Mountain Life Church/

Transcription

1 Why am I Here? Mountain Life Church/Life Pack/September 23, 2012

2 Why Am I Here? Sermon Notes September 23, 2012 Write any notes from the week here I. Jesus Purpose (Philippians 2: 1-11) A. To be a substitutionary sacrifice for all mankind B. To destroy the works of Satan C. To redeem man from slavery and give us abundant life D. To show us how to live II. The Nature of Jesus A. All Man and All God B. Jesus depended on His Father for all things 1. If Jesus could put on His God suit anytime things got difficult, He could not have authority in teaching us how to live 2. Jesus taught us that just as He was dependent, we must also be dependent on the Spirit to bring us into all godliness III.My Purpose A. Purpose and Reconciliation with God 1. Specific Purpose Some people have a very specific vision and mission for their lives Others have no clear vision or purpose for their lives The four personalities Lion Otter Labrador Retriever Beaver Labrador Retrievers and Beavers often do NOT get a clear vision for their lives. Find joy in loving God and loving others Do what you love 2 19

3 Table Talk Teens Read Philippians 2:1-11 Question One: In Philippians, Paul calls us to live in spiritual unity among believers. Why do you think it is important for us to be unified? IV.Be Led by the Spirit A. Two Kinds of Word 1. Logos - The written, living Word and a term for Jesus 2. Rhema - The spoken Word. When God brings the Logos to life for my specific situation B. Test the spirits Question Two: The Philippians biggest battle was not with their external circumstances, but with those internal attitudes that destroy unity. Share some ways our internal attitudes can destroy unity within each other and within our church. Question Three: This unity in Philippians 2:1-4 is possible because of the reality of the four qualities mentioned. Identify the four qualities and share the importance of each one of the qualities. Question Four: Philippians 2:3-4 explains that a spirit of pride in human relations indicates a lack of humility before God. Paul encourages the Philippians to consider others before themselves. This will go far toward removing disharmony in believers. What are examples in your life that you can do to imitate Christ s humility? 18 3

4 Life Group Questions for September 23, 2012 Good News Series Message = What am I here For? Ice Breaker: Tell the group about what you wanted to be when you grew up when you were very young. Read Philippians 2: Tell what you observe about this passage. 2. Tell the group how verses 3-4 impacted you when you read them. 3. Paul tells us that Jesus stripped Himself of some divine aaributes and came to earth. Do you believe Jesus came to earth as both God and man, but that He did what He did as a man empowered by His Father? Why is that important to the average believer? 4. Ask the group how many of them have their own mission statement for their lives. If they have a mission statement, ask them to share it. If they do not have a mission statement, what is their best guess of what they are on the earth to do? (Leader, take time to encourage people who don t know their SPECIFIC purpose. Encourage them to love God and live a life of selflessness.) 5. Ask the group to tell if they have heard God s voice speak to them this week. Invite them to share what He said. 6. Pray for one another. Elementary Philippians 2: 1-11 Table Talk Day 1 - What does it mean to be humble, or to have humility? If you are not sure what "humble" means, I'll bet you know what it means to brag about oneself! Being humble is the opposite of bragging. Here is a definition for you: Humility: Seeing myself as God sees me and knowing my weaknesses; understanding and appreciating the true worth of others so that I respect them and consider their ideas Are you humble? Sometimes I like to say, "I am the most humble person I know!" It's actually a play on words. One mustn't brag about being humble! Take a moment and read this week's passage, Philippians 2 : Day 2 - Whenever we do anything in life, it is important for us to stop and think about what is going on inside of our heart. Why are we doing the things we are doing? Sometimes we can be motivated by selfish ambition. In other words, I might do something in order to promote myself, or to make myself look good to other people. I might do something so that others will think I am special and maybe they will give me special jobs or responsibilities so I can be noticed. Jesus is not lifted up or glorified when I do that. Day 3 - I once heard a speaker say that if you place an (imaginary) "10" on someone's forehead (meaning they are worth a lot, like a 10 out of 10!), then more often than not, they will respond to you like a 10. If you place a "1" on someone's forehead (meaning they are not of great value/importance), then that person will respond to you like a "1". This is really just a way of esteeming others, holding them up in high regard. Just like Jesus does! Practice this at school, or at an athletic practice. Think of someone that you tend to not like, and try treating them like they are super-important (which they are, in Jesus's eyes!). 4 17

