Bible Study Series: God Is Getting You Ready For A Breakthrough, Luke 1:5-25

 GOD IS GETTING YOU READY FOR A BREAKTHROUGH

Luke 1:5-14

A breakthrough is something you desire but can get on your own. It is beyond

your capabilities, your knowledge, and your power. God is a breakthrough master.

There is nothing too hard for God. God wants you to have the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

There are some musts in getting your breakthrough.

First, you have to believe in God the Creator.

Second, you must speak your breakthrough into existence through prayer with

the Father asking in the name of Jesus.

Third, you must believe your prayer has been heard and answered

Fourth, you must be prepared to wait on the Lord's timing.

Fifth, you must live a life pleasing to the Father.

The text is about an older couple, Zachariah and Elizabeth. They

wanted a baby, but throughout Elizabeth's childbearing age, she had no luck.

The time clock had run out. By man's standards, it was too late.

GOD HAS SET A TIME FOR YOUR BREAKTHROUGH

V:5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7 But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.

A. God knows the desires of your heart. They wanted a Child

1. Wait patiently on the Lord

2. Serve the Lord faithfully while waiting

3. Just because you have a relationship with the Lord, does not mean

you will get what you want when you want it.

4.. Don’t give up on God, He has not given up on you

Mark 11:22-24

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Elizabeth had two mountains; her age and her barrenness

5. See your problem as a blessing, not a curse. Elizabeth was barren

See your problem as an opportunity to exercise your faith

It would appear that her clock had stopped ticking

God can raise the dead in you.

GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO SERVE

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.

B. God bless those who work for Him.

1. Your faithfulness positions you for a private conversation with the Lord

2. God has believers praying for you as you serve.

3. Serve the Lord according to His plan

YOUR PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED WHEN YOU PRAYED

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 was gripped with fear. 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.

C. Humble yourself as you serve

1. When in the presence of the Lord expect to hear from the Lord.

2. Listen carefully to the Lord

3. Follow His instructions

BELIEVE THE WORD OF THE LORD

Luke 1:18-20

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."

D. There is nothing too hard for the Lord.

1. Don't make excuses for your unbelief

2. Your faith can move mountains if you exercise it.

3. Your lack of faith has consequences

4. Don’t hinder God’s blessing with unbelief

5. Zachariah believed the man he had never seen before was an angel

from the Lord, why would he not believe his word?

THE CONSEQUENCE OF UNBELIEF

V: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."

1. Sometimes God has to stop you from spreading your unbelief.

2. Zachariah had given up on having a son.

3. When God is ready to bless, your unbelief can't change His mind

4. God will show you His power with a personal miracle.

5. Because his mouth was shut, Zachariah couldn’t spread the good news like

a proud Papa.

ACT ON GOD’S DIRECTIONS

Luke 1:23-25

When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

E. God moves mountains that block your blessings

1. Sometimes God has to light a fire to get you moving

2. When the time was right God opened Elizabeth’s womb

3. It may have been the shut-up mouth of Zachariah that caused him

to immediately have sex with his wife.

4. When you act on faith miracles happen

BLESS OTHERS WITH YOUR TESTIMONY

V:25 "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "

Give God the credit for your breakthrough.

You didn’t do it. You couldn’t do it. Why be silent and act as if it

was no big deal.

We do not hear from Zachariah that he told the men about God's miracle.

For nine months, Zachariah's mouth was shut up by the angel.

He could have had a Hallelujah dance. He could have praised God

with his hands. He could have jumped up and down. He didn't

have to do anything for nine months.

You need to be quick to shout out the GOOD NEWS of what God has

done in your life.

YOUR BREAKTHROUGH IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU

You never know why God delayed answering your prayer.

The whole world may be blessed by the miracle God does in your life.

John was a miracle birth. It was no doubt it was of God.

God named the son; John, God is gracious

He was the fulfillment of a prophecy Malachi 3:1

The forerunner of Jesus

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.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Need Help, Cry Out To The Lord", Judges 3:15-24, 9/24/23

 NEED HELP, CRY OUT TO GOD

Judges 3:15-31

THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE

Israel entered into the promised land under the leadership of Joshua. They

came with the command from God to drive out the inhabitants leaving

none of them alive (Number 33:51-56, Deut 7:1-5). God made a covenant with

Israel that if they obeyed His commands, no nation would stand against them.

After Joshua died, Israel failed to drive out the inhabitants of the promised

land. Eventually, they began to marry and intermarry with the Canaanites, which

led to the worship of their god Baal. As a punishment, God gave the

inhabitants of the promised land power over Israel and made them subject

to harsh treatment.

