Bible Study Series: Reviving Your Hope, Romans 15:13

 REVIVING YOUR HOPE

Romans 15:13

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There are times when circumstances can overwhelm us. We can easily become

frustrated and lose hope. There are over 2000 deaths a day in the US, due to Covid 19.

We average one mass murder a day across the US. Crime is on the rise. Concerns

for the safety of our families, rising costs, our ability to pay bills, and keeping

food on our tables are some of the things we face daily. It is easy to lose sight of the fact

that God is still in control. Hope for today and the future can at times seem very dim.

 

If God is in control, we may wonder why there is so much pressure on us to survive.

Why is so difficult to just make it through the day?

 

We are in the holiday season when the pressure to buy gifts for the family is building.

With our budgets already stretched to the max, what can we do to ease the pain of living?

 

Understandable, we are worried about the future, The old saying “Keep Hope Alive”

is difficult to visualize.

To understand what we are facing we must distinguish worldly hope from Christian Hope

 

Webster’s Definition
Hope as a noun: to cherish a desire with anticipation, to want something to happen or be true .

 

Hope as a verb: to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment.

 

The worldly definition of hope has an element of doubt. It could happen, I want it to happen, but

it may not happen. Worldly hope is based on our circumstances, experiences and, capabilities.

 

Hope in the Bible is a divine word.

It means to expect with confidence, to anticipate knowing; to look and long for with assurance.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE COMES FROM GOD

 

It does not come from us, nor is it based on us.

Romans 5:1-3

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

 

It is easy to quote a scripture. It difficult to believe in it when things are falling a apart.

It is difficult to apply scripture to our lives when relief is not in sight.

How can we have hope when there seems to be no help?

 

Christians all over the world face the same problems as the world. What makes us

different? It is our hope in the promises of the Lord.

 

The problem with Christian hope is it starts small with the promises of Jesus, and

has to be nurtured to grow in wisdom and confidence. It is our confidence in the

Word of God that’s the problem.

 

Some mature Christians and, babes in Christ have the most difficulty in troubled times.

Christian hope is based on God’s love for us and carries no doubt. It is doubt part

we have rid ourselves of to grow in faith.

Our daily prayer should be “Lord Help My Unbelief”. Christian hope does not

exist in doubt.

 

Romans 15:13  Is Our Text for this lesson

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

GOD IS OUR HOPE

Christian hope is an exercise of faith

Matthew 12:21

In his name the nations will put their hope."

 

Christian Hope is not natural. It is a gift from God.

Christian hope is not temporary but eternal. God has no beginning or end.

He always existed. Therefore, our hope has no beginning or end.

Christians have a promise of fulfillment in their hope.

 

For the nonbeliever, there is no promise of fulfillment. There is only doubt.

Doubt is overcome by faith. The reward of faith is peace, God’s grace, and joy.

 

 

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our text gives us a number of elements to consider.

CHRISTIAN HOPE COMES FROM GOD

 

You can only experience divine hope if you fully trust God

God is your hope, not the world and all its circumstances.

You must conclude that the promises God makes to you as a believer

in Jesus Christ still stands in spite of your situation.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE IS TRUSTING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE

Christian hope is trusting God’s will for your life

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

 

A word of caution, before you can apply scripture, you must know scripture.

Before you can know scripture you must study scripture in its context.

It is our ignorance that blocks the development of our faith in the Word.

 

You can’t apply scripture to your situation when your actions don’t match up

with requirements given in the scripture.

 

For example, Proverbs 3:5 says “with all your heart”. That means you have to

eliminate any doubt.

 

Proverbs 3:5 says “lean not on your own understanding”. That means don’t limit

God’s blessing by what you understand. What you see as possible is not God’s

concern.

 

Proverbs 3 says to trust God, not you, not the man, and not your job. Trust God

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE REQUIRES PATIENCE

Hebrews 6:12

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

 

You have to get it in your head that God is not on your schedule. You got to wait on the Lord’s timing.

