Bible Study Series: The Dynamic Trio, God The Father, Son and The Holy Spirit, Ephesians 6:12-18

 THE DYNAMIC TRIO

THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

Ephesians 6:12-18

We are in the midst of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, it

continues beyond December 25^th, The celebration is daily. We are moving toward

a new year. I would like to start the new year off with Joy, Hope, confidence, and renewed commitment.

THE BEGINNING

Let's review where life in this universe started.

Genesis 1:1-2

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

The Hebrew word for God used hear is Elohiym, it plural form of supreme God, exceedingly, great, mighty, judges.

Verse 2, The Spirit of God, the ruwach, the wind or breath of God was

hovering, rachaph, fluttering, or moving over the surface of the deep

So we have God the Father and God the Spirit identified in creation.

From John we have, In the beginning, was the Word and the Word was God

The Greek Word for Word is logos, the divine expression which is Christ.

The Dynamic trio was operating in Creation, God the Father, God the Son and

God the Holy Spirit.

After the 5 days of creation

Genesis 1:26-27

26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God, he created him; male and female, he created them.

Notice verse 26, Let Us, God the Father, God the Son and God The Holy Spirit

made man in their image and likeness.

We were made in power, We were made in righteousness, we were made in

love was made perfect and complete in the beginning.

WHERE THE TROUBLE BEGAN

The question is where did all the mess come from? Where did all the hating?

The fighting, the moral corruption come from?

Well, we missed a step, In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.

The Heavens first.

In Job’s ordeal God asked the Job in his complaint;

Job 38:4-8

4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.

5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?

6 On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone—

7 while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

THE ANGELIC REBELLION

The angelic beings were created first. But one angel Lucifer an arch angel rebelled

(Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14)

Ezekiel 28:15-17

15 You were blameless in your ways

from the day you were created

till wickedness was found in you.

16 Through your widespread trade

you were filled with violence,

and you sinned.

So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,

and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,

from among the fiery stones.

17 Your heart became proud

on account of your beauty,

and you corrupted your wisdom

because of your splendor.

So I threw you to the earth;

The Enemy of God was watching and waiting as God created man to get his

revenge. Lucifer, now called Satan, did not go quietly, according to Revelation

12:3-4 he corrupted 1/3 of angelic beings.

Revelation 12:4-5

His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.

The enemy of God was at war before man was placed on earth.

So how do we live a life on earth with peace and joy given we are in the midst

of the enemy of God?

ALLOW THE DYNAMIC TRIO TO WORK

We must remember where it all started. We were created in power, love, and joy

by the Dynamic Trio, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

WHAT SOULD WE DO? HOW DO WE SURVIVE IN THIS WORLD OF VIOLENCE?

The battle is not yours, it is the Lords

2 Chronicles 20:15-16

"Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

Satan and His demons are all around us. They know how to exploit every weakness in

your mind and body to drive you away from the Lord, They can find ways to temp the best and strongest Christians into sin, Their job is to steal, kill, and destroy.

You were not equipped to fight the battles of life by yourself. I don’t believe you and

I fully understand the battle we are fighting. Most often we work on the symptoms

but never find the cure.

The battle is not yours because it is a battle against the true and living God

Ephesians 6:12

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Satan and his demons have captivated the hearts and minds of the highest officials in this world. They work against you 24/7

So how do we survive in this world of wickedness? We have to live and operate from

a position of power.

THE SOLUTION TO LIVING GRACEFULLY

The first thing we have to do is put on the full armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13-18

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (SHOW PICTURE)

In the letter to the Church at Ephesus, the Apostles understood the battle. He operated

in a high place in his persecution of the church before his conversion. The same people

who ran with him before his conversion rushed to kill him for his love of Christ.

He was beaten, shipped wrecked, and ran out of every place he preached the gospel

of Jesus Christ. He knew he could do nothing without Christ.

To run this Christian race you got to put on the full armor of God. You can’t leave

the house half-naked. You would not go out in a winter storm with your pajamas on.

You have to be fully dressed to fight the battle against Satan.

THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD

Ephesians 6:13-18

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

The days of evil are here now, today. Put on your armor today, you going to have to

stand for the truth. Satan and his demons are awake with lies ready to deceive you.