How often do we fail to consider the victories God has given us and follow

after the temptations of the world? We lose the blessings God has for us by

being disobedient involving ourselves in idolatry and immorality.

Who was the blame for Israel’s troubles? Where did it start? Let me suggest

that it all started with the priest and the parents. It was the job of the

priest to teach the law which they had in print. It was the job of the parents

to lead their children in the righteousness of God. When the parents reject God,

a new generation is born with no fear of God.

As a result a new generation was born who did not know God or worship

Him. There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God.

Knowing God is to have a personal relationship with Him in obedience

and worship. The world knows about God which is plain to see in everyday

living. The world rejects the commands of God.

Today, the power of the church is weakened by our lack of obedience and

worship of the things of the world. When the situation got bad enough

the Israelites cried out to God for help. He gave them judges who

led them to defeat their enemies. When the judge died, the Israelites

returned to the worship of idol gods. The cycle of defeat, crying out to God

for relief then returning to worship of idols was repeated throughout

Israel’s history.

A STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS

V:15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer — Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it.

A. God selected judges who were righteous, obedient, and courageous to lead

Israel into battle against the enemy. God gave Israel the victory over their

enemies.

1. While God promises us victory, It is up to us to develop a plan for

victory under God’s guidance.

2. To defeat the enemy it is good to know their strengths, their weaknesses, and

their habits.

The king had a strong army and was guarded at all times. He had a summer

palace which he relaxed in.

The King required a yearly tribute from his subjects.

The king was a very fat man.

Ehud had to know the layout of the palace, entrance ways, and exits.

Ehud had to know the procedure of the guards outside the palace door.

Ehud devised a scheme to get the king alone.

This information was used to Israel's advantage. Ehud was left-handed

which he would use to his advantage. According to the Washington Post,

only ten percent of the world is left-handed.

As a leader of Israel, Ehud used the yearly tribute to the king to get into

the palace.

Ehud planned to stab the King to death. He made a two-edged sword, 18

inches long which he strapped to his right leg underneath his garment.

At that time it was believed that a left-handed man was handicapped and

not to be feared. It would be a surprise to the king that a warrior

would use His left hand to handle a weapon. Therefore the king may not

have been alarmed when Ehud used his left hand.

The final part of the plan was to get the army of Israel together and position

them in a place to go to war at Ehud’s command. Having been oppressed for

years, Ehud may had to encourage the men of Israel to be ready for battle

after he came out of the king’s palace. The sound of the horn was the signal

for the Israelites to go into battle led by Ehud.

The victory is ours. Once we accept the challenge, God gives divine insight

on how to perform during the victory.

THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO CONTINUE

V:19 At the idols near Gilgal he turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king."

The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.

The idol gods posted at Gilgal may have been a reminder of how God detested

the Moabites and the need to rid Israel of idol worship.

Having gained the confidence of the king with the tribute, Ehud left with

his men and then returned alone with a special secret message for the King.

Perhaps the King's ego had been stroked with the tribute. A special message from

Israel's God may have stroked his ego even more.

DIVINE DECEPTION FOR THE ENEMY

V:20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into the king's belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

Having a plan and exciting the plan are two different things. Anything can go

wrong in the plan. The conditions you are expecting could be different. When God is

the focus of your plan, He will ensure that it works. All of our plans ought to be

designed to give God the glory. The plan was to rid Israel of their oppressor and

return her to freedom and peace. The first part of the plan worked. The king was

dead. Getting out of the palace was next.

DIVINE DELAY, GOD INTERCESSION

V:24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house." 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked it. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.

It was God who put the thought in the king’s servants to wait before checking on him.

They consider that the king may have been using the bathroom as the reason the

doors were locked. The servants knew the routine of the king, so it was normal

for them. Their delay in finding a key to unlock the doors was enough time

for Ehud to escape unnoticed and get back to his army.

A UNITED STAND AGAINST THE ENEMY

V:27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

28 "Follow me," he ordered, "for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped. 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Ehud had done a good job of planning the execution of the King and getting

the men of Israel ready for battle. This new generation of men would get

experience in the power of God to rid them of their enemies.

This time they killed all of the Moabite army. They allowed none to escape.

They came under oppression because they failed to kill the Moabites when they first

came into the land. In addition, they follow after the idol gods of the land.

God commanded them to tear down all the alters of idol gods. They refused

to do as commanded.