Lazy is doing nothing. We have to endure what we are facing with hope. You must exercise a

measure of faith. Don’t start crying when it starts raining, God has given you an umbrella of hope.

You inherit what is promised by your own actions.

 

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE IS UNWAVERING

James 1:6-8

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

 

You can’t believe today and not believe tomorrow. You can’t believe the Word when you understand and not believe the same Word when you don’t understand. Your circumstance does not change God’s ability to answer your prayer. Any doubt is unbelief in God.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE IS NOT TEMPORARY, BUT ETERNAL

1 John 5:11-12

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

 

Christian hope is not based on circumstances

Your circumstances will change from day to day. But God does not change

 

Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will never pass away.

What the Lord said He will do, He will do.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE IS NOT SELFISH

Philippians 2:3

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Everyone has problems and issues they deal with. In prayer, we can’t just consider ourselves,

but pray for the needs of others. Every individual is important to God.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE FILLS YOU WITH JOY

The text says the God of Hope fills you with all joy. All joy, not some joy.

We have been given the mindset the be joyful in all situations, good or bad.

The filling of joy is a continuing process with your trust in God

To me this says, there are times and circumstances when your joy will fade away.

When trouble arises you can lose sight of God who is the author of your Joy.

We can get so caught up in our circumstances that we forget that God is in the

circumstances with us. He did say, He would never leave us or forsake us.

 

When we see our joy fading away, we need to stop, take a breath, and let the

God of our hope fill us back with joy. It is just recognizing that God allows

stuff to happen to build our trust in Him and thus strengthen our joy.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE BRINGS PEACE IN BELIEVING

Christian Hope brings peace into your life.

 

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 

We can be peaceful in times of trouble because God gives it to us.

We have to practice being peaceful with ourselves at all times. We should never fail

to realize that it is Jesus that provides peace. Peace is independent of your circumstances.

 

Jesus is the source of your peace. It is a free gift. You have to accept Jesus’ peace.

Even the faith you have did not originate with you. The Word says that each is given

a measure of faith.

 

God’s peace comes with no trouble. Why? Because Jesus settled your troubles

The peace that you enjoy come from the faith you have in Jesus your problem-solver.

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE IS A GROWING PROCESS

Look at the text again

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Hope overflows as you trust Christ.

You are not born with hope, you grow in hope by trusting God.

Learning to trust God is a growing process.

Trust or faith grows because of the trials and tribulations God allows in your life.

What you going through at this present time is designed by God to grow your faith.

 

Romans 15:4

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

 

HOPE GROWS THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Every believer in Jesus Christ has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

You have the power within you to overcome all problems.

First, you have a counselor

Second, you have a teacher

Third, you have access to the Holy Spirit's power

Forth, you have inside of you the one who will remind you of all the promises of God

 

 

WHAT DOES CHRISTIAN HOPE LOOK LIKE?

 

It is not fear:

2 Timothy 1:7-8

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

 

It is not anger: Ephesians 4:31

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice.

It is not worry:

Luke 12:31-32

 

It is not lust:

1 John 2:16-17

For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world.

It is Confidence

1 John 5:14-15

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.

It is Peace peaceful living

John 14:27

It is Joyful living

Matthew 5:12-13

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 

4. It is loving everyone you come in contact with

Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

5. It is serving God

    Romans 15:17

6. It is gratefulness

 

SUMMARY

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE COMES FROM GOD

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE GROWS BY TRUSTING GOD

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE BRINGS JOY AND PEACE IN BELIEVING

 

CHRISTIAN HOPE IS POWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

 

CLASS QUESTIONS

 

HOW CAN HOPE OVERCOME ALL YOUR FEARS?

HOW CAN HOPE BE THE SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS?

 

HOW CAN HOPE LET YOU LIVE IN JOY AND

PEACE?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A King Forever" . 2 Sameul 7:1-16, 12/11/22

 A KINGDOM FOREVER

 

2 Samuel 7:1-16

 

A TALK WITH GOD

V:1 After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."

