Introduction:
1.  This is week #7 of our summer series: Strengthening Your Grip on KEY AREAS in your Christian Life
- our goal has been to connect this study to our Annual Theme 2006:  Gearing Up for Greater Effectiveness which implies staying on top of KEY AREAS in our Christian walk
> because if we’re not growing in our walk with the Lord, then we’re really NOT going to be ready to meet the challenge that lies ahead of us (Community Center, Vision of Hope)
2.  Our emphasis this summer is reaching out to people, building bridges in our relationships with people, getting out of our comfort zones and ‘connecting’ with others, and ‘Gearing Up’ for the fall season if the Lord allows us to minister then
 Our primary goal:  To glorify God by showing love to one another, demonstrating we are the disciples of Christ, and reaching out to others! 
> meeting people where they are (that’s a lot of what this emphasis on discipleship has been about) and helping them take the NEXT step of growth
3.  Each week, we’ tried to keep the following question in front of all of us!
Q:  What is the NEXT step of growth for you . . .for us as an ABF, church?
[serving, leadership, evangelism, hospitality to others, prayer life, study of the Word, etc.]
4. This is our 3rd and final week on the IMPORTANT subject: Strengthening Your Grip . . . on Discipleship!
- we’ve focused on the individuals God has used to help you grow and change
- I trust you’ve had an opportunity to thank that individual(s)
NEXT WEEK:  we’ll be doing a study on July 28th:  Strengthening Your Grip on Encouragement
[READ Luke 9:18-26 – comment as you go]
Q: What have been our two different perspectives of discipleship?
> Being a DISCIPLE (growing and changing in your personal life) & being a DISCIPLER –
Q: What is the difference? [explain]
Q: How do we define discipleship?
Discipleship = the process of helping others conform to the image of Christ in the way they think and act
Q: What is the ultimate goal of discipleship?
Goal:  God is glorified (glory = right opinion)
 1 Corinthians 10:31 . . . do, do all to the glory of God.
Q: What is our model for discipleship?
> Christlikeness -  if God is going to be glorified, it will be because we are like His Son:
> so we have to be thinking and acting like Christ, and helping other think/act like Christ!

Q: What is the two-fold process of discipleship?
#1:  Salvation – justification (legally declared righteous on the account books of heaven) – that’s the 1st step in the discipleship process
-  we ought to be very passionate about winning people to Jesus Christ (part of our mission)
#2: Growth – Progressive Sanctification (doctrine of spiritual growth – how a person changes and grows
- that implies the 3 key principles: 
1)  Understanding the goal of life is to please God by being like Jesus Christ
2)  Learning to deal with the idols of the heart
idols = anything we make more important than pleasing God (James 1:13-17)
3) Practicing the ‘put off’ and ‘put on’ process of Eph. 4:22-24
- the example we used was the issue of worry [summarize that process of change]
- also, we considered the . . .

II.  Origin of Discipleship: Where Did Discipleship Begin?

A. Technically, it began in Genesis 1, 2, 3 – the OT is full of examples of God patiently discipling His people (I wouldn’t say they really listened – look at what is happening in Israel today – it’s a result of NOT following the Prince of peace (Jesus!).
B.  Modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
* The beginning of His ministry
* Exemplified throughout His ministry
- The Lord has certainly equipped us with sufficient resources to get the job done:
 Holy Spirit / Word of God / Body of Christ / All the grace
- we concluded our study last week with thinking about the ‘how to’ of discipleship

III.  Technique: How Does Discipleship Work?

- the key verse for that study was:  
 Mark 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
- the verse gives us 5 steps to the process (last week we talked about the 1st two)
A.  Announcement – basically coming to know Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior
B.  Appointment
- Jesus basically ‘called’ them to this mission – He chose them for the task
- Jesus was choose these 12 guys – just like He chooses to save us and SEND us to represent Him!
- let’s conclude our study with taking a look at step #3 of the process:
TEACHERS, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT OUR “PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE, EMPHASIS”, AND THE NEED TO BE SERVING ALONGSIDE OTHERS
C.  Involvement [Note the comment above]
- the short version is this: if you’re going to disciple anybody, you have to spend time with that person(s)
- that’s why a person who isolates themselves from others will NEVER disciple anybody!
* He spent time ‘WITH THEM” – they went where He went, saw what He saw, did what He did
- this is why faithfulness in attendance is so important for the worship service, ABF, small groups – you’re with the body and individuals
Q: If you didn’t show up for 2 months, would anybody miss you?
> not because they didn’t see your face, but because of you influence on their life and they missed being around you!!
Point:  if the answer is no, then my guess is you’re not involved in the lives of others very much – and that needs to change if you’re going to be like Jesus!
D.  Assignment
- this is the specific mission they were given: * The Mission: Matthew 28:19-20
- the mission is simple:  Literally “having gone, make disciples of all nations”
Input: What are the implication of that statement to our community outreach to Hispanics, the students at Purdue, the SMITE team in Brazil right now, the Moldovians this August?
[various answers – we have a mission, and we need to keep the main thing the main thing and be as creative as the Word allows us, and as aggressive as love will guide us!]
E.  Accountability
 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
- It’s reasonable to expect that Jesus, our King and Judge will evaluate our efforts in the end
Input: Why don’t we like to think about the accountability of our discipleship efforts?
- Let’s ask another question:

IV.  Commitment: What Does Discipleship Mean?

A. Personal Relationships
“Disciples have no higher priority in their lives than Christ—not even their love for their own family members.” P. 115
Q:  Can you say that, first and foremost, Jesus Christ is number one in your life? Would the following verses really characterize your life, your thinking, and your choices?
- Are the following verses applicable to YOUR life?:
 Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
 Colossians 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
B.  Personal Goals and Desires
 Luke 14:27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
“The crowd that surrounded Jesus understood exactly what he meant.  They were familiar with the scene He referred to . They had often seen criminals carrying their crosses to the place of their execution.  In those days carrying one’s own cross meant the same as a person in our day walking to the gas chamber or the electric chair. It meant death—sure, absolute death.” – Swindol, p.  116
• The issue is commitment – a high level of consecration on the part of those who wish to become disciples.
- Here are a few verses to consider:
 Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
 Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
 Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
 Luke 22:41 And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."
 John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
 John 8:29 "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."
“A genuine disciple . . . comes to that place where no major decision is made without a serious consideration of the question, “What would the Lord want me to do?” as opposed to, “How will this benefit me?” – Swindol, p. 117
 John 6:66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
* 3 Questions to ask:
1.  As you think through the major decisions you have recently made (past 6-8 months), are you growing in making decisions that please the Lord and bring glory to God?
2.  Are you growing in taking your personal goals and desires and comparing them to God’s Word as you seek to do His will?
3.  Do you seek out godly counsel and/or advice before making important decisions?
C. Personal Possessions
 Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
Point: It’s not about what you possess (those things are temporal and pass away with time) – our lives should be about what is ETERNAL!

V.  Evaluation: Why Is Discipleship So Costly?

- Because God is holy, and sin really messed things up
- the price that had to be paid by the Son of God was so great – it cost God the Father His ‘only begotten Son’
- If He paid that price to redeem you, shouldn’t we be willing to sacrifice whatever to serve Him?
Key Passage:  Hebrews 12:1-14 – Read & explain as you go – compare the cross to what you are being asked to do – and we don’t face persecution, but some in the body do!
All you need to do is get alone with the Master, pour out your fears and your failures, then tell Him you are ready to take the first step away from a world that centers on you and into a new life that focuses on Him.” – Swindol, p. 125

Conclusion:
Two important questions:  Are you a disciple?  Are you a discipler?