5 Table Talk Preschool & Nursery: Day 1: Read Philippians 2:1-11 Start out by talking about what we learned last week, listening to and obeying God. When we listen to and obey God, we get a shiny, soft, heart for Him. This week we are going to talk about listening to what Jesus wants us to do when it comes to serving others. Focus on verses 3 and 4. Discuss what it means to be selfish. Talk about how Jesus does not want us to be selfish. Ask what things we can do to help or serve others and not be selfish. Day 2: Talk about some of the ways Jesus was kind to others. Talk about how God wants us to be like Jesus, loving and serving one another. Discuss what it means to be kind, caring, gentle, patient, and humble. Keep it simple, and use life examples at their level. Ask how they can be like Jesus everyday. Memory Verse: "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children -Ephesians 5:1 Day 3: Talk again about being like Jesus and showing love to others. We can live like Jesus, filled with love, by following His example. Go out this week and make a point of being an example of loving and serving each other. Be sure to give praise to your child when you see them loving and serving someone else. Activity: Cut out about 6-12 medium sized hearts (3-4 ) out of construction paper, and hide them in various places in the room or the house. Let the children find as many hearts as they can, and then once all of the hearts are collected, have them share with anyone who did not find one. This way you can also teach the benefits of sharing. Be sure to encourage the older ones to help the little ones find hearts, but to not do it for them...just help with words or pointing. Personal Devotion Pages The following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom. LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God. BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol: INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol: ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him. These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming. Enjoy! 16 5

6 Day One 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read and meditate on Philippians 2: In the space below, write down what God says to you through the Philippians passage. Day Five He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me. ~John 16:14, 15, NLT The Holy Spirit s job is to reveal to me what God has freely given to me. He talks. He reminds. He encourages. He convicts. But... He never condemns. The Holy Spirit reveals my sin to me so that I can repent, but He never puts me down or deflates me with harsh words. Because I am God s child, He speaks only good news to me - even if that news is hard, challenging, possibly sad, or convicting. It is still good news. All of God s news for His children is good news. My roommate in seminary, Hobie, often said this to me after he got off of his knees: The Lord showed me some things in my heart today and I knew it was Him because it had that bad-good feeling. Memorize Philippians 2: 3 Memorize Philippians 2: 3-7 Memorize Philippians 2: 1-11 That bad-good feeling is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, showing us sin and wrong motives in our hearts, but the message is wrapped in unconditional love and acceptance. The message carries with it the hope that God will surgically remove that sin from my life and give me victory over it. Satan s voice will accuse me of wrong and condemn me for it. Jesus voice will convict me of sin and love me through it. Satan s voice will expose my sin and carry with it a sense of hopelessness and even self pity. Jesus voice will reveal sin, but it will have an aftertaste of hope and acceptance. Thank You, Father, that You always have good news for me! Your messages, even if they re difficult, are a refreshment to my soul! 6

7 Day Five 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on John 15: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you if you are trying to control anyone else in your life. Take time to lay control into His hands and ask God to show you how to love without control. Day One Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. ~Philippians 2:6, 7, NLT Orthodoxy teaches us that Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. This capsulizes the teachings of the scripture. Jesus was both all God and all man. Yet, in order for us to understand His purpose, we must see that Jesus stripped Himself of many of His divine attributes such as omnipresence (being everywhere at once) and omnipotence (all knowing). Jesus was THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE in an itty-biddy living space - a human body. In His own words, He was limited. He could not do anything without His Father initiating the idea. He tells us that the Father works through Him. Jesus told us that He could do nothing on His own. Wow! But isn t He God? Yet, Jesus insisted on doing two things for you and me. He died for us on the cross AND he taught us how to live. Now... if Jesus came to give us an example of how to live, but could cheat anytime things got tough by putting on His God suit, then how could that give you and me any hope that we could someday act like Him? 4. Finish your Bible memorization today. Jesus lived as a man on this earth, dependent on His Father just like you and I are. He did what He did by the power of His Father so that you and I could have the hope of becoming just like Him. Our goal is just that, Christlikeness and intimacy with the Father! For it has pleased God to tell His people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in His glory. ~Colossians 1:27, NLT 14 7