When we fail to follow God’s commands we forfeit the victory God

has planned for us.

The God we serve is gracious to hear our cry for help when we call on

Him. God is always ready to bring victory into our lives. Our job is to

resist the temptations of the world and follow His commands.

Bible Study Series: Stop Judging, Matthew 7:1-5

                                                       STOP JUDGING

Matthew 7:1-5

7 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

TRAINED TO JUDGE

Our whole education system teaches us how to make judgment calls. We are taught how

to know the difference between right and wrong. We taught how to make decisions. When you go to the grocery store you have to judge one product against another. On the highway, you have to judge other drivers.

Therefore it is normal to judge other people. We do it without thinking. We judge how

they dress, how they comb their hair, how they talk, walk, or what kind of car they drive.

We judge their conversation, whether to agree or disagree. We may even judge their

level of education.

COMMANDED NOT TO JUDGE

V:7.1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

The Lord says don't judge other people. That is hard not to do. We have a lifetime of judging.

We are forced to judge to make proper decisions. People are thrown into the mix of our

judging system.

There are two types of Judgments we make. There is the judgment of things, processes

, and, goals. There are the judgments of people. In our mind, we have to separate the judgment of people from the judgment of things.

Some judgments have to be made to meet the requirements for a position or place.

Judgment based on emotions should never have to be made.

When it comes to people we should never judge based on envy, jealousy, hatred, or pride.

We cannot judge the character of a person based on what we see on the outside.

We cannot see the inside, therefore, we are not qualified to judge what we don’t know.

Jesus gives us the consequences or rewards for judging. If we judge poorly, we will

be judged poorly. If we judge rightly we will be judged rightly. However, you may

not know whether you are judging rightly.

Considering the place and the time. Jesus probably was referring to fault-finding.

The Israelites were ruled by professional fault finders. The Sanhedrin 70 plus 1

were the civil rulers of the Jewish nation. They held themselves as the standard for

religious living. They thought themselves more knowledgeable than the Word of God

Mark 7:9

9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God to observe your traditions!

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law found fault with the teaching of Jesus. They found fault with the written law of God that they were responsible for teaching. They took it as their duty to discredit Jesus to return the attention of the crowds back to them.

Jesus warns us not to judge because we will be judged the same way. Finding

fault with others, causes them or some other people to find fault with you.

None of us are without faults. Some are worse than others.

I would hate for others to judge me by my faults. Some are available to see and some are

hidden. I would hate for people to think about me the way I have thought about others.

Have you ever started talking bad about someone to yourself? Have you ever started thinking bad about something and knew you didn’t have the evidence to back up what you were saying?

NOT QUALIFIED TO JUDGE

Matthew 7:3-5

3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

It is easier to see someone else's faults than to look at your own. We are not qualified to judge because we have our faults, Our faults block us from seeing others as they are.

There is a major difference between a speck of sawdust and a plank. What that indicates is we are hiding our major faults. However, we point out the minor faults of others. Perhaps to rid ourselves of the guilt, we justify ourselves by faults we see in others.

The moment we think of judging anyone, we should stop and look in the mirror. Before

thinking evil of someone we should first consider the evil we have done.

God does not need us to point out anyone's faults. He wants us to correct our own.

Once we start judging others we have taken our focus off the commands of God.

Love the Lord, then love your neighbor.

Judging according to the desires of the flesh is not loving but hating.

Judging is taking on a responsibility that was not given to you.

Isaiah 11:3-4

He (Jesus) will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

or decide by what he hears with his ears;

4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

With justice, he will make decisions for the poor of the earth.

There is but one judge, and it is not you. It is God.

God says when we judge others we are nothing more than hypocrites.

REASONS WHY WE JUDGE AND SHOULDN’T

What are the reasons of the flesh that people judge others?

They despise others.

They are jealous.

They are envious.

They want revenge.

They pride themselves on being better than others.

They make assumptions about a person without knowing their story.

Judging labels a person in your mind causes you to react in a negative manner

toward them which has no basis.

All of these are evil motives that lead us to the wrong conclusions.

Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

When we judge someone it unsettles us. Judging unites you with a person in a

negative way. Judging forces you to keep them in your mind.

Psalms 34:14-15

14 Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

Judging others never leaves you in a peaceful state of mind.

You always wonder if your thoughts are right. Judging may lead you

to actions that are unpleasing to God.

Judging interrupts peace and puts you on a guilt trip.

You could have helped when you didn't help.

You could have loved it when you showed indifference.

You could have sought to calm a situation, but you inflamed it.