 

3 Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you."

 

4 That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

 

5 "Go and tell my servant, David, 'This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" ' 

 

 God has a plan or mission for each of us. God’s mission for me is different than the mission He

 has for you. I should be content with the mission God has for me. I should not be jealous or envious

 of the mission God has for you. Everyone’s mission is important. God equips each of us with

 gifts, talents, and resources to perform the mission He gave us.

 

    The Apostle Paul explained this in 1 Corinthians 12 starting in verse 1.

      1 Corinthians 12:11-13

           But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he  

           will.

           For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being  

           many, are one body: so also is Christ.

 

    David was a man of war. He consolidated the promised land and was made King over all

    Israel. After God gave him rest from the enemies of Israel, he built himself a palace to live in

    Jerusalem. He decided that the tent God had designed for His holiness housed the

    The Ark of the covenant was not suitable for God. The tent God designed had survived 500 hundred

    years. The tent that housed the ark of the covenant had been taken down and erected many times

    as Israel moved throughout the desert until David brought it to Jerusalem. The tent that

    housed the Ark of the Covenant was designed and built by God and had His stamp of

    approval. It needed God’s approval to be replaced.

 

   It is OK and commendable for us to want to do something for God. We need to be sure that

   what we want for God is according to His will. David who had a one-to-one

   relationship with God consulted with Nathan the prophet first about his desire to build

   a temple. Throughout David's mission, he was a man of prayer. One would wonder

   why David didn’t take his desire to build the temple for God to Him in prayer first? 

 

   Since David spoke to Nathan first, God gave Nathan the answer to David’s desire.

   You and I have a one-on-one relationship with God. We only need God's approval

   to act on His behalf.  Any work we do in the Church is under the guidance and

   direction of the pastor.  Any work we do outside the Church only needs God's approval.

 

 

HONOR GOD AND HE WILL HONOR YOU

V:8 "Now then, tell my servant, David, 'This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth.

 

God made 5 covenants with the nation of Israel.  The covenants together describe God’s plan of

Salvation for mankind. The Noahic Covenant (Genesis 6:18), The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3), The Mosaic Covenant ((Genesis 15), The Davidic Covenant( 2 Samuel 7), and the New Covenant (Jerimiah 31:31, Isaiah 42:6).

 

Perhaps if David had taken his desire for the temple to God in prayer, he would have gotten the

answer from God rather than Nathan. Through the Prophet Nathan, God reminded David what He had done for him.

 

Every once in a while, we should encourage ourselves by reviewing what God has done

for us in the past. We didn't make it to this point in our lives without God's help. The fact

That we are still living, means God has more plans for us.  When we bless God with our thoughts

and glorify Him with service, He blesses us in ways we cannot conceive.  

 

 

David was thankful for what God had done for Him and therefore wanted to show his gratitude

by building a house for the ark of the Mosaic covenant. David may have visioned a house of

worship.

 

God revealed to David, He would make His name great like the greatest men on earth.

David was already in a highly honorable position as King of God’s nation. He had defeated

the enemy and was feared by other nations. David didn’t want more for himself, he

wanted more for God. He saw God as all-powerful, not himself. He wanted to honor God

with a building.

 

You and I can take a note from King David. Want more for God. Spend your life

building God’s house.

Psalms 26:8

I Love the house where you live O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.

 

You and I are the Temple of The Lord. Building the Lord’s house is being obedient to Him

and praising His holy name.

 

 

LET GOD ESTABLISH YOUR HOUSE

 V:10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.

"'The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you:

 

David wanted a place for the Lord, But the Lord wanted a permanent place for His nation.

Your prayers to honor God will honor His people of God. Your desire to bless God

will bring blessing to the people of God. God is not concerned about Himself but He

is concerned about His people. God can take your desires for Him to places far more

than you can conceive. Our Thoughts are limited. God's thoughts are unlimited.

