You don’t have to convince no

one who you serve, just put God in your normal conversation.

IT ONLY MATTERS WHAT YOU DO

V:15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Don’t worry about the backstabbers, they have a purpose. Don’t worry about the

liars, they have a purpose. Don’t worry about the troublemakers, they have

a purpose. When you claim Jesus as your Savior, expect someone to oppose

your beliefs. When you stand for the righteousness of God, expect someone

to preach lies and deceptions. They have a purpose. Paul said you ought to

know your purpose.

Since God is in control and your purpose is His mission, you will be successful.

It does not matter what people say about you. What matters is your preaching

Jesus. God will not judge you by what others did to you, but by what you did

for others.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "You Are Important To God", 1 Corinthians 12:14-31, 1/29/2023

 YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO GOD

 

1 Corinthians 12:14-31

 

 

ONE BODY, MANY PARTS

V:14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

 

God created everyone for a particular reason.  We are all important to God. God calls some to be in

the Body of Christ.  Thank God we are in that number. Everyone that has been called has been

equipped for the mission of the Gospel.

 

To emphasize how important you are, Paul used the visible parts of the human body.  The eyes

were designed for seeing. The ears were designed for hearing, The mouth was designed for

speaking. The nose was designed for smelling. The feet were designed for walking. The hands

were designed to reach and carry.  Every part of the body is important, not just what we

can visibly see but all the internal organs and body processes that work automatically without

our knowledge. The many parts of the body function together to make us well and normal

human beings.

 

How would you function if only one of your hands work?  How would you function if only one

of your legs work? You could function, but not as efficiently. Each of us has a function in the

body of Christ. If one of us sits on the sideline, then the rest of the body would have to pick up

the slack. There is enough work for all to do. We were designed for specific jobs.

 

 

EVERY MEMBER IS IMPORTANT

V:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

 

If you had to choose a part of the body to lose, what would you choose? Now that you made the

choice, how would you know fully, the importance of what you lost? What part of the body would

have to be strengthened to account for the lost function? What adjustments would have to be made?

 

The point is every part of the body has an important function. Consider the hairs in the nose.

I have to constantly clip them to keep them from running down to my mouth. Can I give

them up?  According to Healthline.com nose hairs are important;

 

“Nose hairs act as a filter that prevents dust, pollen, and allergens from entering your lungs. When particles enter your nose, they get stuck on a thin layer of mucus that coats your hairs. Eventually, the particles either get sneezed out or swallowed. Your nose is also filled with microscopic hairs called cilia.”

 

In the body of Christ, every person in the body affects, protects, or aids other believers

in Christ. Can the Pastor say he/she is more important than the janitor? Can the

janitor say he is less important than those who work in the mission field? God sees

us all the same as His servants. All of us are combined to benefit each other by doing the

work of Christ.

 

We all are valuable to the Lord and have equal importance

 

EVERY BELIEVER HAS A POSITION IN CHRIST

V:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

 

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

 

We all have been given gifts and talents and placed in a position to benefit the Church Body

Paul lists the positions

      Apostles                                  An ambassador  of the Gospel, one who is sent

      Prophets                                  Foreteller, inspired speaker

      Teachers                                  Instructors of the Gospel

      Workers of miracles                ability, abundance, power, strength 

      Healing                                    one who cures (maybe a doctor)

      Helps                                       one who provides relief

      Administrator                          directorship

      Tongues                                   one who speaks different languages

 

The greater gift is love and compassion.  All of our work should be performed out of our love for God and man. God gave us positions to be used for His glory. Our job is to promote the Gospel with

work in everyday situations.

 

 

WHAT IS YOUR ASSIGNMENT?

Once we accepted Christ as our personal Savior the work began. We are empowered by the indwelling

Holy Spirit to serve. Each believer must decide for him/herself what position they have been gifted

with.

 

The question is, how do you know what position God has assigned you to?  Each of us has

talents and gifts we use every day. These are the same we use for Christ.

Looking at the list Paul provided, the positions are interrelated.