STAND YOUR GROUND

V:13 Stand your ground after you have done everything.

Conduct yourself in a Godly manner, treat others with respect, love

your enemy, speak the truth, prayed to the Lord, be at peace with yourself

and others, place your confidence in the Lord, Made up mind to stand

for the Lord. Watch and waiting for the Lord’s directions

THE BELT OF TRUTH

V:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

You got to know the truth. What is the truth? You can make it with Christ on

your side. Your situation is not hopeless if you put it in God's hands.

I know you tried and weary, but God is your strength in times of weakness,

You got to know the truth. God gave us an example of not knowing the truth.

God gave Adam the command. Adam gave the command to Eve. According to

Genesis Satan came to Eve and she repeated the command. But Satan twisted

the truth to look like a suggestion rather than a command with a punishment.

THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

V:14b with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Always do the right thing. People hate, you love. People lie, you tell the

truth. People talk you down, you lift up and encourage. People steal, you

work for what you need. People misuse and abuse, you treat others with

respect. Your spiritual existence rests on the life of God operating in your soul.

THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

V:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

We have to be prepared to proclaim the Gospel and to suffer as a result of love

for Christ. Strength come through suffering. When we are weak Christ is strong

Knowing Jesus Christ and being ready to proclaim Him to all who come along

brings peace to your soul. When people claim that they did, you claim Jesus did.

When people claim weakness, you claim strength in Jesus, When people claim

it can’t be done, you claim all things possible through Jesus Christ.

Christ gives us peace in our hearts in the midst of trouble on the outside

THE SHIELD OF FAITH

V:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It is a must that you meditate

on the Word of God day and night. You have to fill your mind up with the Word so when the world, Satan's agents ,present you with a lie or mixed truth you can recognize it and reject it. To stand on the Word, you must apply the Word to your situation.

A flaming arrow hitting wood would set it on fire, But hitting a metal shield would be

deflected. Our minds and souls can easily be affected by the lies and deceptions of ]Satan if we are not shielded by our faith in Jesus.

THE HELMET OF SALVATION

V:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The head houses the mind and the soul which are directly affected by the influences of the world

Not knowing that our sins past present and future have been covered by the

the blood of Jesus can take us down the road of despair. I know many Christians

who live in distress and anger because they refuse to take hold of the peace and

joy that Jesus provides.

It is important that we tune our spirit to the Holy Spirit that resides within us

so that He can comfort and counsel us in times of trouble and confusion.

The helmet represents victory already won. It is the name of Jesus representing hope.

Prosperity, protection, and provisions. It represents the victory that ends in

our heavenly home

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

V:17b. The sword of the spirit is the Holy scriptures. The scriptures are fulfilled in

the souls who are guided by the Holy Spirit. There is power in the Word of God

when spoken in times of trials and tribulation. Confidence in the Word brings

peace and joy in times of trouble. Confidence in the Word brings jubilation

in the presence of good news. Since God's Word is unchangeable we can hold

fast to it in all times and all situations.

After His Baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by

Satan but only to be strengthen for the battles ahead of Him.

Submit yourself to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Success is

assured.

PRAY IN THE SPIRIT

V:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

We have to know without a doubt that prayer works. God is waiting to hear and

answer our prayers of faith. There is nothing that we should not take to God

in prayer before we act. He is capable of making all decisions because He

foresees the outcome. God knows the outcome so we need to let him guide us.

Be anxious for nothing, but in all things make your request known to God

with thanksgiving and the peace of God will surpass all understanding.

We have a Dynamic Trio working in Our Lives. God the Father Who made

us, God the Son Who saved us, and God the Holy Spirit who guides and

directs us.

We Got the Dynamic Trio working For us on a daily basis. God the Father

has all the resources, God the Son provides the resources as we need them

And God the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom to use the resources to glorify

the Father.

In 2024 you can expect problems. You can expect trials and tribulations.

Deal with them from a position of power and not weakness.