Your prayers for God unleash blessings you can't imagine.

 

 

THE COVENANT, A BLESSING OF A KING FOREVER

V:12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

 

God knows the day of your death. It is already in His record book. God knows what blessing He has

for you before your death. God planned a son as a successor to David’s throne. One of David’s wives

would have a son by David who would be king. God knew in advance the circumstances surrounding

King Solomon, David’s Son. God was not the author of David’s sinful affair with a married woman.

However, God used that affair to produced to produce the next king. 

 

Because you are faithful and obedient to God, He will bless your family and the next generations.

God guarantees your success to produce the results HE planned. Your obedience plus prayers

activate success in your life.

 

GOD TAKES CHARGE OF YOUR FAMILY

V:14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.

 

When your heart's desire and plans are to bless and glorify God with your works, God takes charge

of your children. Turn your children over to God. He owns them.

 

God will make a vow to you because of your love for Him to be the Father of your children.

He sees them as sons and daughters. He treats them as sons and daughters. He will discipline

them according to His commands. God will look after your children when you cannot be

with them.

 

When you devote your children to the Lord, He will love them unconditionally. We have

a King in our Family forever. King Jesus is always on the throne.

Jesus needs to be on the throne in the Temple in your heart.

 

God has promised us eternal life. He has given us the strength to endure this life until He

takes us to our eternal Home.

 

 

BLESS GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

 

 

Bible Study Series: Dealing With Conflict

 DEALING WITH CONFLICT

There are two types of conflict we deal with daily.

There is a conflict with other people.

There are internal conflicts that each individual deals with.

2 Corinthians 7:5

When we came to Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn by conflicts on the outside and fears within.

We are growing more and more insensitive to gun violence, external conflict.

Killing people is becoming the preferred way people resolve conflicts

As a result, mass murders are on the rise in the US and around the world.

The US averages one mass murder a day.

My personal opinion is mass media has become the teacher and influencer of society

Major movies, center around violence such as popular tv shows, Blue Blood, East NewYork.

Video games promote violence. Our tablets, cell phones, and TVs expose us to the

violence in society.

Violence begins with internal conflict or rage.

When do internal conflicts begin?

How do we control internal conflict?

Definition

A conflict is a struggle and a clash of interests, opinions, or even principles. Conflict will always be found in society; as the basis of conflict may vary to be personal, racial, class, caste, political and international. Wikipedia

James 4:1-4

4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

WHERE DID CONFLICT BEGIN?

The Bible is full of key people who dealt with conflicts.

Let’s look at a few.

Conflicts began in heaven. Lucifer the archangel rebelled against God. He coveted God’s position

Isaiah 14:13-14

13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne above the stars of God;

I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,

on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.

14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High."

Satan caused a riot in heaven. One-third of the angels fell with him.

See Ezekiel 28:14-16

He took his hatred for God to the Garden of Eden where he influenced.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command. It was their lust that caused

them to sin. They refused to accept responsibility for their sin. They blamed

God.

Cain killed Able because of his jealousy and anger.

Genesis 4:6-8

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

Sampson was given great strength. He couldn’t control his sexual desires. His pride

lead to disobedience and murder.

Judges 15:6-8

So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death. 7 Samson said to them, "Since you've acted like this, I won't stop until I get my revenge on you." 8 He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam.

King Saul became jealous of David and attempted many times to kill him

1 Samuel 18:7-9

7 As they danced, they sang:

"Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands."

8 Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" 9 And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

King David coveted one of his soldier's wife. He got her pregnant

He murdered her husband to cover up his sin. His sin started with the lust of the eye.

2 Samuel 11:26-12:1

When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

The Pharisees and Sadducees killed Jesus because they wanted to maintain control of

the Jewish community. Jesus told the truth. His adversaries looked for ways to trap Jesus

with the truth.