 

In the Book of Genesis God assigned Moses the job of leading Israel out of Egypt. Moses complained

that he was not qualified. God ask him what he had in his hands. That was what Moses instructed

us as the tool for the task.  During the 40 years Moses was in Median, he was trained as a shepherd,

and he learn to lead and direct sheep. These same skills were used to lead Israel out of Egypt under

the direction and guidance of the Lord.

 

It is these same gifts and talents that you use every day that God uses in the positions He assigns.

A key to your assignment is what you do daily. If you are a cook, cook for the Lord. If you are in administration, administer for the Lord. If you are a teacher, be a teacher for the Lord. You have

many gifts and talents. Used them for the Lord.

 

 

AMEN

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Set Free By The Truth", Galatians 5:1-17, 1/22/2023

 YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND BE SET FREE

 

Galatians 5:1-17

 

 

SET FREE IN JESUS

 

V:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

 

2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

 

Christ set us free from the burdens of our sins with His death on the cross. We are not

Justified by what we refuse to do but by the Grace of God. The law is judgment.

No one is justified by keeping the law. The law is the yoke of slavery. Therefore we

must stand firm in our faith in the atonement of our sins through the blood of Jesus.

 

The Greek meaning of the word circumcise means to cut off. The male Jews were

circumcised as a sign of the covenant with God according to the law.

Believers in Christ Jesus are not under the law but under Grace. Jesus fulfilled

all the requirements of the law with His blood on the cross relieving us from

the burden of the law. To be circumcised as a means of justification is to deny

the work of Christ.

 

 

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

V:3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

 

The Apostle Paul makes the argument to be circumcised as a means of justification

places one under the burden of the whole law. I am told, I have not counted them

that there are over 600 commands under the law. No man has ever been able to

keep the law except Jesus the author of the law.

 

Galatians 3:10-11

"Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."  11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law,

 

We are justified by faith in Jesus, who is the author of our faith. Any man who denies

Jesus closes the door to his eternal salvation.

 

John 6:43

 Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

 

KNOW THE TRUTH FOR YOURSELF

V:7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. 11 Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case, the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

 

We have to watch who we listen to. There are some who preach a message

different from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every believer has the responsibility

to study the Word of God for themselves. We have been given the gift of the

Holy Spirit who indwells us and is our teacher of the scriptures. How will you

know who is misleading you if you don't have knowledge of the truth?

 

A mind without the knowledge of the truth can easily be led to believe

another person's truth. In religion, there are many schools of thought, but

only one leads to Jesus. Many religions teach a god without Jesus.

 

John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

A religion without salvation through Jesus cuts you off from the Father.

I encourage each of you to study the scriptures for yourself.

 

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

NIV

 

Those who deny Jesus will answer to God on judgment day.

 

 

 

THE LAW IS A TUTOR, NOT A JUDGE

V:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

 

Those who believe in Jesus are free from the burden of sin. We are free to live a

life of service, peace, and joy. Our freedom does not give us the liberty to disobey

God's commands. While we are not judged by them, they were given as our tutors

to God’s righteousness.

 

Galatians 3:24-25

 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

 

Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day of His life on earth, not as a matter of faith,

but so the law would be fulfilled in Him. Jesus summed up the entire law in one

command. “Love your neighbor as yourself”. If we love each other we will not

fight each other but find peace which leads to joy. If we love Jesus, we will

follow His examples.

 

 

SUMMIT TO THE INDWELLING SPIRIT

V:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They conflict with each other so you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 

God gifted us with the indwelling of the Spirit so we will know the depth of His

love through the study of His Word. The death of Jesus on the cross was an

extreme example of His sacrificial love. It is the love in us for Jesus that should

keep control of our sinful nature. We must be conscious of the war that rages within

us.

 

 

 

Romans 7:22-24

For in my inner being, I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

 

While we have been justified by faith, Satan is busy trying to influence us to

Deny the Gospel of Jesus Christ and accept the view of nonbelievers.

 

Because we are aware of our sinful nature, we must plead the blood of Jesus to

strengthen us to be righteous before God and man.