You could have shown compassion when you neglected one's needs.

You could have forgiven, but you chose revenge in words, thoughts, and actions.

You could have taken time to understand, but you chose ignorance.

Judging others always has consequences.

John 12:48-49

48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him on the last day.

There is a judgment day coming when Jesus will judge every person according

to his/her deeds.

It may seem like it is nothing to judge, but it is an ungodly act,

that does not go unpunished.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS

The moment you come to a place of judging, you are set into a place of responsibility to the person you are in a mindset to judge.

V:5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Your first responsibility to the one you came to the point of judging is to clean up your

act. Reflect on your faults and correct them. When you look in the mirror you will see

a dirty rag stained with unrighteousness.

Get yourself in the right frame of mind.

Ask God to give you for coming to that place of judging.

Your second responsibility is to be a help to the person you are going to judge.

If I am going to take a speck out of a person's eye, I need clear eyesight.

Since Jesus is the light of the world. I must go to Jesus for guidance and

directions.

I cannot get to Jesus until I am restored to the right fellowship with Him.

The first thing I must realize is that to get to a state of judging others, I

had arrived in pride.

Since God hates the proud, I am in a bad situation. I remember what God

did to Satan when pride was found in him, he was kicked out of heaven.

Isaiah 14:12-13

12 How you have fallen from heaven,

O morning star, son of the dawn!

You have been cast down to the earth,

you who once laid low the nations!

13 You said in your heart,

"I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne

above the stars of God;

Ezekiel 28:2

"'In the pride of your heart

You say, "I am a god;

I sit on the throne of a god

NIV

When you arrive in a state of pride, you have put yourself above the standards of God.

Your pride causes God to act on you.

Proverbs 16:18

18 Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall.

BE TRANSFORMED TO HUMBLENESS

It is by the mercy of God that I come to the knowledge that I am judging

others.

My recourse is to immediately humble myself before the Lord.

Proverbs 29:23-24

23 A man's pride brings him low,

but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

Once I have humbled myself before the Lord and asked for forgiveness, I am in a

state to be used by the Lord to help the one I was about to judge.

You can’t help anyone until you have been reformed. That reformation takes place in the

Lord. Reforming from a state of pride to a state of humbleness is a spiritual

transformation.

Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

So how do you get out of this desire to judge others? Humbleness is the way

Billy Graham's ministry suggests a 12-step program

1. Routinely confess your sin to God (Luke 18:9-14).

2. Acknowledge your sin to others (James 3:2, James 5:16)

3. Take wrong patiently (1 Peter 3:8-17)

4. Actively submit to authority…the good and the bad (1 Peter 2:18).

5. Receive correction and feedback from others graciously (Proverbs 10:17, 12:1).

6. Accept a lowly place (Proverbs 25:6,7).

7. Purposely associate with people of a lower state than you (Luke 7:36-39).

8. Choose to serve others (Philippians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 23:11).

9. Be quick to forgive (Matthew 18: 21-35).

10. Cultivate a grateful heart 1 Thessalonians 5:18)

11. Purpose to speak well of others (Ephesians 4:31-32).

12. Treat pride as a condition that always necessitates embracing the cross (Luke 9:23).

Once we are in a humble state of mind, God can use us to be the help others need.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

IF YOU JUDGED SOMEONE IN THE PAST, HOW CAN YOU

CORRECT IT NOW?

IF YOU JUDGED SOMEONE IN THE PAST AND FOUND OUT

THAT YOU WERE RIGHT, DID THAT MAKE IT RIGHT?

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God Can Use You", Joshua 2:1-24, 9/10/2023

 THE JOURNEY TO THE PROMISE LAND CONTINUES

Joshua 2:1-24

FOLLOW GOD’S DIRECTIONS

V:1. Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

God's plan of redemption, continues from generation to generation. Moses died and Joshua was given the charge of taking the Israelites into the promised land. He started by sending two spies into the promised land as Moses did 40 years earlier. This time Joshua only sent two spies and they were sent out secretly. They were men he trusted. He did not need a majority opinion.

The emphasis was on the Jericho, the entryway into the Promised Land.

Joshua knew what was in the land, therefore he focused on the state of mind of the people in the Land. Jericho was a walled city to keep out the enemy

God has a way into your life and your circumstances.

When God, sends us out, he prepares a place and people for us to stay safe. Rehab was the chosen vessel in the midst of the enemy. In this case, God chose a prostitute as His vessel. She was a businesswoman and an innkeeper along with her immoral profession. She had been prepared for redemption.