ABF Series
Strengthening Your Grip on KEY AREAS in your Christian Life #5 – Part C
Discipleship —Luke 9:18-26
Introduction:
Q:  What is the NEXT step of growth for you . . .for us as an ABF, church?

Q: What have been our two different perspectives of discipleship?

Q: How do we define discipleship?

Q: What is the ultimate goal of discipleship?

Q: What is our model for discipleship?

Q: What is the two-fold process of discipleship?

II.  Origin of Discipleship: Where Did Discipleship Begin?
A. Technically, it began in Genesis 1, 2, 3
B.  Modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
* The beginning of His ministry
* Exemplified throughout His ministry
III.  Technique: How Does Discipleship Work?
 Mark 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
A.  Announcement
B.  Appointment
C.  _________________
* He spent time ‘WITH THEM”

D.  __________________

*  The Mission: __________________

Input: What are the implication of that statement to our community outreach to Hispanics, the students at Purdue, the SMITE team in Brazil right now, the Moldovians this August?

E.  __________________
Input: Why don’t we like to think about the accountability of our discipleship efforts?

IV.  Commitment: What Does Discipleship Mean?
A. Personal ________________
“Disciples have no higher priority in their lives than Christ—not even their love for their own family members.” P. 115

B.  Personal ___________ and _____________
“The crowd that surrounded Jesus understood exactly what he meant.  They were familiar with the scene He referred to . They had often seen criminals carrying their crosses to the place of their execution.  In those days carrying one’s own cross meant the same as a person in our day walking to the gas chamber or the electric chair. It meant death—sure, absolute death.” – Swindol, p.  116
• The issue is ___________________ – a high level of consecration on the part of those who wish to become disciples.

“A genuine disciple . . . comes to that place where no major decision is made without a serious consideration of the question, “What would the Lord want me to do?” as opposed to, “How will this benefit me?” – Swindol, p. 117
* 3 Questions to ask:
1.  As you think through the major decisions you have recently made (past 6-8 months), are you growing in making decisions that please the Lord and bring glory to God?
2.  Are you growing in taking your personal goals and desires and comparing them to God’s Word as you seek to do His will?
3.  Do you seek out godly counsel and/or advice before making important decisions?

C. Personal _____________________

V.  Evaluation: Why Is Discipleship So Costly?
Key Passage:  ______________
“ Master, pour out your fears and your failures, then tell Him you are ready to take the first step away from a world that centers on you and into a new life that focuses on Him.” – Swindol, p. 125

Conclusion:

Two important questions:  Are you a ____________?  Are you a _______________?

ABF Series
Strengthening Your Grip:
Discipleship – Luke 9:18-26 – Part B
Introduction:
Q:  What is the NEXT step of growth for you . . .for us as an ABF, church?
Q: What have been our two different perspectives of discipleship?
Q: How do we define discipleship?
Q: What is the ultimate goal of discipleship?
Q: What is our model for discipleship?
Q: What is the two-fold process of discipleship?
II.  Origin of Discipleship: Where Did Discipleship Begin?
A. Technically, it began in Genesis 1, 2, 3
B.  Modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ
* The beginning of His ministry
* Exemplified throughout His ministry

III.  Technique: How Does Discipleship Work?
 Mark 3:13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
A.  Announcement
B.  Appointment
C.  Involvement
* He spent time ‘WITH THEM”
D.  Assignment
* The Mission: Matthew 28:19-20
Input: What are the implication of that statement to our community outreach to Hispanics, the students at Purdue, the SMITE team in Brazil right now, the Moldovians this August?
E.  Accountability
 2 Corinthians 5:10
Input: Why don’t we like to think about the accountability of our discipleship efforts?

IV.  Commitment: What Does Discipleship Mean?
A. Personal Relationships
Quote - P. 115
 Matthew 6:33
 Colossians 1:18
B.  Personal Goals and Desires
 Luke 14:27
Quote – Swindol, p.  116
• The issue is commitment
 Luke 9:23
 Romans 12:1
 Philippians 2:3
 Luke 22:41-42
 John 6:38
 John 8:29
Quote – Swindol, p. 117
 John 6:66
* 3 Questions to ask:
1.  As you think through the major decisions you have recently made (past 6-8 months), are you growing in making decisions that please the Lord and bring glory to God?
2.  Are you growing in taking your personal goals and desires and comparing them to God’s Word as you seek to do His will?
3.  Do you seek out godly counsel and/or advice before making important decisions?
C. Personal Possessions
 Luke 14:33
V.  Evaluation: Why Is Discipleship So Costly?
Key Passage:  Hebrews 12:1-14
Quote” – Swindol, p. 125
Conclusion:
Two important questions:  Are you a disciple?  Are you a discipler?

Introduction

- Warren Wiersbe makes an interesting point at the beginning of his chapter on guidance in the book of Proverbs when he says…raising this topic will undoubtedly bring different thoughts into the minds of different people.
- some will hear it and be frustrated, believing that the issue of knowing the will of God is practically an impossible thing.
- others will hear it and be encouraged, remembering a time of trial / difficulty when they knew that holding on to the will of God was about all they had left, but it was enough.
- still someone else might view this topically more analytically, thinking about a particular framework through which the will of God can be determined, or the different ways of viewing this topic.

- what we'd like to point out today is that the book of Proverbs has a lot to say about this subject, and we can therefore approach the study with great hope.
- let's begin with what is probably the best known verse on this subject in the book, Proverbs 3:5-6 - READ

- Warren Wiersbe suggests that knowing the will of God in the book of Proverbs involves six elements:

I.  Faith

- the passage says that we're to trust in the Lord…
- seeking to determine the will of God, and attempting to follow the will of God, is first and foremost a matter of trust.
- in what senses…

A.  That we belong to Him.

- cf. the way unbelievers are described in Ephesians 2:1-3
- INPUT - What characteristics of the unbeliever are listed in Ephesians 2;1-3 that would prevent such a person from knowing and following the will of God?

B.  That the Lord has a plan for our lives.

- Proverbs 19:21 - Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand.

- Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

C.  That this plan is the best thing for us.

Warren Wiersbe - How could a holy God will for His children anything less than His best, and how could a loving God plan anything that would harm us? We have no reason to fear the will of God, because His plans come from His heart. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Ps. 33:11, NKJV). Unless we see the will of God as the expression of the love of God, we’ll resist it stubbornly, or do it grudgingly, instead of enjoying it. Faith in God’s love and wisdom will transform our attitude and make the will of God nourishment instead of punishment (John 4:34).

INPUT - List several characteristics of the person whose approach to discovering and doing the will God  meets this requirement of "trust".  Characteristics of the person who doesn't?

II.  Commitment

- cf. the words in Proverbs 3:5-6 - "all your heart" and "all your ways".

- Agree/Disagree - "The will of God isn’t a curiosity for us to study, it’s a command for us to obey; God isn’t obligated to reveal His will unless we’re willing to do it."