 

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

 

 

 

Bible Study Series: God Will Help You, Isaish 41;14

  

GOD YOUR HELP,  YOUR SUCCESS

Isaiah 41:14

 

 

Isaiah 41:14

Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,

O little Israel,

for I myself will help you," declares the Lord,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

 

 

The events of this text took place around 740 BC. 150 years before the Babylonian captivity.

Because of Israel's constant disobedience since the giving of the law in 1500 BC,

God planned a 70-year punishment.

 

Israel performed all the required sacrifices at the Tabernacle but continued to

worship idol gods and not follow God’s commands. They were religious, but not

dedicated to God. They were dedicated to their desires.

God gave Israel time to get right with Him before the punishment.

 

GOD LOVES YOU

The first thing we learn is God is tolerant of our disobedient behavior.

The second thing we learn is God's love includes a warning to get right.

 

God has a plan for your life. Your disobedient behavior does not change that plan.

You may suffer some hardships because of your behavior, but that does not

change God’s plan. God has a way of bringing you to the obedience of His plan.

 

TRUST GOD

“ Do not be afraid”   

 Tomorrow has its own troubles.

There is a tendency to be afraid of doing something that we know can be

troublesome.

 

There is a tendency to be afraid when the problem is so big that you can’t see how

it will work out.

 

What we need to consider is that God is bigger than our problem

God has more resources than we can imagine

 

Isaiah was given a Word from God that forecast the destruction of Israel, the

punishment, and the redemption.  He serves 117 years under four kings.

 

He was married and had 2 sons. He had reason to be fearful.  He was part of

the royal family. Bad news could mean death from a jealous King

 

When God gives us an assignment, we need not be afraid of the mission.

Our job is to proclaim the word and leave all the consequences to God

 

God will not put us on a task without His protection.

 

Whatever you are going through is part of God's plan.

He did say I will never leave you or forsake you

 

 

GOD KNOWS YOU INTIMATELY

“ O worm Jacob, O little Israel,”

God knows your conditions. Compared to the world we live in, God knows

how small we are.

 

He is aware of that which concerns us. Whatever our needs are, they are but a

grain of sand in the seashore.

 

God calls us a worm. He knows how fragile we are. He knows we can easily be

tossed by waves of the sea.

 

Notice God calls us by the promised inheritance.   We are Jacob.

Jacob’s name means holding on to the heal. Holding on to the feet of someone else

God changed Jacob to Israel, a contender with Him.

We got a horrible past, but God looks to our promised future.

 

The only person we should be holding on to is God. He wants us at the head and

not the tail. To be at the head, our trust and confidence must be in God.

 

God is big and we are little. We must humble ourselves before God.  We bow down

to His feet. The best place to be is at the feet of Jesus

 

God designed our lives to be contenders with Him. With God on our side, there is

no way to lose. We may have some bumps and bruises, but God is the healer.

 

 

GOD IS WAITING ON YOUR PRAYERS

“for I myself will help you," declares the Lord,”

 

God hears our prayers. Not only does He hear, He ready to help

The Lord is waiting on us to come to Him in faith.

A declarative statement is a positive proclamation

 

Philippians 4:5-7

The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 

 

 

GOD HAS THE DESIRE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEEDS

The proof that God can do what you need to be done is in what He has already done

 

First Jesus laid aside His glory to become a man

Second, He brought you with His blood

Third,  He died for you

Forth, You are still here

 

Will God do more? Do you have confidence that God will do more?

Why would God do less for you?

 

The greatest thing was His death. Surely He will do the lessor

 

 

You are a donation from the Father to the Son.  You were given to Jesus before the

foundation of the World.    Ephesians 1:4

 

Jesus paid the price for you with His blood. You are in a blood relationship with Jesus

Jesus is your elder brother.

Mark 3:33-4:1

"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

 

 

You have an inheritance through Jesus     Isa 19:25, 61:7

 

GOD PROVIDES WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

 In helping you, I am giving you what I have bought for you already. If

 you need a thousand times as much help, I would give it to you; You require little compared  

 with what I am ready to give. ' Charles Spurgeon

 

THE MINDSET YOU NEED FOR SUCCESS

spiritual gifts

wisdom        Isa  10:13

 

understanding   Isa 10:13

 

counsel     Isa 28:29

 

knowledge       Isa 33:6

 

fear of the Lord   Isa 11: 2

 

everlasting joy    Isa 61:7

 

everlasting covenant  Isa 61:8

 

'

 Fear not! Come to the master asking for help. What you need is but a tiny bit of God’s resources. 