Deal with them with confidence, not fear

Deal with them with THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD

HAPPY NEW YEAR

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Divinely Chosen By God", Ephesians 1:1-14,

 THE BLESSINGS OF DIVINE CHOOSING

Ephesians 1:1-14

THE FELLOWSHIP GREETING

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

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

In the first verse, Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

He gives us his mission, which is the will of the Father

The letter is directed not to religious people, but not to church people. It is directed

to the faithful in Jesus Christ.

It is good to know what our purpose is and who it is we report to. We report not to

the world, but to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul gives his standard greeting of encouragement, It is good to start with

a prayer of grace and peace. There is nothing more important than to lift brothers

in the praise and worship of the Lord.

THE GRATEFULNESS

V:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

There is not but one Supreme God to be praised. He is connected to Jesus Christ.

Many religions believe in God, but not Jesus. Spiritual blessings come as a result of

our relationship with Jesus. The only way to get to the Father is through faith in

Jesus. Notice our blessings are not confined to earth, but also to our spiritual home

in heaven.

Jesus has made us complete with every spiritual blessing. We are probably not

aware of all blessings. Some we do not see the significance until there is a need.

For the believer, nothing is left to chance. The weakness of our faith is our lack of

trust in the Lord Jesus in all situations and conditions.

THE DIVINE CHOSEN

V:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

When I was growing up, I never got chosen to play on any sports team. I was small

short, and didn’t have any skills. I would stand on the sidelines hoping someone

would not show up so I could be chosen to play. It rarely happens. Many times in life we are overlooked when it comes to important positions.

When it comes to being on the Christ team, we don’t have to worry, because

we were chosen before the start of creation. Our size does not matter. Our

education does not matter. Our race does not matter. The lack of connections

does not matter. We were divinely chosen for the Christian race and given

every qualification for the team. Not only were we equipped for success

in this world but in the heavens.

We were purposed to be holy and blameless in the sight of the Lord. We were

born in sin and shaped in iniquity. God has a transformation plan for our lives

to make our character acceptable to Him. He tolerates us in our sinful state because

of the atoning blood of His Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are in an

ongoing cleaning process by the conviction of the Word of God.

Because of His Great love, He adopted us as Sons through Jesus Christ. We were

aliens in the Gentile nation, but through Jesus has been made with one in him being

predestined before the foundation of the world. It pleased God according to His grace, his mercy, and divine will to adopt us as sons.

FROM WORLDLY TO SPIRITUAL

V: 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

The work of Jesus on the cross was releasing us from the slavery of sin and the

penalty of sin with the shedding of His atoning blood. Jesus became sin for us, taking

our place. As a result, we are brought into the right fellowship with God and

Jesus Christ with confession of our sins. God's continuous favor flows to us with more

knowledge and understanding opening our eyes to His unending glory.

UNVEILING THE MYSTERY

V:9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

The mystery not made known to the Old Testament prophet is that Jesus is the head

of all things in heaven and on earth. It was put in effect with His death and resurrection

The Jews may have thought that only they were God’s people. The mystery revealed

is that all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are God's people. After Jesus'

resurrection, He announced that all power over heaven and earth was given to Him.

All of the law was fulfilled in Jesus. We are no longer under the law but under grace.

It buy the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that He abides in us as we

abide in Him.

ONE GOD, ONE PEOPLE IN JESUS CHRIST

V:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His Glory

The Apostles and the believing Jews were the first to have hope In Jesus Christ. God

knew before the foundation of the world which Jews would believe in Jesus and

which would reject Him. All was according to God's Sovereign will and plan. We

praise God for the favor shown to believers.

V:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.

When the majority of the Jews rejected Christ the Gospel was preached to the

Gentiles, who heard the Word of truth and believed in Jesus. Salvation went to

the Jews first and then the Gentiles, all according to God's plan. The seal of

redemption is the promise of the Holy Spirit received at first belief. The seal of

the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our home in heaven.

The World cannot receive the Word of God because it is foolishness to them

thus condemning them for their sins. 1 Cor 2:14

It is according to the sovereign will of God that we were chosen to be part of

the body of Christ. It is through no work of our own that God in His divine love

chose us. Thank God For His Love John 6:44

Bible Study Series: The Power Of Love", 1 John 4:7'-18

 THE POWER OF LOVE

1 John 4:7-13

Dionne Warwick song a most beautiful and timeless song What The World Needs Now is love sweet love, that's the only thing that there is too little of. Love for everyone, not just for some

Christmas is a time of love. It should be a joyous occasion. But for some, it is a time of sadness.