- Proverbs 3:1 - My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;

- Proverbs 6:20 - My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

- the point is that repeatedly the writer calls his son to a point of commitment.  It might be good for each of us to ask, how committed am I to doing the will of God?

- INPUT - How does John 7:17 fit into this discussion?

III.  Instruction

- we can't trust God without knowing His Word.
- His will is not a mystical thing to be learned through promptings, etc.
- It is an objective thing to be discovered through applying concrete biblical principles to whatever situation we might be facing.

- Proverbs 19:27 - Cease listening, my son, to discipline, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

- Proverbs 8:34 - Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.

- recommend Jay's book on guidance.

[could develop ideas from the CC guidance lecture --- teachers --- see copy of notes at the end of this lesson]

IV.  Counsel

- Proverbs 12:15 - The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

- Proverbs 23:22 - Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

- Proverbs 27:9 - Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.

- INPUT - Why is receiving counsel an important part of determining the will of God?

V.  Plans

- Proverbs 13:16 - Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays folly.

- Proverbs 14:8 - The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, but the foolishness of fools is deceit.

- INPUT - What is the relationship between planning in these verses and not "leaning  on our own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6)?

VI.  Obedience

Warren Wiersbe - “In all your ways acknowledge Him” (Prov. 3:6) means, “Do God’s will in every area of life. Seek to honor Him in everything.” Note verse 7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (NKJV). Pride and disobedience in any area of life can get us on dangerous detours, so we must stay humble before Him. “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (11:2–3, NKJV).
The assurance is, “and He shall direct your paths.” Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said: “Not always in easy or pleasant paths, but always in right paths. Not always in those I would have chosen, but always in paths which lead to success. . . . The paths that He directs lead always through mist and mystery, through battle and through bruising, to the fulfillment of the meaning of life.”

1/30/98
“How Do I Know the Will of God?”
First prepared for 1998 Missionary Training Conference
Saved as “WilofGod.doc” on Counseling Lectures #2 disk and Viars’ hard drive (coun. lec. sub)

- This afternoon we’re coming to one of the more challenging topics of our conference.
- I say “challenging” in the sense that what I’m about to say is different than many have said, taught, and believed.

- please remember what we said when we began this week....
- when someone asks a question or disagrees with us, we don’t automatically assume that person is an adversary.....
- you may not agree with some or all of what we have to say on this....and I’ll still let you buy me lunch!

- another point we’ve been trying to emphasize throughout the week is that nouthetic ministry is a “package deal”.
- in other words, we’re presenting an approach to ministry that affects a lot more than just counseling.
- part of that package is your view of how the Will of God is determined.

Introduction

1. I’m sure you know that there are a lot of ideas out there.
- Its interesting to listen to sermons, read books, or listen to people on the radio who are talking about this subject....and to see that many times those voices don’t agree.
- Whenever that’s the case, the natural question is....”Is everybody reading out of the same book?”
- why is it that there would be so many views if the Word of God is our standard?

- that’s the rub, isn’t it?
- because often times there is very little attempt to build one’s approach to these subject of careful exegesis of the scriptures.....
- more often that not its testimonials.....”let me tell you what happened to me.”

2. Problems counselors face.
- Its not unusual at all for a counselor to hear someone’s story and recognize, “this person is in the position they are in, in part, because of a wrong view of determining the Will of God.”

a. Dawson Trotman used to like to tell the story of four different men who told him, “God is leading me to marry a particular person”....and the problem was, it was the same person!
- what would you conclude from that?
- at least three of those guys were wrong....and maybe all four.

b. I think of a man who was convinced that God called him to Germany (to serve as a missionary)
- well, he didn’t slow up long enough to get input or evaluation from his local church...
- he didn’t ask anyone to evaluate him in light of I Timothy 3 or Titus 1....
- no one had examined his spiritual giftedness or lack thereof.....
- he didn’t know the language....knew nothing about the culture....

- but he had this feeling....this experience that God was calling him to Germany......

- so he sold his car to pay for the ticket to Germany.....
- making no provisions whatsoever for the care of his wife or children....

- now I ask you, was God calling him to Germany?
- Was that God’s will for his life?

c. I think of a church that was growing and reaching people in their community for Christ....
- it came time to do something to handle the number of new folks that were coming.....
- they either needed to start a second service, add on to their auditorium, or start another church......

- but different men had different views.....and the deacons finally came to this conclusion.....we don’t have unanimous peace about any of these options.....some have peace about a building program, some have peace about starting a second service.....
- but since we don’t have unanimous peace about any one option....we believe its God’s will for us to do nothing!.....and that’s what they did.

- now, we’ll have a lot more to say about “peace” a little later on....but you can see even from that short list how this issue of how to know the will of God dovetails with counseling.

- now, let’s start with:
I. Excuses for Not Using the Bible in Decisions
A. What they are.

- some folks take the position that:
1. The Bible has nothing to say about decision making.

- the problem with that position is that it the concept of “decision making and the will of God” only to the “big ticket” items.
- i.e. who you’re going to marry, or what job you’re going to take.
- 99% of God’s will for your life has nothing to do with those kinds of matters.

- the Bible has something about decision making on every page.....
- people who are practiced at applying God’s Word to specific situations in daily life have much less difficulty knowing His Will when one of the big ticket decisions comes along.
2. Additional revelation is available in the form of visions, dreams, feelings, circumstances, fleeces, etc.

- you know, we get upset with the charismatics and the way they talk about how God is working today through tongues, healings, and other aspects of special revelation....
- the truth of the matter is...many Baptists and other conservative evangelicals sound pretty charismatic when they get on this subject.

- perhaps the most insidious thing about this part of the discussion is when people swear that God “told” them to do something that actually violates the will He has already laid down in the Scriptures.
- a key issue that you need to decide is whether you believe that God is still giving special revelation or not.

- Pastor Goode and I knew a young lady who was convinced that God wanted her to marry a particular young man.
- the problem was---God wasn’t telling the young man...or at least he wasn’t listening.

- one day she told Pastor Goode.....I have my answer from God....I know he wants this young man and I to be married....
- Oh, why is that?
- I looked our names up in our mother tongue.....
- my name means “prison”, and his means “prisoner”!

B. Why they are wrong.

1. II Peter 1:3

- we’ve talked a lot about this concept this week....but it has clear implication to our topic.
- Is the Bible sufficient or not?
- Did God give us what we need in His Word or is He still giving us a “new update” every morning.

- To hear some of us talk, its almost like that TV program where the guy gets a copy of tomorrow’s newspaper every morning.
- We know that can’t be true, because a cat is the one that leaves the paper....

- but seriously, phrases like “God led me...” or “God is telling me...” have been used to justify about every form of foolishness known to man.

2. II Timothy 3:16-17 - ....that the man of God may be perfect.....

Revelation 22:18-19 - Don’t add anything to the Bible, don’t take anything away

- so the excuses that are given for not using the Bible is decision making are wrong!

- one of the most important points to keep straight in this discussion is:
II. Different Aspects of God’s Will

- when a person starts talking about God’s will, its imperative that we try to find out which facet of God’s will they’re speaking of.

A. Directive will.

- also known as His:
1. moral will.

2. what He has already revealed to us.

3. can only be found in the Bible.

4. what He wants us to do.

- for example --- Thou shalt not steal......God does not want you to go to Cracker Barrel, eat a big dinner, and then walk out without paying.....
- I don’t have to know you personally...I don’t even have to know your name to be able to say with confidence.....that is not God’s will for you.