Come to the door of My all-sufficiency. 'I will help thee declares the Lord

 

If I need more strength, I will find it in the omnipotence of the United Trinity?

If I need more wisdom it exists in the Father

He has more love than displays itself in the Son.

He has more power which is manifested in the influences of the Spirit.

 

 God is a river full of supply.  Where will I find more than I desire?

The Eternal God is my helper!

 

Fear not, or be dismayed

God is your helper

 

 

WHO IS THE ONE WHO MAKES THE PROMISE?

 

“declares the Lord,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

 

Notice how God describes Himself

 

ENGLISH        HEBREW          MEANING

LORD              YEHOVAH         SELF EXISTING ONE

 

REDEEMER     GAAL                KINSHIP, AVENGER, DELIVER

 

HOLY ONE      QADOWSH        SACRED   God by eminence

 

Do you know anyone on earth that can validate themselves as God?

 

 

YOU ARE A PARTNER WITH GOD

God describes you a partner with Him

ISRAEL     CONTENDER FOR GOD

God claims you as a partner in His righteousness

 

He claims you as part of His family.  You and Jesus are kinfolk

 

God uses you to carry out His plan.

 

Whatever you go through, go through it in the name of the Lord.

Whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord

Colossians 3:23-24

 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24

 

 

Place All your cares in the name of the Lord.

 

 

CLASS QUESTIONS

 

WHAT DID GOD DO TO GET YOU HERE

 

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR TROUBLES?   INCONVENIENCE OR GROWTH

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL

 

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Praise Our High Priest" Hebrews 4:15-5-10, 1/15/2023

 PRAISE AND GLORY TO THE HIGH PRIEST

 

 

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

 

 

THE WORK OF THE HIGH PRIEST

4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 

WHAT JESUS DID

Jesus is our High Priest, who paved the way to our heavenly existence.

Our High Priest has sympathy for us

He endured the pain of sin for all mankind.

 

High Priest sits in heaven making intercessions for us

 

WHAT WE MUST DO

Hold firm to our Faith

Approach the throne of grace with confidence

 

THE RESULTS

May receive Mercy

Find grace to help in time of need

 

 

 

THE SELECTION OF THE HIGH PRIEST

V5:1 Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

 

Every believer has been given the ministry of reconciliation. We must humbly present

ourselves to the Lord asking for forgiveness of our sins. Through the mercy of our Lord

Jesus was are made clean again.  Just as the priest of the Old Testament prayed

for the Nation of Israel, we must pray for those around us and ourselves.

 

We Should never see ourselves as better than or more righteous than others,

for we all sin and fall short of the Glory of God. We should see ourselves in the

light of the righteousness of Jesus as filthy rags not worthy of redemption. But by

His Grace and Mercy receive continuous washing made clean before the Father.

 

THE ETERNITY OF THE HIGH PRIEST

V:4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,

 

"You are my Son;

today I have become your Father."

 

6 And he says in another place,

"You are a priest forever,

in the order of Melchizedek."

 

As Aaron was called by God to be the priest of Israel, every believer was called

to be a disciple of Jesus, our High Priest. According to Ephesians 1:4 we

chose to be in the body of Christ before the foundation of the earth. No one

can come to Jesus unless he is dawned by the Father (John 6:44). We glorify the

Father through our service, He will glorify us.

 

Jesus our Lord and Savior is our High priest forever. Each believer must

be humble at His feet for our prayers to be heard. There is no better place to be than

at the feet of Jesus. Because Jesus is our High Priest we have eternal life

with Him.

 

THE PRAYERS OF THE HIGH PRIEST

V:7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered

 

Jesus gave us an example of what our prayer life should be. Jesus came to the

Father not on His behalf, but for those He served.  The Greek word for

petition means favor. Jesus comes to the Father to provide mercy for our sins

and grace for our lives. We also know that He prayed for His strength while

He walked on earth. He came down from Heaven with the mission to die for

our sins and was not bothered by the rejection of His people or their lies and

deceptions. He was determined to Glorify the Father for our sins.