Matthew 23:13

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

Judas for the love of money betrayed Jesus. When Judas found out that Jesus would be

crucified, he hung himself.

The Apostle, Paul before His conversion, by misinterpretation of scripture in the name of the Lord

and became a persecutor of church members

Acts 8:3

3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged men and women and put them in prison.

Where does rage in today’s society start?

Let me suggest it starts in the baby stage.

God gave babies a means of communication, crying.

When they are hungry cry

When they are wet cry

When they want attention cry

They learn quickly that a temper tantrum gets results

When the baby becomes old enough to talk, we should quickly get the temper tantrum

under control

The problem is we never do. We see it in ourselves. As grown-ups we have temper tantrums.

When we can’t get our way we can easily get out of control.

SUMMARY OF GOD’S EXAMPLES

Starting from the beginning THE CONFLICT

Satan Pride and covetous

Adam and Eve Lust of the eye

Cain jealously, anger

Samson Lust, pride

King Saul jealously

David lust, murdered

Pharisees and Sadducee Deception, control

Saul before he was an apostle pride

Judas the love of money

CONFLICT STARTS WITHIN US

The Apostle Paul added one more element of conflict, fear

2 Corinthians 7:5-6

For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn by conflicts on the outside, and fears within.

Conflicts start within us. We are in conflict with right and wrong. WE KNOW RIGHT BUT

WE LOVE WRONG.

t

Paul said there is a war going on inside of us

Romans 7:22-23

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.

James 4:1

From whence come wars and fighting’s among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

CONTROLLING THE WAR THAT RAGES WITHIN

Each of us has a war raging within us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit

the faithful believer can control it and remain peaceful.

But what about our kids and non believers. They have access to social media, which teaches them

the be in conflict with those around them.

Our children spend too much time on social media. They learn to communicate with

text and emails. They are influenced by what they see and hear.

We don’t have to greet each other in person. If I don want to see you or talk to you,

I will text you or email you. Lack of interpersonal skills is a key reason we have

difficulty handling conflicts.

Every household has a gun. We learn how to pull the trigger and shoot. But there is

no emphasizing gun responsibility. When people are not responsible, they use their

guns to handle the conflict that rages within them.

Four common causes of conflict are:

• Personality differences.

• Non-compliance with rules and policies.

• Misunderstandings.

• Competition.

Failure to stop, think, listen and communicate before acting leads to

unnecessary violence.

We have to equip our kids with the tools to handle the conflict that rages

within them.

The first thing we must realize is that conflict exists.

The second thing we must realize is that anyone is capable of violence.

The third thing we need to realize is who the real enemy is

The real enemy is Satan

Satan is the chief influencer of conflict and violence.

Don't underestimate the power of Satan to influence you and your children

to be violent.

Satan is a very violent spirit. He has the resources of an untold number of demons.

He is looking for any weakness in your character.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.

STATISTICS ON MASS MURDERS

In the paper published in Injury Epidemiology, Lisa Geller, MPH, lead author of the paper and state affairs manager of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence (EFSGV), analyzed data from the Gun Violence Archive between 2014 and 2019 to reach two major conclusions. First, in more than two-thirds (68.2%) of mass shootings analyzed, the perpetrator either killed family or intimate partners or the shooter had a history of domestic violence;

and second, that DV-related mass shootings were associated with a greater fatality rate. On average, only one in six people survive a DV-related mass shooting compared to one in three people for non-DV mass shootings. 

Geller and co-authors defined a ‘mass shooting’ as an incident with four or more fatalities by gunfire, not including the perpetrator.

JILLIAN PETERSON AND JAMES DENSLEY

AUG. 4, 2019 9:41 AM PT

First, the vast majority of mass shooters in our study experienced early childhood trauma and exposure to violence at a young age.

Second, practically every mass shooter we studied had reached an identifiable crisis point in the weeks or months leading up to the shooting. They often become angry and despondent because of a specific grievance.

Third, most of the shooters studied the actions of other shooters and sought validation for their motives.