- if you told me that you’re single and that you’re planning to marry an unbeliever next week....I can say with confidence that that’s not God’s will for you....
- I don't have to think about it any more.....
- I don’t need to pray about it.....
- I don’t need to hear any more of the story.....

- God’s directive will is very obvious.

- the other aspect of God’s will is his:
B. Decreed will.

1. “sovereign” will.

2. ultimate, eternal, determined will.

- some like to refer to this aspect as God’s permissive will.

- what He allows to come to pass.

- for example, in Luke 22:32 --- when our Lord is talking to Peter about his upcoming denial......
- was it God’s will for Peter to deny Christ?  (yes and no)
- it was not God’s directive will.....it was sinful for him to do that.

- but it was God’s decreed will....because if it was not part of God’s decreed will it would not have come to pass.
- otherwise you have a God who is not sovereign.

- here’s the real issue.....
3. Can only be determined after the fact, cannot be known in advance.

- now, what are the implications of this to our topic?
- often when people talk about knowing the will of God, they want to know the decreed will of God, and the decreed will of God cannot be known in advance.

- let’s look at some passages and ask the question....
“Is the writer speaking of the directive will of God, or the decreed will of God?”

Psalm 40:8 - I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart. (Directive)

Mark 3:35 - For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother. (Directive)

Ephesians 5:17 - So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Directive)

Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Directive)

James 4:15 - Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that." (Decreed)

1 Corinthians 4:19 - But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. (Decreed)

- now, what are some implications to this subject?
- often, when someone is talking about knowing the will of God, they are talking about wanting to know “category B”, and that can’t be known in advance.

- now, let’s pull over there and park for a minute.....
- what are some reasons that would explain why we’re so insistent on knowing God’s decreed will ahead of time?

1) We think by doing so, we’ll be guaranteed freedom from trouble.

- If I get in the center of God’s will, they’re be no problems.
- and, if problems arise, I must be out of God’s will.

2) If He (God) makes the decision, we’re freed from responsibility for the consequences.

- “God told us to borrow 4 million dollars for this building program.”

3) If He makes the decision, the pressure is not on us to get all the facts necessary to make a good decision.

III. Place of the Bible in Decision-Making

A. Understand the difference between the Bible speaking directly and indirectly.

- in many cases, the Bible gives a clear, direct statement....
- “Thou shalt not....”

- in other cases, the Bible gives a universal principle....
- these principles may allow you to rule out certain options, but it may not result in only one option being left.

- its very possible that people do not know the principles because of a lack of diligent study.

B. Know three “Propositions about Biblical Guidance.”

1. There is no way to know God’s will and receive guidance apart from the Scriptures.

2. There are scriptural principles to cover all areas of life.

3. The Scriptures speak directly and indirectly by implication.  They help us make yes/no choices or a they give us a limited number of equally legitimate choices.

cf. Christian musician...the Lord speaks to me and tells me what song to sing.

- cf. The Sensuous Christian.

C. Steps for good decision making.

1. Gather all facts - list pros and cons.

2. Search out all principles, examples, etc. of Scripture that have a bearing on the decision.

3. Apply these to the pros and cons and the various options.

(some pros may become cons and vice-versa)

4. May need to seek godly counsel.

5. If narrowed down to two equally good decisions (based on biblical principles), may decide on the basis of preference.

6. If question of possible sin is involved, use “holding” principle.

- Romans 14:23 - Whatever is not of faith is sin.

D. Diagram

- 2 boxes

- outer box --- direct statements
- cf. car - don’t covet
- don't overspend....

- inner box --- indirect principles
- bring glory to God....
- communicate with spouse....dwell with her in an understanding way....

Points:

1) Some principles will help you narrow options down more than others.

2) May be more than one biblically legitimate option.

E. Illustration of the principles - marriage.

1. Take a biblical look at single life.

2. Define biblical standards for marriage partner.

3. Evaluate person’s sensitivity to biblical authority and influence.

4. Look for evidence of spiritual growth, obedience to God’s Word.

5. Look for principles of solving problems biblically.

6. If more than one option remains, choose preference.

F. Misunderstanding God’s Will.

1. Leading

Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18

- some say, “led by Spirit” means “guide you in decision making”
- neither passage has anything to do with decision making...

- the context is dealing with a believer’s growth....

- led means “motivated” in these passages.....
- its an evidence of one’s salvation....
- its a contrast to the old way of life

2. Peace
- Col. 3:15
- some say peace is an umpire, or arbitrator in decisions....

- problem is, the context is violated.....
- Paul is talking about corporate relations among members of the church......

- when believers are living consistent with their position in Christ, there will be harmony, PEACE, and unity in the church.

3. Circumstances

- have to be very careful here....
- not saying that we ought to ignore circumstances.....but have to recognize that we are good at reading circumstances through a preconceived grid....and often that grid can be seriously flawed.......

IV. Holding Principle

Romans 14:23

How Do I Know the Will of God?
Introduction
I. Excuses for Not Using the Bible in Decisions
A. What they are.
1. The Bible has nothing to say about decision-making.
2. Additional revelation is available in the form of visions, dreams, feelings, circumstances, fleeces, etc.
B. Why they are wrong.
1. II Peter 1:3
2. II Timothy 3:16-17
II. Different Aspects of God’s Will
A. Directive will.
1. moral will.
2. what He has already revealed to us.
3. can only be found in the Bible.
4. what He wants us to do.
B. Decreed will.
1. “sovereign” will.
2. ultimate, eternal, determined will.

3. can only be determined after the fact, cannot be known in advance.
In the following passages, is the writer speaking of the directive will of God, or the decreed will of God?
Psalm 40:8 - I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart.
(Directive)
Mark 3:35 - For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.
(Directive)
Ephesians 5:17 - So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
(Directive)
Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Directive)
James 4:15 - Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that."
(Decreed)
1 Corinthians 4:19 - But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power.
(Decreed)
III. Place of the Bible in Decision-Making
A. Understand the difference between the Bible speaking directly and indirectly.
B. Know three “Propositions about Biblical Guidance.”
1. There is no way to know God’s will and receive guidance apart from the Scriptures.
2. There are scriptural principles to cover all areas of life.

