Bible Study: How To Be Happy In Mist Of Troubling Times

HOW TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE

Ephesians 5:1-20

We all start our day the same way. It is the blessings of God that allows us to see another day. Everybody that wakes up have been favored by God. It does not matter what health

Problems you have, what family problems you have or what financial problems you Have; you start the day with blessings. Its how you handle this day that determines A happy

outcome.

Remember that Paul is talking to the Church. The same things that affects us to day

Is what affected the Church 2000 years ago.

Ephesians 5 gives us insight to living a joyful life. Apostle Paul is talking to believers Of Jesus Christ.

Paul gives three areas that affects the Joy of Christians;

Personal Choices, personal relations we develop and personal resolve.

I. PERSONAL CHOICE    

Eph 5:1-2

5 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

A. WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL

    1. Be imitators of Christ.

    2. Out of God love, HE gave us Christ as our redeemer.

    3. Start your day with thoughts of love.

        a. Even if you can’t get along with someone, make the effort to

            say you love them because that is God’s command.

        b. God never told me to like the evil that comes out of their mouth

            or the evil that they do.

        c. God says love because the person because He loves the person

            of you.

        d. Love is the door to relationship.

     4. The role models you chose influences your lifestyle and personal

         Relationships and choices you make

B. CHRISTIAN LIVESTYLE

 Eph 5:3-7

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a man is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.a  6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.

     1. Refrain from sexual immorality.

     2. Refrain from impurity of any kind.

     3. Don’t use obscene language

     4. Don’t be greedy.

     5. Don’t engage in foolish talk.

     6. Let your conversation be full of grace

     7. Stay away from evil minded folk

C. BE IN A THANKFUL MODE

    1. Being thankful eliminate complaining

    2. Being thankful eliminates envy.

    3. Being thankful eliminates sadness.

    4. Being thankful eliminate negative thoughts.

    5. Being thankful takes the focus off you and puts it on the Lord.

    6. Being thankful may cause others to consider the goodness

        of the Lord in their lives

II. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

    

Eph 5:8-14

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

A. Recognize your position in Christ

      1. You are a child of the King.

      2. You are the light in the Lord Jesus

      3. You are a role model for others to follow.

      4. Let the Word of God be your guide to everyday

          decisions.

  B. Be selective about the people you hang with.

      1. Distance yourself from people who are evil minded.

      2. Stay away from negative people.

      3. Stay away from people who are angry

      4. Don’t try to fit in with the world.

      5. Recognize that everybody will not be your friend.

      6. Don’t entertain gossip of any kind.

III. PERSONAL RESOLVE

    

Eph 5:15-20

15 Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 A. Christian Attitude Of Joyfulness

1. Make up your mind that you will make this day

        that God has given you a joyful day

2. Make the most of every opportunity that God puts before you.

3. Missed opportunities may not return.

    4. Tomorrow has its own problems you may have to deal with.

         Make the most of today.

    

         Ps 118:24

      This is the day the Lord  has made;

     let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    5. Fear the Lord.

         

           Ps 111:10

       The fear of the Lord  is the beginning of wisdom;

      all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

      To him belongs eternal praise.

B. Be filled with the spirit.

1. Be filled with spirit is to be controlled by the spirit.

         2. Being controlled by the Spirit is following God’s commands

         3. The spirit will not speak on its own.

   

       John 16:13

   Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide    

   you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but

   whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will

    shew you things to come.

    

        John 14:26

   But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father       

   will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, andbring

    all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto

    you.

     4. Notice being drunk with wine is to be under the influence of the wine   

         which   may lead to a false freedom from responsibility.

      5.  One under the control of the Spirit is responsible to the Spirit.

 

C.  Be the praise leader

     1. Speaking is the language of understanding.

         Music is the language of the heart.

      2. Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs express our devotions to God.

      3. We can sing ourselves into a joyful mode.

             a. Wake up in the morning with hymn of praise.

            b. Praising God lifts your spirit.

            c. Praising God takes your focus of you and puts it on

                goodness of the Lord

        d. Praising God eliminates complaining about what God has blessed

       You with.

D. Resolve daily to be in a thankful and grateful mood.

1. Make it your business to thank God for all things.

2. Thank God for your existence.

         

         Acts 17:28

    For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain    

    also of your own poets have said, For we are also his   

    offspring.

 3. Give God credit for everything in your life; good or bad.

     Remember this fact,

         

           Rom 8:28

       And we know that all things work together for   

       good to them that love God, to them who are

       the called according to his purpose.

Rev M. Mitchell

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God's Plan Of Salvation", Exodus 12:1-14, 10/29/2019

    

GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION

Exodus 12:1-16

In this lesson, I intend to show the parallel between the

Release of Israel from slavery from Egypt and the salvation

of all believers through the death of Jesus on the cross.

