Divide. & Redeem. Mountain Life Church LIFE PACK

Transcription

1 Divide & Redeem Mountain Life Church LIFE PACK Message 7 in the series, Beginnings April 10, 2011

2 Divide & Redeem Sermon Notes Intro: Why Live So Long? A. Theories: 1. Environmental: The firmament removed after the Flood, and mankind gradually lived shorter lives. 2. Genetic: Noah passed on genes that caused people to live shorter and shorter lives. B. God. Genesis 6: 3 and Psalm 90: 10. I. United in Rebellion A. Be fruitful and Multiply, and fill the earth! 1. God s desire was for man to scatter throughout, and fill the earth. 2. Man chose instead to stay together in rebellion to that command. 3. Flavius Josephus: "It was done in disobedience to that command (Genesis 9:1), Replenish the earth." B. Babylon! 1. A place of Biblical significance from the Tower of Babel (where we get the term, Babylon ) all the way through to Revelation. 2. Babylon: A symbol of man s rebellion against God. The HQ of self and idolatry. Revelation 17: 4-5 C. Ziggurat! 1. Purpose: United idolatry and rebellion. 2

3 2. Materials: Baked, large bricks and tar. This was possibly to keep the tower safe from another flood. II. God s Response A. Divide and scatter 1. Language, the great divider. 2. Language creates culture. B. A forced scattering. C. God will then take one ethnic group and use it to reach the rest of the world. III.Pentecost: The reversal of Babel A. Tongues of Fire! 1. A provision to reach the ends of the earth with the Gospel of redemption. 2. Tongues provided a way to bring people together. B. The beginning of reaching the nations 1. It started with Jews, and moved out away from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. 2. God s heart for the nations. Let all the nations praise Him! John Piper: Missions exist because worship does not. C. Our vision at Mountain Life: 3

4 Life Group Questions for Week #7- Beginnings Ice Breaker: Tell a fun story about a communication problem between you and someone else. Read Genesis 11: What do you observe about this passage? 2. Earlier, God had told the people He would never again flood the earth with water. He also commanded them to scatter, and fill the entire earth with people. What two things do you see in verses 3 & 4 that tell you how the people responded to God? 3. Can you identify groups of people in our culture today who are united in their rebellion against God? 4. Can you remember a time when you were in rebellion against God? How did you view the Bible at that time? How did you view the church? What consumed your thoughts at that time? 5. Have someone read Revelation 17: 1-6. This is a vision John saw of future events. How does John describe Babylon? 6. Babylon is a Biblical symbol of idolatry, self seeking rebellion, sensuality and lust. How do you see Babylon living in our culture today? 7. Take time to pray like this. Have each person who would like to pray out loud (give those too shy to pray out loud permission not to say anything) pray for one person by first name only. The object of your prayer is for a loved one, co-worker, or friend who is caught in the grasp of Babylon. Pray for this person without giving a lot of detail about their rebellion. Instead pray for redemptive measures you desire God to give to them, and each of you agree with the prayers of the others. Pray for each other. 4

5 Personal Devotion Pages The following pages are designed to help you to 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 walk with God. These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a daily 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! 5

6 1. Take some time to quiet yourself before God, and then to praise Him and thank Him for whatever comes to your mind. 2. To help you worship the Lord, read Psalm As you meditate on Psalm 2, can you see some of the statements of the Psalm coming alive in our day? Can you think of any international leaders who rage against God, and against Jesus? As you look at the Psalm, how does God respond to these leaders? 4. Think about a time of rebellion and idolatry in your past. As you think about it, take some time to ask God if there is any remaining rebellion or bitterness still in your life. Do you still have idols in your heart? Write down your answers here, and take time to let God be Lord of these things. Meditate on and memorize Psalm 67: 3-4 this week Meditate on and memorize Psalm 67: 3-4, and Philippians 2: 8-11 this week. Meditate on Psalm 67: 3-4, and memorize Philippians 2:

7 After the fall of Adam and Eve, Genesis unfolds a dark series of events, giving us all a clear glimpse into the depth of human depravity. The chapter after the Fall, the first couple s eldest son murders his brother. Mankind begins to multiply in numbers, and each generations grows further and further away from the living God. In a long list of generations, a minor character named Enoch is highlighted because he seems to be the only guy in a long line of descendants who walks with God. Finally, the earth is so filled with evil, that God makes a hard call. He destroys the entire planet with a devastating flood, only saving righteous Noah, his family, and a remnant of the animals. But within a short time, mankind is so entirely immersed in rebellion and evil that they brazenly build a tower to their own glory. It s as if whatever God does, man continues to go his own way. Each passing event in the Old Testament paints another brush stroke on the canvas of mankind s need for a Savior. The author of the Old Testament (The Holy Spirit) masterfully develops two characters through 39 books: God and man. With stunning historical detail, the Spirit reveals to us a loving, gracious God who finds Himself continually spurned by a rebellious, idolatrous race. Then, as evil stands at an apex, a babe is born in a stable. The loving God has joined mankind in his suffering, and through 33 glorious years, He shows us how to live a life of love with our Creator. The climax of the Bible comes as Jesus dies a sinner s death, and resurrects to bring victory over rebellion, sin, and idolatry. Today is God s day. I m living in a new era as a new creation where rebellion and idolatry are no longer my defaults. I m free to love God with all that I am. 7