3. The Scriptures speak directly and indirectly by implication.  They help us make yes/no choices or a they give us a limited number of equally legitimate choices.
C. Steps for good decision-making.
1. Gather all facts - list pros and cons.
2. Search out all principles, examples, etc. of Scripture that have a bearing on the decision.
3. Apply these to the pros and cons and the various options.
4. May need to seek godly counsel.
5. If narrowed down to two equally good decisions (based on biblical principles), may decide on the basis of preference.
6. If question of possible sin is involved, use “holding” principle.
Romans 14:23 - Whatever is not of faith is sin.
D. Diagram
Points:
1) Some principles will help you narrow options down more than others.
2) May be more than one biblically legitimate option.
E. Illustration of the principles - marriage.
1. Take a biblical look at single life.
2. Define biblical standards for marriage partner.
3. Evaluate person’s sensitivity to biblical authority and influence.
4. Look for evidence of spiritual growth, obedience to God’s Word.
5. Look for principles of solving problems biblically.
6. If more than one option remains, choose preference.
F. Misunderstanding God’s Will.
1. Leading - Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18
2. Peace - Col. 3:15
3. Circumstances
IV. Holding Principle - Romans 14:23

Adult Bible Fellowship
Following God’s Guidance
Proverbs Series #43

Introduction

I.  ____________
A.  That we belong to __________.
INPUT - What characteristics of the unbeliever are listed in Ephesians 2;1-3 that would prevent such a person from knowing and following the will of God?
B.  That the Lord has a ___________ for our lives.
• Proverbs 19:21 - Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand.
• Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
C.  That this plan is the __________ thing for us.
Warren Wiersbe - How could a holy God will for His children anything less than His best, and how could a loving God plan anything that would harm us? We have no reason to fear the will of God, because His plans come from His heart. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Ps. 33:11, NKJV). Unless we see the will of God as the expression of the love of God, we’ll resist it stubbornly, or do it grudgingly, instead of enjoying it. Faith in God’s love and wisdom will transform our attitude and make the will of God nourishment instead of punishment (John 4:34).Jeremiah 9:24
INPUT - List several characteristics of the person whose approach to discovering and doing the will God meets this requirement of "trust".  Characteristics of the person who doesn't?
II.  _________________
• Agree/Disagree - "The will of God isn’t a curiosity for us to study, it’s a command for us to obey; God isn’t obligated to reveal His will unless we’re willing to do it."
• Proverbs 3:1
• Proverbs 6:20 - My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;
INPUT - How does John 7:17 fit into this discussion?

III.  _________________
• Proverbs 19:27
• Proverbs 8:34 - Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.
IV.  _______________
• Proverbs 12:15
• Proverbs 23:22 - Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
• Proverbs 27:9 - Oil and perfume make the heart glad, so a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.
INPUT - Why is receiving counsel an important part of determining the will of God?
V.  ____________
• Proverbs 13:16
• Proverbs 14:8 - The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, but the foolishness of fools is deceit.
INPUT - What is the relationship between planning in these verses and not "leaning on our own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6)?
VI.  _________________
Warren Wiersbe - “In all your ways acknowledge Him” (Prov. 3:6) means, “Do God’s will in every area of life.  Seek to honor Him in everything.”  Note verse 7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (NKJV).  Pride and disobedience in any area of life can get us on dangerous detours, so we must stay humble before Him.  “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.  The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (11:2–3, NKJV).
The assurance is, “and He shall direct your paths.”  Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said: “Not always in easy or pleasant paths, but always in right paths.  Not always in those I would have chosen, but always in paths which lead to success. . . . The paths that He directs lead always through mist and mystery, through battle and through bruising, to the fulfillment of the meaning of life.”

Adult Bible Fellowship
Following God’s Guidance
Proverbs Series #43
Introduction
I.  Faith
A.  That we belong to Him.
INPUT - What characteristics of the unbeliever are listed in Ephesians 2;1-3 that would prevent such a person from knowing and following the will of God?
B.  That the Lord has a plan for our lives.
• Proverbs 19:21
• Jeremiah 29:11
C.  That this plan is the best thing for us.

Warren Wiersbe - How could a holy God will for His children anything less than His best, and how could a loving God plan anything that would harm us? We have no reason to fear the will of God, because His plans come from His heart. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Ps. 33:11, NKJV). Unless we see the will of God as the expression of the love of God, we’ll resist it stubbornly, or do it grudgingly, instead of enjoying it. Faith in God’s love and wisdom will transform our attitude and make the will of God nourishment instead of punishment (John 4:34).Jeremiah 9:24
INPUT - List several characteristics of the person whose approach to discovering and doing the will God meets this requirement of "trust".  Characteristics of the person who doesn't?
II.  Commitment
Agree/Disagree - "The will of God isn’t a curiosity for us to study, it’s a command for us to obey; God isn’t obligated to reveal His will unless we’re willing to do it."
Proverbs 3:1
Proverbs 6:20
INPUT - How does John 7:17 fit into this discussion?
III.  Instruction
Proverbs 19:27
Proverbs 8:34
IV.  Counsel
Proverbs 12:15
Proverbs 23:22
Proverbs 27:9
INPUT - Why is receiving counsel an important part of determining the will of God?
V.  Plans
Proverbs 13:16
Proverbs 14:8
INPUT - What is the relationship between planning in these verses and not "leaning on our own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5-6)?

VI.  Obedience
Warren Wiersbe - “In all your ways acknowledge Him” (Prov. 3:6) means, “Do God’s will in every area of life.  Seek to honor Him in everything.”  Note verse 7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (NKJV).  Pride and disobedience in any area of life can get us on dangerous detours, so we must stay humble before Him.  “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.  The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them” (11:2–3, NKJV).
The assurance is, “and He shall direct your paths.”  Dr. G. Campbell Morgan said: “Not always in easy or pleasant paths, but always in right paths.  Not always in those I would have chosen, but always in paths which lead to success. . . . The paths that He directs lead always through mist and mystery, through battle and through bruising, to the fulfillment of the meaning of life.”

- remember that our overall outline for this section of Scripture is…
- Chapter 5 - Sexual sin is eventually disappointing.
- Chapter 6 - Sexual sin is gradually destructive.
- Chapter 7 - Sexual sin is ultimately deadly.

- in your notes, we reproduced what we've discussed so far under this heading of avoiding sexual sin:

Introduction
1.  The genders could easily be reversed in this chapter.

2.  Human sexuality was created by God and sexual relations within the bonds of marriage is holy and right.
Hebrews 13:4 - Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

3.  God owns our bodies and we are accountable to Him for their use.
I Corinthians 6:12-20

4.  The goal of human sexuality is to meet the needs of one's spouse.
I Corinthians 7:1-6

5.  Human sexuality is emphasized in the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 20:14, 17

I.  Sexual Sin is Eventually Disappointing.

A.  Their experience goes from sweetness to bitterness - vv. 1-6

B.  Their experience goes from gain to loss - vv. 7-14

*************************************************************************************

- Read Proverbs chapter 5

- today we want to work on verses 15-23

C.  Their experience goes from purity to pollution - vv. 15-20
- these verses compare sexual relations in marriage to drinking fresh, pure water.
- the obvious comparison would be drinking water out of a polluted stream/sewer.
- [cf. how in a third world culture, this illustration would have been even more powerful.]

- in his study Bible, John MacArthur says this about these verses:
"Using the imagery of water, the joy of a faithful marriage is contrasted with the disaster of infidelity (vv. 9-14).  "Cistern" and "well" refer to the wife from whom the husband is to draw all his satisfying refreshment, sexually and affectionately."

- of course as we've said before, the genders could be reversed…but the point is, sexual relations within marriage is like drinking cold, pure, refreshing water, and sexual sin is like drinking out of a sewer.

- another way you could think about these verses that is very important is that God never gives us a "put off" without giving us a corresponding (and far superior) "put on".
- sometimes people think about Christianity as a negative religion…that it's all about the things you can't do anymore…
- that’s simply not true--of course there are things we must not do if Christ is the Lord, but that paves the way for putting on a lifestyle that is far more fulfilling, and refreshing…
- it would be very much like a person standing at an open sewer in a third world country, holding a bottle of cold, purified water and saying to someone, "don't drink that, instead drink this".
- no one in his or her right mind would accuse that person of being negative or needlessly restrictive.