A NEW START

V:1-3 The Lord  said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamba for his family, one for each household.

A. In Christ every believer is made new by his faith in Jesus.

    1. The old man has died and a new man came alive

           2 Cor 5:17-18

     Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the

      old has gone, the new has come!

2. The old Israel began in slavery in Egypt.

3. The new Israel began in freedom in the desert.

4. The reordering of Israel calendar began in our March or

     April month.

5. Historians suggest the Christ death was Friday                      

    April 3, 33AD.

6. Each believer has a day of their new birth into

    the family of Jesus Christ.

B. The sacrificial lamb represents Jesus Christ.

    1. Christ was selected before the foundation of the

       world to be our redeemer.

    2. Christ is the sacrificial lamb for the entire body of

        Christians.

SALVATION COMES TO ALL WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS

V:4-6. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.

A. Salvation is personal to everyone. We each must chose Christ

    As our sacrificial lamb.

1. Why God chose a lamb for sacrifice, we are not told.

2.  Sheep and goats were the king of Egyptian gods; Amun

And Khnum.

3. The sacrifice of a sheep was probably offensive to the

Egyptians.

    4. The plagues were designed to show Egypt that God is the only

        true King.

B. Perhaps God chose a sheep to represent Christ because it is

    submissive and easily led.

1.  Christ moved only on His Fathers orders.

    

     John 12:49-50

 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,   

 he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I    

 should speak.

2. The meat of a Sheep is most tender when it is a year old or  

     less.

   a. The meat of a lamb toughen up after a year of age,

   b. Jesus is considered a tender lamb.          

      Luke 1:78

    because of the tender mercy of our God,

   by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

    

    c. God instructed Israel to choose the best quality for the sacrificial   

         lamb.

 C. The sheep was chosen on the 10^th day of the month and watch until

      The 14^th day of the month to insure it had no defects.

     1. Likewise, Jesus was tested and interrogated by the Roman officials

         Who found no sin in Him.

     2. The lamb was sacrificed at dusk.

     3. Jesus died at 3pm and the there was darkness in Jerusalem immediately.

JESUS IS THE BLOOD OF THE PASSOVER OF OUR SINS

V: 7-11. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire — head, legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord 's Passover.

A. The blood of the lamb represents the redeeming and atoning    

     blood of Jesus.

1.   When God looks at us, He does not see our sins, He sees

     the blood of Jesus.

2.   The blood on the door frame represents our acceptance

     of  Jesus as our Passover lamb.

B. The lamb was roasted with fire.

    1. The fire represents our Baptism into the body of Christ

            Matt 3:11-12

     "I baptize you withb water for repentance. But after me will   

      come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am

      not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and   

      with fire. 1

2 The Passover meal included bitter herbs and unleaven bread

   a. The bitter herbs was a reminder to Israel of the hardships of the

       400 years of slavery.

          b. The unleaven bread represents man’s redeemed state in Christ

         c. Leaven or yeast represents the sins of mankind.

             We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity.

 D. The reason the meat was to be consumed all at once, is because

      Jesus death on the cross was a one time event for all times.

      1. If any meat was not eaten, it was burned.

      2. Jesus death was an all consuming redemption of man that

          would not be repeated.

GOD HAS SELECTED ALL WHO WILL BE SAVED

V:12-13. "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn — both men and animals — and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord . 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

 A. God’s plan of redemption for mankind was through the

 Death of His first born son.

 1. Thoughout the plagues, God harden Pharaoh’s heart

      so that He would not let the Israel go.

 2. This final plague, the death of all first born males,

      symbolized God’s victory over Satan and his demons.

 3. Christ death on the cross was victory over death and

     atoning of man’s sins.

    

           1 Cor 15:55-57

           "Where, O death, is your victory?

            Where, O death, is your sting?"

           The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But   

            thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus   

            Christ.

B. A male child represents the continuation of the family

    line.

   1. By killing all first born males, the Egyptian family

       lines was disrupted. 

    2. God eliminate what was most precious to each Egyptian

        family, their first born male.

    3. Pharaoh represented  Satan, an unredeemed spirit.   

  

COMMAND TO REMEMBER GOD’S MERCY, THE DEATH OF HIS SON

V:14 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord  — a lasting ordinance.

A. Redemption is eternal.

1. Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt.

      2. They were commanded to celebrate their freedom.

B. The day we accepted Christ as our personal Savior is

     A special day.

   1. It is the day we received our release from the power of Satan

       to the power of Christ

         2. We are commanded to commemorate  the death and  

              and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    

                 Luke 22:19

                 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them,      

                 saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance   

                 of me." 5519

THANK GOD FOR THE CROSS

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

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