For others, it is a time of frustration. For others, it is a time of loneliness and depression. For others

it is a time of madness, We rush to this and to that, to get hear and to go there. We spend

money we don’t have and put ourselves on a guilt trip if we do and if we don’t.

All in all, we forget we are celebrating Christ and not us or others. It is a time of Love

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 We know that we live in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit.

I want to look at these verses to see what we can gain about Love,

LOVE HAS A PSYCHOLOGICAL VALUE

V:7 “Dear friends, let us love one another”

It reduces self and magnifies others

It connects us to each other. Love forces us to see each other as more than a person.

We are friends. We have a friend in Jesus.

LOVE HAS AN EMOTIONAL VALUE

V:7 "For love comes from God."

Emotionally we are connected through our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ. To love you, I have to commit to express my love

in words and actions.

Love is concerned about the welfare of others.

Love overcomes hate

Love overcomes envy

Love overcomes jealously

Love tolerates others with forgiveness

Love finds the good in everybody

LOVE HAS A PHYSICAL VALUE

Love moves me to come to you from time to time to speak words of

encouragement. It may be the prayer of GOOD MORNING. I

am moved to shake your hand and give you a loving hug

“LOVE HAS A TRANSFORMING VALUE

V:7 “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

We were first born of a woman. To know God is to be born of God

To know God we have to have been drawn to God

To know God is to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior

To know God we died in Jesus' death and were resurrected into His life

We are transformed from the family of the world to the family of God.

LOVE HAS A HEALTH VALUE.

Those who are lonely or depressed should consider

Ephesians 1:4

It is healthy to know that someone loves you

It is healthy to know that you are not alone

It is healthy to know that you are known by God

It is healthy to know that you are approved by God.

Those who feel alone, and devalue their worth and may not know that they are known by God and that He cares for them

LOVE HAS THE POWER OF SELF-AWARENESS

V:7 “Everyone who loves has become God’s child”

It is good to know who you are and who’s you are.

I know people who can recite scripture verse by verse.

Who claim Jesus as Lord but refuse to apply scripture

to their lives. They refused to apply the promises of God

to themselves.

I heard a man say that nothing is going right in my life.

Yet, he has a house, a car, money in the bank, and family

who love him and is depressed and angry.

He claims he is stuck and can’t get out of being stuck.

He refuses to believe he has kingdom privileges.

He refuses to be aware that he is in a war with Satan Ephesians 6:12

He refuses to rejoice in the Lord. Philippians 4:4

He refuses to be aware that he is not alone Hebrews 4:15

Embracing the Love of God would resolve his loneliness

LOVE PROMOTES FAMILY VALUES

V:8 God is Love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in Him.

We are part of God’s Family. We are part of the family that God has

chosen for an eternal union with Him. We can rejoice because this is

a special favor of the Lord. We may not have all that some have

on earth, but we have a joyous future that most human beings will

not be apart.

LOVE PROMOTES GRATEFULNESS

V:9,11 “This is how God showed His among us, He sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice”

Because God has been good to us we ought to be thankful for His works in

our lives. These are times when we need to reflect on the blessings of God

in our lives. We have a measure of health, a mind to know who we are,

we have breath, we have eyesight, and many other blessings that make

life possible. Man cannot do any of this, but God does. In Him we live,

we move and have our being.

LOVE PROMOTES FAITH

V:12 " No one has seen God at any time, but if we love one another, God lives in us"

We have never seen God, but we know He exists because we love others

There is no way to love others without the love of God. (V:19).

The world likes us for a day, but God loves us forever. True love only

exists through Jesus Christ.

LOVE COMPLETES US

V:12 God’s love is made complete in us.

We don’t need anyone to make us complete. Those who live alone

are made complete in the Lord. Our worth does not depend on a

relationship with any human being. God established our worth

before we were born. God validates us continuously with His love.

God validated our worth with the death of His Son.