- INPUT - How do we teach this mentality to our children? [that Christianity is not simply about the things we can't do?]

- Wiersbe - The commitment of marriage is like the banks of the river that keep the river from becoming a swamp.  God's holy law confines the waters within the banks, and this produces power and depth.  Extramarital and premarital affairs don't satisfy because they're shallow, and it doesn't take much to stir up shallow water.  A man and woman pledged to each other in marriage can experience the growing satisfaction that comes with love, commitment, depth, and purity.

- I have received several questions about what we're studying, and was encouraged to answer them in class, which I'm happy to do.

1.  What should I do if I am losing desire for sexual relations with my spouse?

INPUT - How would you answer that question?

- desire is "a motion of the will" [cf. Kittle's NT Dictionary], in other words, we choose what we want.

- the primary desire should be to please one's spouse, and that is a desire that should never go away.

- the issue of frequency should be openly discussed with one's spouse [cf. I Cor. 7]---as long as the issue is mutually agreed to, either by the frequency increasing or diminishing, there is not a problem.

- this person should communicate openly with the spouse.

2.  Trying to please my spouse has become a mechanical act at times.  Because my body is not my own, I give up my body to satisfy my spouse, yet sometimes it hurts physically.  Is hormone replacement the answer?

INPUT - How would you address those questions?

- I'm glad this person is willing to ask specific questions.
- We applaud the willingness to see this issue through a biblical grid of seeking to please the spouse, and seeing ones body as belonging to the Lord.
- actions are mechanical only if we let them be…generally speaking sexual problems are symptomatic of other more significant problems.
- This person should speak to her spouse…Eph. 4:15 [if she is unwilling or unable, this is a larger problem than anything else we've raised].
- the issues of pain and this being a "mechanical act" are very likely related.
- God has designed our bodies to be physically prepared for sexually relations that cannot be bypassed.
- the issue of pain should also be clearly discussed with the spouse
- see a gynecologist about the issue of hormone replacement--I'm told that some of the newer data on this topic is raising some additional questions about this area.
- of course pain is a relative term, but I can't take the position that I am unwilling to do anything that causes any level of pain [cf. getting up this morning]

3.  I feel guilt at times because I don't initiate sex.  How am I supposed to feel when I feel nothing physically?  If I tell my spouse, my spouse would be devastated.

INPUT - Your answers to these?

- Each spouse should initiate sexual relations.  While Proverbs 5 is addressed to a young man for reasons we already discussed, the principles apply to each gender.

- cf. the think/do/feel train.

- the last statement 'my spouse would be devastated" might be the most telling statement of all.

D.  Their experience goes from freedom to bondage - vv. 21-23
- cf. v. 22 - bound by the cords of his own sin.

- discuss ways this might come true.

- if time, study the Samson story - Judges 16

- cf. also the hope of I Corinthians 6:11

- This morning we're going to work through Nehemiah chapter 10.
- I realize that each SS class is at a little different place in your study of Nehemiah...
- for some, you're done with chapter nine and ready to begin chapter 10
- for others, we'll do chapter 10 today and then you'll double back and pick up some things we're skipping today.

- Either way, it should work out OK because, in a lot of ways, chapter 10 is a stand alone unit...so its good that on the day we're having combined SS, we're working through a chapter like this one.

- now, you remember the context --- this has been a very unusual month for the people of God.

- of course the wall is built and all that work is done, but the attention has shifted now to the building of the people.

- and these men and women have responded in a wonderful way.
- they've taken some steps that are very admirable, and are even similar to things we do today as a NT church.

- Chapter 8 told us that the people asked Ezra to bring out the book of the law, which he did.
- they had built a platform so they were prepared for his ministry
- they stood while the Scripture was read, showing their respect for God's law.
- then the Levites went around in smaller groups with the people, and according to Nehemiah 8:8 --- gave the sense of what had been read.

- the people were convicted by the law, and began weeping and confessing their sin.
- the leaders stopped them --- encouraged them that they had repented enough at that time, and that they needed to rejoice in the forgiveness they had received.

- the next day, another wonderful thing happened...where the leaders of the families came back and asked Ezra to instruct them in more of the law, so they could have insight into the Scripture.
- He was more than willing to do that...and the men learned that the Bible said they should be doing something that they hadn't...which was what?
(keeping the Feast of Tabernacles)
- so how did they respond? -- they quickly and completely obeyed.

- Then chapter 9 tells us that on the 24th day of the month....after the people had been studying the Scripture daily....they came together for a time of confession and repentance.
- This chapter gives us a detailed account of their prayers, how they went back and reviewed how they and their forefathers had displeased God, and gotten far away from Him.
- In verse 32-33 --- they affirmed the fact that even though it had been difficult for them and their ancestors to live in captivity, and even though it had been difficult to have Jerusalem destroyed....
- they recognized that that had been their fault...and that God had been more than just in the way He had dealt with them.

- Now, you and I read these two chapters and say --- these men and women are doing a great job.
- they are taking some wonderful steps of growth....and that’s very true.
- but there's an important ingredient left.

- before we go any further....let me throw out a question and have us bat it around -- a question that should help us see the importance of what we're about to study.

- INPUT - Why don't people change?  Why don't we change as quickly as we should?  What are some reasons for this?

- James Montgomery Boice was writing about this in his commentary on Nehemiah.
- he tells about a conversation he had with a psychologist where he just asked him --- with all of the money being poured into therapy, and all the time being spent---why don't more people changing?

- the answer that was given was --- "Because most people don't really want to change.  In the final analysis, they aren't willing to do the things necessary to really change."

- (now, we could undoubtedly add a lot of things to that psychologist's answer, assuming he was a secular theorist....but let's just go with that for a moment...
- its certainly true, that even though study of the Scripture is immensely important, and even though coming to God with prayers of confession and repentance are is very important....
- Change is not going to take place unless there's some sort of commitment made...

- a committment to act on the Scriptures
- a committment NOT TO DO wrong
- and a committment TO DEFINITELY AND AGRESSIVELY DO what is right.

- The history of counseling shows that people have had a hard time maintaining a balance between the importance of knowing and doing.

1) For example, Sigmeund Freud and the other depth psychogists placed a great amount of emphasis on the "knowing" part of the equation.
- exposing the hidden part of the iceberg
- getting in touch with the person's unconscious
- dreams analysis, word association
- they had no trouble looking a person straight in the face and saying --- it may be 3-5 years of psychoanlysis before we can tell you what you ought to start doing differently.

2) Then we had Skinner who reacted violently to that...
- Who said Freud was a spook
- because Skinner was a scientist, he only wanted to talk about what could be measured, namely behavior.

- so what was going on on the inside of the person was of very little consequence to Skinner---as long as he could modify his behavior by changing the external stimuli (or the contingencies) around him.

- now, its interesting that evangelical Christianity has followed a similar path--only in reverse.

- There was the day when it seemed like the great emphasis was on the externals...behavior
- hair length, dress, etc
- not that those things are unimportant, but for some it seemed as if those were the only things that mattered.

- now, its seems as if we've taken a shift in many cases where there's so much attention and emphasis given to understanding the inner...
- that its viewed as shallow or superficial to talk about behavior....
- to talk about making commitments to behave differently, and then to follow through on those commitments.

- A careful study of the Scripture would cause us to have a balance between these two.