8 Day Two 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on John Write down in this space what God is saying to you through this passage. 4. Ask the Lord to speak to you this week. Ask Him to confirm His love for you. 5. Continue memorizing and meditating on the scriptures for this week. Day Four One of the dangers of believing that God speaks to us is that we can use God s word to manipulate, control, and reinforce our own opinions. One thing we must guard against is telling people that God told me this or that. A better way to say it is, I have a sense, or I think God is leading me in this way. To the world, we can sound braggadocios and strange when we walk around telling people that God told us something. Another problem is to misuse what God has told us to manipulate people. If I am on a leadership board and I tell everyone that God told me we should approach something THIS way, it is using God s word to make my argument. How can anyone argue against God s word? If God told someone something, who am I to disagree? I knew a guy who told a fair young woman that God had told him that she was to be his wife. That s great only when God has told her the same thing, but otherwise, it s manipulation. Sometimes, God reveals things to people and they think they need to tell people what He has said. However, perhaps God told that secret in order to help them to pray, not to shout it from the mountain top. When I fell in love with Gay, a woman from our church invited me over to eat with their family. She told me that God had told her to tell me that Gay was NOT the right woman for me. I found out later that she wanted me to marry her daughter. Father, when You speak, teach me to understand what You want me to do with that message. Teach me not to manipulate or control anyone. 8 13

9 Day Four 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on Psalm 16: 11. Go over it several times, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you meditate. 3. Ask the Lord if there is anything He s asked you to do, but you have not done it yet. Take time to repent and then go do what the Lord has told you to do. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. Day Two For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps... ~1 Peter 2:21, NAS I was talking with an old friend who has been a family counselor for many years. For some reason, we got onto the subject of finding a life s calling. He told me that many people do not ever get a specific life calling or purpose. In 9th grade, I found out that God s purpose for my life was to be a pastor in a church. I have never doubted that calling. As I ve spent time with many people over the years, I ve found that I am in the minority. Most people never know specifically what their life s mission, vision, or calling is. Those people often feel like they are second class in God s eyes. Why does He so specifically direct some, but I go through life with no real sense of my purpose? If we look honestly at the scriptures, we find that God greatly values every individual and every nation. Some get specific callings, others do not. In fact, the majority of us do not! Those with specific callings are no better than anyone else, and those who do not receive a clear, specific calling are just as prized by the King of the Universe. The Bible lets me in on my calling. If I don t get a specific direction, then I can know that there is freedom in pursuing what I love while glorifying God. God spells it out for us all. Love Him with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself, and do as you please! That s my mission on this earth! 12 9

10 Day Three 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read Philippians 2: 1-11 again today. As you read, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the passage. Day Three There are two important Greek words we need to study. Logos and rhema both mean, word. Strong s Greek Lexicon helps us see the difference in the two words. Logos is a reference to God s written word, as well as a reference to Jesus, the Word of Life. The logos was inspired by the Holy Spirit over a couple thousand years, and though there are multiple human authors, the Holy Spirit inspired it all, giving it all a profoundly singular theme. Rhema is God s word coming to life for a certain situation in life. Rhema is the Holy Spirit speaking the logos into our particular situation. In order to hear a rhema from God, I must store up the logos into my heart and mind, so that the rhema will come to life when I need it. 3. Write down any aaitudes or sins in your life that will boaleneck your ability to hear God s voice. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. When I was in college, I memorized Isaiah 41:10. It says, Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. I memorized this verse because as a young man, I was plagued by fear, insecurity, and worry. After I memorized this passage, the Holy Spirit would speak it to me whenever I was afraid. He reassured me that I was His son and that He would uphold me with His righteous right hand! Wow! That is a rhema! That s God s word coming to life! By the time I was in seminary, I had become a confident, bold person because the word of God began to take root and bear fruit. My confidence wasn t in my own strength or prowess, but rather, in the unshakeable truth of God s word. Father, I hide your word in my heart today! 10 11