We are worth Jesus birth. We are worth Jesus death and resurrection.

We are worth a place in heaven because of God’s grace and mercy.

LOVE GIVES US CONFIDENCE

V:13 We know that we live in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit.

We have this divine knowledge from the Lord Himself that we are with Him at

all times. His Spirit makes known to us His continuous presence. All we have to

do is open up our minds and allow the Holy Spirit to remind us of all Jesus said

and did on earth. The world cannot receive the Spirit because it is foolish to them.

LOVE GIVES US POWER TO MOVE FORWARD

V:18 Perfect Love drives out fear

We do not need to concern ourselves about tomorrow. God

has tomorrow taken care of. What will happen tomorrow is in

God’s hands. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Love rejoices in today and hope in tomorrow. Love has an outlook

that is beyond human imagination. Love sees prayers answered as

they are made known to God.

Love draws others to you and you to others through our relationship

with Jesus Christ.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY

LET THE LOVE OF GOD RULE YOUR HEART

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, Then Came Jesus", John 1:1-6, Epnesians 5:5-14

 

THEN CAME JESUS

John 1:1-9. Ephesians 5:5-14

CHRIST WAS IN THE BEGINNING, BUT NOT CALLED JESUS

V:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

We do not know the time of the beginning. The Greek word for beginning is arche which

means commencement. God does not tell us what the beginning was. We can only guess that

it was a time between eternity past and the start of the creation. Some say the time was the

start of creation.

The Greek word for Word in the text is logos which means divine expression indicating

Christ. The divine expression was with God and was God. One Spirit, but two persons.

V:3 Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

The divine expression, takes on the character of a person, the Christ, an equal partner in creation

with God the Father. In the beginning, God, expresses the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God

the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1, The Holy Spirit was hovering over

the waters, energizing the creation. John says that nothing was made without the Christ.

In V:4, Christ was life which includes every human being starting with Adam and Eve to

the end of time on earth when the last person is born. In Christ was all truth and understanding

that man needs to live a life of righteousness while on earth. A man without the truth exists

in darkness. Christ presented Himself to us to the light. Unfortunately, most of the world

rejects Christ preferring to live in darkness.

THE INTRODUCTION OF JESUS

V:6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all men might believe. 8 He was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

God provided the world with witnesses to the light. We are God’s witnesses. You cannot browse

the TV channels without coming past a Christian station. Churches grow in every neighborhood.

You cannot drive the streets without passing by many churches. Man hears about God but

refuses to take time to know Him. Man is without excuse to not accept the Savior.

You and I believers in Jesus Christ are the witnesses for Christ but must not present ourselves

as anything but His ambassadors. We cannot take pride in our position as believers.

We must take pride in our relationship with Jesus.

OUR CHARACTER, A ROLE MODEL FOR CHRIST

Ephesians 5:1-14

V: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.

To be imitators of Christ we must know the logos, the divine expression. We must spend time

studying God’s Word. We know God is love, therefore we must express our love in

sacrificial ways to others. While Jesus walked the earth, He was not about Him, but about

the will of the Father. Jesus saw His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He lived a

life in the flesh but without sin. Only a sinless sacrifice could atone for the sins of the World.

You and I are not without sin but are covered by the blood of Jesus. If we can let go of our

problems, and trust Jesus with them, we can take on the lighter yoke of Jesus and be the role

models He designed us to be.

RESIST TEMPTATION, LIVE A LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

V:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or 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 God. 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.

God chose believers before the foundation of the world for good works. We were equipped with

the power of the Holy Spirit to resist the temptations of the flesh. TV programs are written with

sexually immoral acts to boost ratings which affects the viewers as normal for our society. The

internet is porn central. Believers have to be careful what we watch, see, and hear less we

become like the world. We must block our children from having access to certain programs. Don't

be fooled our kids know what we watch and are highly influenced by what they see.

The world is full of empty words and empty threats that are nothing but the shadow of death

for believers. We can be influenced into disobedience by the world's standards which are the

deceptions of Satan. By studying and meditation on the Word, we can resist all evil influences.

MAKE NO SECRET OF PAST SINS, BUT REJOICE IN THE OUR TRANSFORMATION

V: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.