- According to James 1:;25, we are blessed in the doing of the deed

- John 13:17 - If you know these things, happy are you if you do them.

- James 4:17 - To him who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.

- Thats what Nehemiah 10 is all about
- now we're not saying that NT believers do it precisely like these folks did it in this text
- but we also have to say....this chapter is in the Bible for a reason...
- and according to II Tim. 3:16 --- it is profitable for us to study

- so we're talking about --- "Making Right Commitments to God.

- let's read some of our verses:
- Read 9:38 - (all of this --- all that’s been said in the chapter)
- Read 10:1 (through Zedekiah)
- many students of the Scripture believe that Zedekiah was Nehemiah's personal secretary
- the reason is that in many of the same kind of legal documents from this era, they are signed by the one on charge and then attested by the person's chief assistant.
- Now, the next verses, verses 2-8, contain 21 names.
- most of them are family names, which explains why Ezra's name does not appear...
- he was of the family of Seraiah (the first name on the list)

- in verses 9-13, there are 17 names of some of the Levites
- then in verses 14-27, there are 44 names of the noble families, many of whom originally returned under Ezra's leadership several years before to rebuild the temple.

- now let's pick the commitment up in verse 28 - 39 - READ

- now, these verses make it very clear what's going on.
- they've been studying the Scriptures carefully for many days now.
- they've confessed their sin to the Lord and acknowledged that His judgment on them was just.
- now its time to commit themselves to follow through on living for Him.

- As we said earlier, we're not suggesting that we ought to do this sort of thing corporately as a church.
- There is no NT parallel of this kind of a corporate event that churches ought to have.

- However, having said that,
1) The Lord does have this chapter in the Bible for a reason, and
2) there's no question that one of the reasons people don't grow at the rate they should....and that we don't always grow at the rate we should, is because we're slow to make commitments....and in some cases, way too slow.

- let's start with this:

I. God's Wants His Children to Make Commitments

A. An important starting place - they must be biblical.

- the argument of verse 28 is very important...
- they separated themselves from the people of the land, to the law of God

- sometimes folks think about separation as only being a negative idea.
- we separate ourselves from .....(this, this, and this)
- biblical separation is as much a separation to something....or a separation to Someone....
- they wanted to separate themselves to the law of God.

- you see that same emphasis in verse 29 ----
- INPUT - please tell me, how are they describing their relationship to the Scriptures in this verse?
- an oath to walk in God's law
- to keep and to observe all the commandments of God our Lord
- and His ordinances and His statutes

- now that’s important, because as we talk about making commitments for the rest of our class time, we're not talking about making commitments based on something other than the Scriptures.

- some churches ask their folks to make promises based on some spooky measurement instead of God's Word.
- that’s why we don't have "faith promise" missionary giving here...because "faith promise" giving asks a person to pray, God will give you a number you ought to give (apart from the Scripture), and that’s what you ought to commit yourself to.

- and we say -- no, revelation is complete.
- God's not giving us any more apart from the Scriptures....so we need to follow biblical principles of finance and make our commitments based on biblical principle, not on some supposed feeling I have on that particular day.

- now, having said that...

B. There are many occasions for NT believers to do so.

- our line of reasoning in this lesson this morning goes something like this:
1) people don't change at the rate they should unless they commit themselves to doing so.
2) These godly people in the book of Nehemiah made a commitment, and it was a help to them spiritually...
3) Even though we may not do it in exactly the same way today, there is no question that God calls on us to make commitments all the time....and he may...especially at this time of the year, want you to be thinking about some commitments you should be making to Him.

- let's think now about some ways in which it is right and appropriate for believers to use specific occasions in their lives to make biblical commitments.

1) at salvation

- A fundamental aspect of salvation is that it is a commitment to become a follower of Jesus Christ.
- that’s why we talk so much about the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9 - that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;

- We saw that in the passage we studied last week in the morning service.

- the irony of John 1:12 is that it is often used to teach exactly the opposite of what it is actually saying...
- some folks use that terminology and say, in salvation, you just have to receive Jesus....you just have to accept the gift of salvation....
- and while, in some senses, there's truth in that....a person needs to carefully ask ---- what does it mean to receive Jesus?
- at least we're talking about:
- admitting one's sin
- acknowledging that Jesus is the rightful Lord
- committing ourselves to following Him.

- by the way, John 1:12 does actually say that...John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

- often times, the "even those who believe on His name part" is left out.

- the point is -- salvation is a commitment to trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, to become a follower of Christ.

- by the way, if you're here this morning and you don't know Him, we'd invite you, in this lesson on making right commitments...to make the most important commitment of all...that of trusting Jesus Christ.

(could develop -- isn't it exciting to think about all of those who made that commitment this weekend? -- As I was greeting folks, I found myself thinking -- I wonder how many in this vehicle don't know Jesus)

B. Baptism

- at baptism, a person is publicly declaring their allegiance to Christ.
- they are saying, before everyone there, that are trusting Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection as their only hope of heaven.
- they are testifying that they have died to sin and have been raised to a new life in Jesus Christ.
- its a step of obedience, and as such, is an important commitment that God wants us to make.

(In Bible times, and throughout history -- Baptism was much more public -- Anyone here baptized in a creek?)

C. Church membership

- ....is a commitment
- our church covenant calls us to obey the Scriptures
- our doctrinal statement binds us together.

- develop -- have you made these three commitments?

- INPUT - other times in a believer's life where you are making a commitment, and it is perfectly appropriate to do so?
- marriage, new child, new year, new day (Rom. 12:1-2), birth of a child, new job...
- when you're convicted by a passage of Scripture
- when a ministry opportunity arises that you can be a part of.
- stewardship month
- Question I'd like to pose to you today is --- Why did the Lord allow this event to be recorded in the Scriptures?
- Do you make commitments the way God wants you to make commitments?  (or is it possible that one of the reasons you're not growing like you should -- if in fact that’s the case --- is because you don't mind studying what the Bible says about something....you'll even confess sin....but making the commitment to follow through on what is right --- that's another matter entirely.

- another truth we see from this text is that:

II. God Wants Us to Make Commitments Regarding Our Children

- look at verse 30 -- READ 30 and 36

- the point is -- in this critical commitment chapter -- one of the first areas that comes up is the matter of what they're going to do with their the children God has given them.
- God wants us to make commitments regarding our children.

- isn't it interesting that of all the things they could have said concerning their children, that the issue that came up first was what?  (the kind of people they would allow them to marry)

- now, they had received that idea from the Scripture.
- Exodus 34:16 and Deut 7:3 taught that God's people could not allow their children to marry people who were not believers.
- and of course at many points in the history of Israel, God's people violated this principle, and it hurt them badly.

- now if you happen to be here this morning and you're not saved and your spouse is...let me assure you that we're not here to judge you, or criticize you....
- but the message of the Scripture is this --- God wants you to be saved
- God wants you to become one of His children

- if I'm speaking to anyone in that category, you probably understand very clearly why God would give this principle to His people...because of the difficulty of having a marriage where one is a believer and one is not.
- that’s why this same principle is repeated in the NT in places like II Cor. 6:14 - "Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers"
- Paul told widows in I Cor. 7 that they were free to remarry after their first spouse died, but only "in the Lord."

- so the point is -- that when these people were making commitments...part of those commitments had to do with their children.