Fourth, the shooters all had the means to carry out their plans. Once someone decides life is no longer worth living and that murdering others would be proper revenge, only means and opportunity stand in the way of another mass shooting

Remember every mass murder was once a baby

He was not born a mass murderer, he was influenced.

Conflicts are part of life. We must learn to control our eternal conflicts.

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

What can we conclude? If you got a gun in your house, lock it up.

Explain the dangers and consequences of using guns to your children.

Know your loved ones.

Look again at God’s conversation with Cain

Genesis 4:6-7

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

God took notice of Cain’s mood.

God took notice of his facial features.

God addressed the problem.

God gave the solution.

God gave Cain the consequences of not controlling his inward conflict.

Sin unchecked will master you

The conflict was right versus wrong. He was disobedient, he was jealous which led

to his anger. His anger led to the unthinkable, the killing of his brother.

Make your kid's relationship with the Lord the priority

The Word of God is the foundation that must be built upon

The job of dealing with conflict is never done

Teach LOVE

Teach your children to control their anger.

Teach your children to appreciate what they have

Teach your children to respect the rights of others.

Teach your children the consequences of disobedience.

Discipline them when they are disobedient.

SET ASIDE A TIME FOR REGULAR CONVERSATIONS

Let your kids know to bring any of their problems to you.

Stay in touch with their emotion by asking questions.

If their mood changes deal with it

If they are angry, deal with it

If they are jealous, deal with it

If they are disrespectful deal with it

If they are selfish, deal with it

Take time to know what is influencing your kids

Take time to know your kid's friends

Teach your kids not to hang out with

Study the Word with your children

Get your children to Bible Study

Pray every day with your children

Talk about dealing with conflicts with your children

PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD BEFORE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

LEAVE THE HOUSE

SUMMARY

EVERY ONE DEALS WITH CONFLICTS

DON’T TAKE INTERNAL CONFLICTS FOR GRANTED

TAKE TIME TO KNOW WHAT FAMILY IS DEALING WITH

DISCUSS CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS

CLASS QUESTIONS

WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR DEALING WITH YOUR CONFLICTS?

HOW WILL YOU DETERMINE WHAT CONFLICT YOUR FAMILY

IS DEALING WITH?

HOW WILL YOU COUNSEL FAMILY MEMBERS ?

WHAT IS YOU GO TO SCRIPTURE FOR CONFLICT?

Rev. M. Mitchell

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Prepared For The Promise", Luke 1:8-20, 12/1/2022

 PREPARED FOR THE PROMISE

Luke 1:8-20

 

GOD POSITIONS US FOR BLESSINGS

V:8 Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

 

DEVOTION TO DUTY

The priest on duty drew lots to determine what work they would perform. Zechariah drew a lot for Burning incense in the Temple Holy Room.  This high honor was performed by a priest only once In his lifetime. There were 24 divisions of priests, and maybe thousands of priests in each division.

God has a way of positioning the faithful in the right time and, the right place for His plan.

700 hundred years earlier, God revealed this event.

Isaiah 40:3-6

3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare

the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness

a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

 

There are three other elements of serving God.

Follow God’s Order

God uses the existing order to bring about blessings for the world and to fulfill his prophecy.

He chose the priesthood to bring a preacher into the world. Out of the 20,000  Levite

Priest, God chose a married man and his wife. He chose a priest busy doing His work

He chose a righteous couple made faithful through time and prayer who dedicated their lives to Him

 

Faithfulness

Zacharias was faithfully performing the duties of the lot he picked. His job was to take Fresh burning coals from the burnt altar in the courtyard into the Holy place of The temple. He would remove the ashes from the former service and replace them with Burning coal. Sprinkle them with incense making intercessions for the people.

It is fitting that God chose a particular priest for the particular job of fulfilling

His prophecy of The Intercessory High priest of all mankind for all times.

God confirmed His prophecy again 430 years before Christ.