We have been transformed, set apart, justified by the blood of Jesus, and equipped with spiritual

gifts to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our job to role model the life of Christ

in obedience with thanksgiving. By the study of God's Word, we know what pleases God.

Therefore we must think about it and live it according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We should fellowship with the sheep and separate ourselves from the goats who foolishly

run to a life of darkness.

DO NOT ENVY DISOBEDIENCE, BUT GLORY IN JESUS CHRIST

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."

It is not our job to be busybodies attempting to discover the unrighteous activities of those

who live in darkness. Let us be in prayer for their transformation to the marvelous light.

God worked a transformation on us, and He will do so according to His will for those still

in darkness. Let us pray that God will continue to strengthen us to be light for those in

darkness.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Bible Study Series: How To BE Great In God's Eyes, Mark 10:32-35

 HOW TO BE GREAT, IN GOD’S EYES

Mark 10:32-35

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

I believe at some point everyone wants to be good at what they do. Everyone wants to be

recognized as the best at some point in their lives. Even those who do evil want to be good at

doing evil. There is nothing wrong with striving to be the best as long as you doing what is right.

The supreme example of being the best is found in Jesus Christ. He is the role model of

perfection and righteousness. We have no greater example.

When you are following Jesus you are on your way to being the best. Jesus was leading His

disciples to greatness. He looked toward the future with His mind focused on the will of the

Father.

Jesus may lead you to places you don't want to go. They were headed to Jerusalem where it was known that the Jewish hierarchy wanted to kill Jesus. Jesus had told the disciples two other times that He would be killed but would be raised on the third day.

There are times when God tells us to do something that will not make sense to us.

There are times when God will not allow us to understand why He wants us to do something.

Since His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, we need not worry, his way is the best.

Luke 18:34

34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

Sometimes Jesus intentionally keeps us in the dark, so we want to try to change the plan He

has for us. I often time hear it said, If I Had A Do Over I Would Do Things Differently.

If you had known more the decisions you would have made could have led to undesirable

results.

Following Jesus does not mean that you do not have something to be afraid of. The disciples willingly followed Jesus knowing there was a possibility of being killed. Their concerns

was more for themselves, than Jesus.

They were on their way to Jerusalem with Jesus leading the way. They were on their way to

worship with the worship leader leading the way. They were on their way to witness real

worship with the worship leader leading the way. They were on their way to see witness a

sacrifice with the one who would be sacrificed leading the way. They were on their way to

see power maginifed with the Power one being glorified.

The text said they were afraid. Being afraid is a normal instinct. It is a caution to be careful or

a sign not to take a particular action. They were with Jesus. They knew His power and authority.

They had been given the ability to exercise some of His power. Yet they were afraid.

Being afraid and following Jesus is a lack of faith in His total control.

Notice Jesus separated His disciples from the rest of the crowd. The world cannot handle

or understand the Word of God. Everyone has access to the Bible, but it will not influence

most of the world.

Had Jesus told the crowd that He would be crucified, they would have proclaimed

Him a criminal immediately. Jesus was careful to reveal the cross only to His disciples.

The crowd was ready for some excitement while the disciples feared the worst.

To lead us to greatness Jesus has to lead us out of our comfort zone. The disciples were

comfortable with Jesus when there was no threat of violence. We live in a violent world

so the threat is there whether we recognize it or not.

Jesus has to lead us through the valley of the shadow of death so we will know that

the shadow is nothing to be afraid of. Being afraid is a sign of darkness in your life.

To do God's work, you have to get over being afraid.

Jesus will point out our weaknesses. To follow Jesus He will point

out that which is in us that hinders the Gospel.

Jesus told the disciples exactly what was going to happen to him, but they didn’t

want to hear Him. A life without Jesus was unthinkable. They cast the cross

aside with their desire to reign with Jesus as king. You cannot reign with Jesus

without the cross.

If fear is our mindset, it hinders our growth in faith.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and a sound mind.

If God didn’t give us fear, Where did it come from? We were trained to be fearful

of our parents and our environment. There are examples of fear all around us

We have to learn a new way of thinking in the Lord so fear does not control us.