- now let's take a minute and discuss a question together.
- Suppose there was a parent here who said --- Well, my 16 year old son wants to date an unbeliever.  We don't like it, but we think he's at the age where he should be able to make those decisions.

- INPUT - What would you say to a parent who held that view?

- (deal with the associated question of --- need to also be concerned about the spiritual condition of your own child that wouldn't see the importance of marrying a believer.  INPUT - Things parents can do to help our children to develop such convictions? 
- also hit the importance of helping our children establish dating standards.

- INPUT - Other commitments a parent may need to make regarding their children?
- a third part of their commitment is recorded in verse 31 - READ

- the point is:

III. God Wants Us To Make Commitments Regarding Our Work

- the point here is --- they were committing themselves to living for God and being different from the world even in their work.
- even in the way they conducted business.

- they were going to obey what the OT law said regarding the Sabbath even if it hurt.

- and also, please remember, we know that many of these people were living in poverty.

- we saw that in a previous chapter where Nehemiah had to come down on some of them because the richer Israelites were taking advantage of the poorer ones.

- so there were a number of these people who were living in poverty---yet they were committing themselves to following God's Word in the workplace even if it cost them something.

- Keith Miller, writing about work said, "It has never ceased to amaze me that we Christians have developed a kind of selective vision which allows us to be deeply and sincerely involved in worship and church activities and yet almost totally pagan in the day in, day out guts of our business lives and never realize it."

- now, let's work on this one.

- INPUT - Areas in which a believer ought to commit himself/herself to pleasing God with regard to work?

- what about relationship with opposite sex?

- (here's a hot potato) -- what about if you work at a place where there's a homosexual?
- Since we believe that homosexuality is wrong, do we also believe that if you work around a homosexual, its OK to make fun of them, call them names, gossip behind their backs, etc?

- (Also hit -- just because someone says that happened doesn't mean it happened)

- (Also -- its not hateful, or harassment, to in the proper context say what you believe the Scripture says about that matter.  If the setting is appropriate for a homosexual to say -- "I believe homosexuality is right" ---- then its surely just as appropriate for the believer to respond -- "I believe homosexuality is wrong."
- its not like one of those statements is offensive, and the other isn't..
- or that one of those statements is hateful, and the other isn't...

- Overall point here is --- you may be here this morning and God may want you to make a commitment regarding some aspect of your work.

(If time -- could discuss those who say --- well, thats business.  I don't mix my religion with my business.)

- the last area is the one that actually takes up the most space in their commitment:
- Read 34-39

- the point is:

IV. God Wants Us To Make Commitments Regarding Our Worship

- we don't have time to look at these statements individually, but the end of verse 39 really summarizes all they've said in this section:

- Thus we will not neglect the house of our God.

- they were making a commitment about the way they were going to treat God's house.

1) Many in our church could say that they've also made that kind of commitment.

- develop --- work on the building, sacrificial giving  (could use transparency on land)
- develop --- guys working on building Friday

- Painting coming up.

- this morning we're going to move into the last Psalm we're
  going to study--Psalm 119--the great Psalm on the Word of
  God.
- of course this is by far the longest Psalm in the book--176
  verses, so we're planning to take several weeks on it.

- it's impossible to know exactly who wrote this Psalm, but
  there are some "internal clues" as we read the Psalm that
  give us some indication about at least the writer's
  situation in general.
   - we're definitely talking about a person who was willing
     to speak out about the fact that he was living according
     to the Word of God.  - cf. verse 13

   - it's also apparent that he's faced difficulty because of
     his stand for the Word of God.
      - cf. 22-23
      - cf. 42
      - cf. 46

   - one author (Franz Delitzsch) said of the writer of this
      Psalm, "He is derided, oppressed, persecuted, and that
      by those who despise the divine Word...the whole Psalm
      is a prayer for steadfastness in the midst of an
      ungodly, degenerate race, and in the midst of trouble."

- let's take a minute and think about his situation and ours
  is similar.
    - INPUT - what are some examples of how the world we live
       in is in opposition to the Scripture itself, and to
       those who believe the Bible or live by the Bible?

    - INPUT - how might a Psalm like this be a help to us?

- for each of these lessons, we're going to break the class
   into groups to study certain sections of the Psalm--but
   before we do that we need to talk about some:

I. Important Keys To Understanding Psalm 119

    - there are three important ideas we need to keep in
      order to get the most benefit out of this Psalm.

    A. Acrostic

        - this Psalm is written so that the first letter of
          each set of 8 verses begins with the same letter.
        - it goes this way throughout the entire Hebrew
           alphabet.
        - since the alphabet has 22 letters, there are a
           total of 176 verses.

        - Flash Transparency of Hebrew page from this Psalm

        - INPUT - can you think of a reason why the author
            may have done this? (to make it easier to
            remember)
    B. Uses different synonyms to describe the Bible

        - we're not going to take time this morning to study
          the meaning of each synonym (perhaps we'll do that
          next week) -- but you'll notice that the Psalmist
          uses different words to describe the Scripture:
             - law, word, saying, commandment, statute,
               ordinance, precept, testimony, way, and path.

- a third uniqueness of the Psalm is that he:

    C. Addresses the Lord in (practically) every verse

       - after the first three verses, the writer speaks to
         the Lord all but a verse of two of the remainder of
         the Psalm.

II. Survey

- with those thoughts in mind, we're going to "turn you
  loose" to do some study of these verses in smaller groups."
- BRIAN PURCELL

III. Main Ideas From Each Section of Verses

    A. Verses 1-8 - The joy of walking in God's Word
         (outline from Leupold)

         - INPUT - answers to ques. 2?

         - This first section praises the Lord for the
           advantage(s) the Lord gives to those who walk in
           the Word.

         - let's think about that for a minute.  INPUT - How
           is this true?  What are some of the advantages
           that come from walking in the Word?

         - INPUT - how important is it that our children have
             this view and how can we help them develop it?

    B. Verses 9-16 - the resolve to keep God's ordinances
        faithfully.

        - INPUT to ques. 2, 3, 8

        - INPUT - what hindrances do you see in these verses
            to remain resolved?

            1) impure conduct - v. 9

            2) wandering - v. 10

            3) not having the Word stored - v. 11

            4) covetousness - v. 14

- the question that each of us would need to ask from this
   section is, how resolved am I to keep God's ordinances
   faithfully, and am I fighting against the hindrances that
   would prevent me from doing so?

C. Verses 17-24 -  The faithful adherence to God's law
    affords strength in persecution.

    INPUT - What evidence is there in these verses that the
      Psalmist is experiencing difficulty (persecution) as a
      result of believing in//living by the Word?

    - INPUT - what does he ask for in verse 18, and how does
         this fit into the subject of persecution?

           - asks for ever new insights
           - the problem isn't the Scripture, the problem is
               with his eyes
           - he prays for insight into the Word

D. Verses 25-32 - In the middle of difficulty, God's people
    stand committed to the Word.

   INPUT - question #8?

   INPUT - what do you make of verse 32?  (we're talking
          about more than an apathetic following.

E. Verses 33-40 - Prayer for understanding and guidance

    INPUT - questions 2, 3, 5?

    INPUT - how does verse 36 fit into stewardship month?

F. Verses 41-48 - Prayer for grace and courage

    INPUT - questions 2, 3, 5?