 

Matthew 26:39

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."

 

Jesus knew He was going to the cross to bear the sins of the world. He knew it

would be a terrible ordeal. His prayer was that the Father would see Him

through it.

 

You and I must go to the Father knowing that He will see us through that

which troubles us. We should pray to the Father for strength to endure

so we may please Him.

 

Because Jesus submitted Himself to the Father's will, His prayers were heard.

We learn the value and the rewards of obedience when we submit ourselves

to the Father's will.

 

 

THE PERFECTION OF THE HIGH PRIEST

V:9 And, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

 

Our perfection is made through our endurance of trials and tribulations.

 

James 1:2-4

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 

Our obedience to God guarantees our eternal life with the High Priest.

We have been blessed by the Father to live this journey with all the troubles

before us to be perfected through our faith in Jesus. We are the light of the

world with the purpose of drawing others to Christ.

 

 

THANK GOD FOR OUR HIGH PRIEST

 

Rev. M. Mitchell

Bible Study Series: A New Thing From God Isaish 43:18-19

  

A NEW THING FROM GOD

 

 Isiah 43:18-19

 

Isaiah 43:18-20

18 "Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland.

 

 

Before we get into the text. Let's get prepared for the text.

This text is written to God’s chosen people. To receive the

blessing God intends for us, we must present ourselves

agreeable to Him.

 

 

WHAT GOD WANTS FOR YOU

Genesis 27:28-29

 May God give you of heaven's dew

and of earth's richness —

an abundance of grain and new wine.

 

 

THE PRAISE GOD REQUIRES OF YOU

Psalms 33:3-5

3 Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully, and shout for joy.

 

4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;

he is faithful in all he does.

 

 

THE ATTITUDE GOD REQUIRES

Ephesians 4:23-24

23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

 

 

 

REQUIREMENTS TO REALIZE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

 

1. OBEDIENCE

 

2 FAITH

 

3 PATIENCE

 

4. ENDURANCE

 

5. SERVICE

 

 

 

In this chapter, God expresses His love for His Chosen people which includes us.

He reviewed what He did for Israel. He rescued them from Egypt. He redeemed

them from Babylon. He made a way through the Red Sea. He made a way through

the desert.

 

God was with Israel through all their troubles. Even when they were

disobedient, He still blessed and protected them.

Israel was their own worst enemy. It was their disobedience to God's commands

that caused their troubles. Yet God gave them as He gives to us a word of

Encouragement.

 

 

When we look over our past, we ought to recognize that it was God that brought us

through. He brought us through two years of the pandemic. He brought through two

years of constantly rising prices. He protected us from the rising and increasing

violence.

 

Look at yourself and see if you have been completely obedient to the Lord.

The wages of one sin is death. Yet, you are still here. I know I have been

bad, I know I have been rotten, yet I am still here.

 

God encourages us to move forward.

He gives us two commands.

 

 

THE TEXT

 

Isaiah 43:18-20

 "Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland.

 

1. Forget the former things.

Don’t bring your problems into 2023.

Don’t bring your fears.

Don’t bring your doubts

Don’t bring your unbelief's in God’s Word

Don’t bring your hurts.

Don’t bring your anger

Don’t bring your failures

Don’t bring your unforgiveness

Don’t bring your hates

Don’t bring your sadness

Don’t bring your envies

Don’t bring you jealousies

Don’t bring the guilt of your sins into 2023

 

Don’t bring your baggage into 2023.

 

It is a new year. Leave that stuff at the back door of December 31, 2022.

It is the past. You can't change what happens in the past.

 

You can change what you do today and tomorrow. We have a testimony of

God’s goodness. All we have to do is look at what God has already done for

us.  

 

God encourages us to let go of the past and consider a glorious future.

He commands you to forget the former things.

It is a choice you have to make. You can choose not to make your life

miserable by reliving past failures.

 

God wants you to start with a fresh plate of possibilities.  God wants you

to start with new optimism based on your faith in Him.