Psalms 112:7

He will have no fear of bad news;

his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

We should make it our objective to fear the Lord

Psalms 115:11, 13

11 You who fear him, trust in the Lord —

he is their help and shield.

13 he will bless those who fear the Lord —

small and great alike.

We all have some issues that we are dealing with that hinder the Gospel.

Peter was overconfident and proud of his strength. He was so proud that

he thought he could tell Jesus what to do

Matthew 16:22-23

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Sometimes our pride takes charge, and we want consult God or wait for an answer from Him.

Peter's boldness and self-confidence wanted to take charge of God’s plan. I suppose Peter thought he had to fight the battle that Jesus came to win. Peter didn't know that the battle was against spiritual

wickedness in high places that he was not qualified to handle.

James and John the sons of Zebedee wanted to position themselves in the best seat at

the throne of God next to Jesus. They wanted to elevate themselves above the other

disciples.

The other ten disciples got upset because James and John beat them to the punch.

Mark 10:41-42

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.

Thomas was a show me and I will believe it kind of guy. He had some doubt issues that

showed up after the resurrection of Jesus. Show me the holes in your hand and I will

believe it is you.

Judas was a thief, he regularly stole from the offering box. It was his desire for

for money that drove him to betray Jesus.

The whole group was superstitious. When Jesus came walking on water, at night they thought they saw a ghost. Faith and superstitious oppose each other. What

are you superstitious about it?

But Jesus was leading them to the cross. They didn't recognize the journey, but it was a

journey that identified their weaknesses. It was a journey that brought convictions.

It was a journey that would eventually strengthen their faith.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, they all were filled with the

Holy Spirit and remembered all that Jesus said. The 11 (excluding Judas) was

the start of the Church of Jesus Christ. Their testimonies would blessed the world

for thousands of years until the return of Jesus Christ.

Peter who lied about knowing Jesus and cursed a crowd the night of Jesus’s

trial would become an outstanding preacher of the Gospel. (Mark 14:71)

If Jesus said it, you can believe it. We have to stop taking the Word of God for granted

Jesus knows that there are times in our lives when we pick and choose the part of the

Bible we want to believe. Yet He is tolerant with us.

One of our weaknesses is the desire of the flesh to be right with God in our own

way. Follow the Word that we agree with and discard or ignore the rest.

Jesus knew all of their faults but He had greatness in store for them.

Jesus knows all your faults but He loves you enough to allow himself to

be nailed to the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus has predestined you

for greatness.

In the text, Jesus gives us the step to greatness.

Greatness begins with following Jesus

Psalms 111:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

Greatness has its foundation in the study of God's Word

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Greatness improves when we recognize our faults

James 5:16

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

Greatness improves when we fellowship together.

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Greatness is overlooking the faults of others and seeing the good in them.

Greatness improves when we appreciate constructive criticism

Ecclesiastes 7:5

5 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke

than to listen to the song of fools.

Greatness comes with obedience to God's commands

Greatness comes with sacrificial service

No better love than a move lay down his life for his friends John 15:13

Greatness is not in us but comes through our relationship with Jesus

Greatness is not the absence of trouble, but learning how to deal with trouble

through faith in Jesus Christ

James 1:2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

Greatness is not absent of fear, but fearing God and not man or circumstances

1 Samuel 12:24

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you

Greatness is not silence, but proclaiming the truth in the Lord Jesus

Colossians 1:28

28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

Greatness overcomes worry with hope.

Greatness is not lifting you but lifting others up

Greatness is a continuous work

You can be great today and horrible tomorrow

Greatness is not trusting you, but trusting God

Psalms 40:4

Blessed is the man

who makes the Lord his trust,

who does not look to the proud,

Greatness is complete in Jesus Christ

Genesis 12:2

I will make you into a great nation

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

IN THIS SEASON OF CELEBRATION LET US CONSIDER THE GREATNESS

OF CHRIST AND THE SALVATION OF HIS BIRTH, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT TODAY?

WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT YOU?

WHAT WILL YOU DO TO PROMOTE GREATNESS IN

 OTHERS?

Rev. M. Mitchell

For more lessons see my blog revmmitchell.com