Malachi 3:1

 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.

What you and I need to understand is God sees the future in the present time. God in fact Sees all time at once. You and I cannot see past the present moment.

This emphasizes the unlimited tolerance and unlimited forgiveness God has for His people.

 

Church Support

Any time a preacher stands before the Lord, you and I ought to be in prayer. He stands Before God interceding for our sins and needs. Zechariah was making intercessions for the sins of the nation.  We must pray first that the sins of the priest be forgiven. In that time to Appear before the Lord in an unholy manner would be sudden death.

 

It is our job to support the pastor in prayer. We never know what blessings God will reveal to him for us.

 

EXPECT GOD TO SPEAK WHEN YOU SERVE

V:11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.

The word angel in Greek means messenger. When God shows up it can be a blessing or a curse.

We never know when God will show up in our lives. We need to be ready at all times to receive Him. Notice Zechariah was in the right standings with Lord, obedient to his call. He was busy bringing glory to the Lord with his assignment. In due time God will reveal to us His plan for our lives.

The incense offering was twice a day, at 9 AM and 3 PM. Zechariah had to prepare himself for acceptable service.

Leviticus 16:11-12

 "Aaron shall bring the bull for his sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his sin offering. 12 He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain.

How often do we prepare ourselves for acceptable service to the Lord? Do we just show up?

We do not have to make animal sacrifices for our sins. Jesus' death on the cross was the final sacrifice for all times.  But we are required to be prepared for Holy Service

Romans 12:1

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 

TRUST THE LORD FOR AN ANSWER

V:13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.

Prayer is our way of communicating with the Lord. Zechariah and his wife were in their golden years, well past the normal childbearing age.   They kept praying. We are commanded to pray without ceasing even if we do not get the answer we want. Our prayers never go unheard. Our prayers never go unanswered.

 

Every man wants a son to carry on the family name to the next generation.

They were not only blessed with a child, but a son. God did not give them the chance to name the child. God named the child John. The Greek word John is Ioannes.

According to the Theopolis Institute,

John means “the LORD has been gracious.” Buried in there are the Hebrew words “Yahweh” and “chanan”, the latter meaning “to be gracious”. The noun form of the word, “chen” (favor), is what the Lord gives to both Noah (Gen. 6:8) and Israel (Ex. 3:21). 

The LORD’s grace and favor will always swiftly follow his remembering, and this is why the naming of John the Baptist is so significant. Without his name, he would have been another forgotten rememberer. With it, he answers the lament of the Psalmist “Has God forgotten to be gracious?” (Ps. 77:9). 

We serve a God whose grace and mercy fall fresh on us each day. We never know all that God is doing for us

 

God has a specific reason why He waits to answer our prayers. At a young age, we may not be ready for the blessing we are asking for. God has a blessing beyond what we are asking.

No matter how bad we think we are, we should never be afraid to go before the Lord in prayer.

God's delay in answering our prayers is not to keep us from getting what we want but to bless us so others can rejoice.

 

God’s timing for answering their prayer, brought Zachariah, brought his wife joy, and the whole nation joy. Zachariah’s blessing reach 1000’s years beyond him and brought us joy.  We are always in a blessed position when we serve the Lord faithfully.

 

God appeared to Zechariah while he was serving Him. He didn’t appear outside the Temple. He didn’t appear with other people. The angel of God appeared

To Zachariah in the Holy place when he was alone. Notice the angel appeared

On the right side of the altar. The right hand of God is the hand of power and blessings.

 

FOLLOW GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS

V:15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.  16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous — to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Each one of us is on a mission for the Lord. We are individuals.  Our mission for the Lord Is specifically designed for our situation and the circle of people we are placed in. God did not call us to sit on the sidelines. Each believer was called to serve and give God glory.