God does not tell us how the spies got into Jericho or how they met Rehab. From the outside, it would appear that Rahab was not the likely person God would use to help His people. God didn’t need Rahab, but His ways are not our ways. The name Rahab means broad, wide, or extended.

Since she was an Innkeeper, a place of entertainment, she would know the sentiments

of the people. We don’t know Rahab’s history, but we do know her purpose. According to the genealogy in Matthew, King David was a descendant of Rahab’s marriage to Nahson. Rahab was in the generation of Jesus.

YOUR PRESENCE IS KNOWN

Joshua 2:2-10

V2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house because they have come to spy out the whole land."

The spies were a secret to the people of Israel, but not the enemy. You cannot always hide your identity. You don't always fit into the crowd. A child of God should always stand out. Stand out in his conversation with the Lord. He stands out in his godly character. Stand out in his walk. Christians ought not to look like the crowd.

Your reputation proceeds you. The Word about your action gets around. The King of Jericho had heard about the successful conquest of the Israelites after leaving Egypt. He knew they were a threat to every nation they came against.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES GOD

 GIVES

V4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.

Rahab was a smart and determined businesswoman. She did what it took to survive. Not only was she a prostitute, the owner of an Inn for entertainment, but she also was in the business of making linen cloth from flax which was laid on her rooftop.

Before making a deal with the Israelite spies she hid the men under flax. Her home was in the wall of the fortress of Jericho. She showed kindness to the spies, positioning herself for the safety of her and all her family.

She knew that King Jericho was no match for the God of Israel. She knew the history of the successful conquest of the Israelites. She knew all the people were terrified of Israel. She seized the opportunity to save her and all her family members.

Quick thinking Rahab lied to the King’s men about the location of the spies. She agreed that the spies had come to her house, but left. She sent the king’s men on a wild goose chase looking for the spies outside the city all the while knowing their location in her home. Rahab risked her life by lying to the king’s men It requires courage to take risks to serve the Lord

MAKING A DEAL FOR SALVATION

Joshua 2:15-3:1

15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."

17 The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."

Rahab made a deal with the spies for the salvation of her and all her family; " My family lives for your life." If I save you, promise to save my family. Rahab had a strategic plan for success. She knew the direction the King's men would go looking for the spies. She dropped the spies down the wall of Jericho using the linen cloth she had made from flax. She sent the two spies to a location in the mountain until the king's men returned to the city securing their safety.

WHEN GOD INVOLVED, PLANS SUCCEED

V:21 "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river, and came to Joshua son of Nun, and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

As a sign of the location of Rahab's family on the city wall, a red cloth of linen was placed in the window on the wall. Not only was Rehab in the business of making linen cloth, but she was in the business of dying the cloth. Rahab made quality cloth. Her product was strong enough for the spies to hold on to climbing down the wall.

It was not by coincidence that the spies picked Rehab’s place of business. God directed the spies to Rahab so she would be part of the generation of Jesus.

Rahab trusted the word of the spies to keep their end of the agreement to save the

the lives of her family.

To serve the Lord you have to trust His message.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM RAHAB?

1. You can’t judge a book by its cover. On the cover of the book was the

picture of a prostitute.

Inside the pages of her life was a strong, smart, intelligent, resourceful woman.

She did whatever it took to survive in Jericho.

She was a successful businesswoman. She ran an Inn, a place of entertainment.

She made linen cloth from the flax she spread on her roof. She may have dyed the

Cloth to any color her customers wanted. One of the colors was red.

2. She played the hand she had to her success.

3. She lived in the moment making use of the talents and resources God gave her.

4. She seized the opportunities God gave her to improve her life.

5. Use what you have to promote God, man, and family.

WHAT WAS HER PURPOSE?

Why did God use a prostitute in taking off the Promised Land?

It was more than helping the spies of Israel. It was more than aiding in

the conquest of the Promised Land.

Rahab was chosen by God for His divine purpose.

Her purpose is found in the promised redemption of mankind.

Rahab is in the 42 generations of Jesus (Matthew 1).

She was one of the grandmas of King David and King Jesus.

YOU CAN’T CHANGE THE FAMILY YOU ARE BORN

 IN, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THE FAMILY YOU

 LIVE IN. JESUS IS THE NEW FAMILY

Bible Study Series: God Desires To Answer Your Prayers, John 15:7-8

 

GOD WANTS TO ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS

John 15:7-8

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

HOW GOD ANSWERS

I have often heard it said that God has three answers to your prayers; yes, no, and wait.