 

1^st Command:   Forget the former things

 

2^nd Command:  Do not dwell on the past

 

Don’t consider the things of the past.

Don’t think about the things of the past.

Don’t meditate on the things of the past.

 

If you were angry about something that happen in the past, the

the moment you think about it you will get angry again.

 

If someone or something hurt you in the past, the moment your

think about it, you will renew the hurt.

 

God is commanding us to let go of the past.

 

If your heart is open to the past, it will be closed to the future.

 

For example. If you hold on to hurts from a relationship in the

past you will be skeptical of relationships in the future.

If you know what a bad relationship is, you will be able to choose good relationships.

 

If you have been hurt by something in the past, you know how to avoid

that in the future.

 

You cannot erase what happened in the past. Just don't dwell on it.

Don’t keep revisiting it.

 

Find a way to let the past be growth information for the future

 

The Apostle James said it this way;

 

James 1:2-5

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 

You can’t let the past damage your future. Let the past be a stepping stone to

your future.

 

You never know how God has built you up in the past for the blessing of

the future. 2022 might have been the maturity you needed for the blessing

of 2023.

 

 

THE PROMISE

In verse 19, God said, "See I am doing a new thing."

God is prepared to do a new thing for you in 2023.

 

You got to let go of the junk of 2022 to accept the blessing of

2023.

 

Don’t let 2022 put a damper on 2023.

Don’t expect the blessing of 2023 to look like 2022.

God said I Am doing “A NEW THING”.

 

The new thing is already taking place, you just don’t realize it.

 

Before my first wife passed away, I never wanted an SUV. God blessed me

with a second wife, and all we have is an SUV.  God did a NEW THING.

I get more use out of the SUV than I ever got out of a car.

 

At the start of 2023, we don't know what God is going to do for us.

What we do know it is going to be a NEW THING.

 

 

Don’t limit what God is going to do for you by what He has done in the

past.

 

you got to let go of the past, so you can accept God’s

future blessing. It may be staring you in the face and you don't

recognize it. He did say it is a NEW THING.

 

God has a history of doing new things. He created everything out of

nothing.  That was new.  He caused dry land through the Red Sea, which was new.

He caused bread to fall from the sky for the Israelites, which was new.

He formed you in the womb of your mother unique to everyone else, that was new.

God’s mode of operation is doing something new. Today is new, tomorrow will be

new too. He is doing something new for you at this moment.

 

It may be a new relationship

It may be a new job

It may be a new career.

It may be new financing

It may be new satisfaction with where you are

It may be just a new way of looking at life.

 

We don’t know what, we just know it is going to be NEW.

 

Verse 19 says “NOW IT SPRINGS UP”.

The blessing may show up when you least expect it.

The blessing may show up from a place you wouldn't expect.

The blessing may show up from a person you wouldn't expect it from.

The blessing may show up from a place or person you don’t

know.

 

Have you ever seen a plant spring up in a crack in the concrete?

God allows dust to accumulate in the crack. A seed from the

air drops in a small amount of dirt and a new plant is born.

It takes root in the crack and springs up. It all happens without

your knowledge.

 

God may be using something small that is already in you to

grow up something new.

 

God asks the question, "Do You Perceive it"?

In other words, the blessing may be beyond your perception.

God can do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or

conceive.

 

The question is, can you believe God is doing something new?

 

God said, "I AM MAKING A WAY IN THE DESERT".

 

God can make a way for you through something barren.

God can make a way for you in places you wouldn’t

normally go.

 

God can make a way for you in places where people have discarded.

God can turn trash into gold.

 

God can give you an idea that will be very profitable that nobody

ever thought of.

 

 

The Apostle Paul saw God making a way through all His troubles.

2 Corinthians 4:8-11

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.

 

 

He did say “HE IS DOING A NEW THING”.

The “NEW THING” will come with challenges. There will be some

difficulties, but God will make a way.

 

 

 

THREE QUESTIONS

 

1. WHAT WILL YOU DO NEW FOR YOURSELF IN

    2023

 

2. WHAT WILL YOU DO NEW FOR SOMEONE ELSE

    IN 2023

 

3. W