John’s mission has several aspects

1.     Turn the children of Israel back to the Lord.

2.     Stand before the Lord in spirit and power.

3.     Turn the hearts of people to wisdom and obedience.

4.     Make people ready to receive the Lord Jesus.

John needed the power of the Holy Spirit to preach the coming of

Jesus with power and conviction. John was able to preach the truth

In face of opposition, even unto death.

 

Do you realize that each believer has the same mission (Matthew 28:19)?

Each believer under the guidance of the Holy Spirit can accomplish

John’s mission.

 

You and I cannot operate as Christians without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said without him we can do nothing. But with Him, we can do all things.

 

God gave specific directions to Zechariah and Elizabeth for training their child. We have a child training manual, the Bible. Have you read it looking for scriptures for your children?

 

Train up a child in the way he should go. As parents, we have to prepare our children to serve the Lord. My best friend and partner shared with me her goal for her children. Serve the Lord first and everything else will fall in place.

 

Your child will be great in the sight of the Lord. It takes a commitment from the parents to encourage that greatness. Each of us has the potential to be great. It is in the text.

Not great before man, but great before the Lord. You may never achieve greatness in the world. But it is easy to obtain greatness before God. All you got to do is serve Him faithfully.   The first training instruction is to prepare your child to serve the Lord.

 

Certain missions require you to be sober at all times. We must be sober in body,

Mind and spirit. Wine was the normal drink for the Jews. The mission of John required a higher level of spirituality. John was set aside for God's holy use. Zachariah and his wife were required to make a vow before the Lord.

Numbers 6:2-4

a vow of separation to the Lord as a Nazirite, 3 he must abstain from wine and other fermented drinks and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drinks. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as he is a Nazirite, he must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.  The Hebrew meaning for Nazirite is one separated from God. Jesus was a Nazarene.

 

 As parents, we must train our children that they belong to God and

Have been set aside for God’s use. I think we would train our children differently if we see them as future servants of God. The second rule of training is to make a vow to the Lord that your children will be trained according to His commands.

 

The third rule of training is to nurture their spiritual growth and development.

John was filled with Holy Spirit from birth.  As guardians of God’s children, we must submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must allow ourselves to be

Filled with Holy Spirit each day. Our children are influenced by us. Elizabeth and Zachariah had to continue their devotion and serve the Lord.

When we train our children to serve the Lord, they will draw others to Christ.

 

 

GOD SAID IT, DON’T DOUBT IT

V:18 Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."

 19 The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."

Don’t reject the good news of the Bible.  God will give you want.  You have to wait

On His timing.

God generated you from the cells in your mother’s body.  He can regenerate anything that’s not working in you. Zechariah made excuse for his unbelief. He had the Word, but he knew by experience that old folk didn’t have babies. What Zechariah didn’t consider is that there is nothing too hard from God.

 

Zechariah spoke before he considered what God had already done. The Old Testament was complete 300 years before the birth of Christ.  What God planned to do for Zechariah and his wife was nothing new. Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was 90 years old when Isiah was born.

Jacob was in his nineties when Joseph was born. What God did for others, He can do for you.

 

When God gives you a mission, He has already given you the capability and resources to accomplish it. The existence of the resources lies in your faith. God's resources do not rely on man’s abilities. What God will do for you has nothing to do with what has been done in the past. God may do a new thing for you. Assurance in what God can do comes from the miracles we have seen and what we know He has done in the past.

 

There are consequences for our unbelief. Our unbelief blocks God’s blessings.

Zechariah lost his voice. He could not share the good news with the expression

He normally used.

 

You would expect that a priest of God would have the greatest faith. We all fall into doubt from time to time. God is tolerant enough to teach us the value of faith in His Word. We can learn not to doubt God from Zachariah.

 

One of the key points is God answers prayers according to His will. The answer to Zechariah and Elizabeth's prayer was delayed to coincide with God’s Plan of

redemption. In addition, God got the glory because a baby was born to

A couple well past the childbearing age.

 

 

SERVE THE LORD WITH CONFIDENCE AND JOY

 

Rev. M. Mitchell