I believe God is a lot more complicated than that. You cannot explain the actions

of God in simple terms. There are many reasons God answers a prayer,

says no to your prayer, or says wait on Him.

The yes may be because an immediate answer is needed to provide, protect or

Show His power and glory to you or others around you.

The no may be to close a door you don’t need to go through. The no may be

to protect you from unseen dangers. The no may be to redirect you to a place

where He can use you or bless you more.

The wait maybe, God wants you to have what you asked for, but you are not

ready for the responsibility that is required,

The no may be because you are not abiding in or remaining in Him. The no

maybe that you are living according to His word.

The no may be because you are asking with the wrong motives

James 4:2-3

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.

The no may because what you are asking for will bear no fruit for

the kingdom of God.

The no maybe you want the glory of God for yourself.

The no may be that what you asking for is not becoming a God's

disciple.

EVIDENCE OF DISCIPLESHIP

A disciple of Jesus bears fruit. Not fruit of the flesh, but fruit of the spirit. Any

prayer we ask that does not bear fruit will not be answered by the Father.

Our prayers ought to be dedicated to bearing fruit. It is not a prayer of a lot of

words. But a prayer that drives us to actions that others can see.

What is this fruit?

Galatians 5:22-25

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

How often do you pray for these fruits? How often do you pray for an increase in

these fruits?

THE ATTITUDE OF PRAYER

How does praying for these fruits get what I need or want?

If I pray for what I want, should my focus be on how getting what I want will be

used to produce spiritual fruit?

John 15:9-13 is the answer:

9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

To remain in God’s love means keeping your focus on Him regardless of your

circumstances. Remaining in God’s love starts with obedience to His commands

One of the evidence of being in God’s love is the joy you have for life

Since I am assured that my needs will be taken care of, I can focus on my love for God

and others. Because I am grateful, I will focus on obedience to God’s commands.

Since the issue of life is gratefulness. Gratefulness will produce a change in

attitude.

My focus should first be to please God through faith

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Pleasing God produces a pleasing attitude that produces the fruit of the Spirit.

Proverbs 4:23

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

PRAYING WITH THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

When you pray with love for the Father and everyone else, this includiesyour

enemies

When you pray, pray with the joy of the Lord in your heart

When you pray, pray with the peace of Jesus in you mind

When you pray, pray with patience waiting on the Lord’s solution

When you pray, pray with kindness in your heart for everyone, Be ready to

show kindness as the opportunity arises

When you pray, pray with gratefulness. Focus on the goodness of the Lord

When you pray, ask God to increase your faith

When you pray, ask God to teach you to be gentle in all situations

When you pray ask God to increase your self control

When you pray ask God for what you want with assurance that your prayers

are already answered.

Matthew 6:9-14

"'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.'

PRAYER NEEDS A SPECIAL PLACE AND A DEDICATED TIME

Matthew 6:5-6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

PRAYER IS RELATIONAL

OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN

It is developing and strengthening the relationship with Father

It emphasizes the ownership of the Father

It emphasizes His presence in our lives

It emphasizes trust in the Father

It emphasizes the position of the Father

PRAYER IS INTENTIONAL

Which aren’t in Heaven Hallowed be thy name

1. Prayer intended to give God praise

2. Prayer Intended to recognize the Power, authority, and sovereignty of God

3. Prayer is to carry out the will of the Father

4. Designed to give God Glory

PRAYER IS PURPOSEFUL

Give us this day our daily bread

It is a time of communication with the Father

3. Prayer the time of confession sin

It is a time to request forgiveness

4. Prayer is the time to present your Petition

PRAYER IS AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE

5. Prayer is the time to make Intercession for others

A time to commit to the will of the Father

A time to vow obedience to the Father

PRAYER IS THE TIME TO REESTABLISH FELLOWSHIP

Thy will be done

6. Prayer is only acceptable to God in the name of Jesus\

7. Prayer should be a lifelong desire aided by the indwelling of

the Holy Spirit

8. Prayer should be shaped by the Words of Jesus

PRAYER IS A TIME OF DIRECTION AND PROTECTION

Lead us not into temptation and deliver us

It recognizes our inability to do for ourselves

It recognizes our lack of foresight

It recognizes our dependency on the Father

PRAYER IS HOPEFUL

In heaven as it is on earth

It is a view of our eternal home

It is a view of all things working in our favor

PRAYER IS A TIME TO EXPRESS GRATEFULNESS

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Prayer draws you close to God

With your focus on God, Satan is blocked