8 1. Take some time to quiet yourself before God, and then to praise Him and thank Him for whatever comes to your mind. 2. Read Luke 15. God passionately goes after people who do not know Him. Do you presently have a passion to see people repent of their sin and come to God for salvation? On a scale of 1 to 10, (1 being, I don t really care, and 10 being, I am totally passionate about this) how passionate are you to see your friends, loved ones, and acquaintances come to know the Lord? If you are below a number 8, do not feel condemned. Simply take time now to ask God for a deeper love for Him; for as you grow in your love for God, your love for others will increase. 3. Take some time now to pray for people who you know who are completely in rebellion against God. Pray for these people to turn from their sin and turn to God. Pray for these people to turn from their sin and turn to God, and ask God to show you specifically how to pray for them. Pray for these people to turn from their sin and turn to God, and ask God to show you specifically how to pray for them. Take one day this week to pray and fast (go without any meals for the day) for at least one person who is in rebellion. As you fast, ask God to show you specifically how to pray for this person. 4. Continue memorizing the verses for the week. 8

9 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. ~Luke 15: 1 THE MESSAGE The fascinating thing about Jesus is that sinners were comfortable around Him. What s more, He was comfortable around them! Just think, Jesus was the perfect representation of God the Father. When we see Jesus, we see God. We even see the God of the Old Testament, who destroyed the world with a flood, and subsequently sent the Babel boys scrambling after they were given different languages. For many of us, we see two Gods in the Bible; the angry, judgmental, condemning God of the Old Testament, and the redemptive and kind God of the New Testament. We see this anomaly primarily because we have not taken the time to read the Old Testament slowly and carefully. You see, God never changes. He has always been redemptive and kind. He will always judge sin. Theologians talk about Progressive Revelation. This term describes the way God reveals Himself more and more throughout the Bible. To Abraham, He was one of probably many gods. Six Hundred years later, Moses found out that He was the ONLY God! Because He is the God of History (HIS-Story), God has chosen to reveal Himself in real time, to real people, and the amazing depths of who He is has come to us gradually. Finally, Jesus came and described God perfectly. Jesus said, If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father (John 14). Jesus was God with skin on. The true God is one who deeply loves sinners, and ever lives to bring them home to Himself. God does not desire for any to perish, but man has made his choice. Take time today to draw near to the Creator so you can enjoy Him. This is the chief end of mankind: to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever! 9

10 1. Take some time to quiet yourself before God, and then to praise Him and thank Him for whatever comes to your mind. 2. Read slowly and carefully through Genesis 11: 1-9. Write down any observations you make as you read the passage. 3. Ask God to show you your heart s motives about your need for success in man s eyes. Ask him to show you if you have need for people to praise you, and for them to think and say wonderful things about you. How important is celebrity to you? Read Psalm 62: 9. As you read it, ask God to reveal truth to you, and give him any area of rebellion today. 4. Continue memorizing the verses for this week. 10

11 "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another s speech." Genesis 9: 7 God looked at the people of the earth and grieved that they were completely united in their rebellion against Him. In His great wisdom, He knew He must divide them, so He could redeem them one ethnic group at a time. Ever since this time in history, man has learned that united rebellion has great power. Organized crime knows the principle well. Dictators who wield a mighty army have learned the principle. Young men conglomerate into gangs because the principle works. When people unite in rebellion and evil, they find great power. God has shown us a principle that works in an opposite way with even greater power. It s the principle of Christian unity. This is perhaps the most powerful weapon on earth, and yet it is so difficult to attain. It requires everyone involved to choose love over ambivalence, mercy over judgment, and kindness over wrath. Once we choose life over death, God gives us a blank check:...if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:19. Today, if you hold bitterness in your heart, if you judge rather than show mercy, ask God to forgive you, and become a part of the greatest weapon against evil on the earth Unconditional, united LOVE! 11

12 1. Take some time to quiet yourself before God, and then to praise Him and thank Him for whatever comes to your mind. 2. Read again Genesis 11: 1-9 today. In this passage, God creates the different languages and cultures of the world. Today, there are billions of people who do not know Jesus, and who do not have a culturally relevant witness (churches) in their culture. We call these people Unreached People Groups. Ask God to give you an awakened passion to pray for and reach people who have never heard the Gospel. Tell God you are willing to do whatever He commands you to do, even if you have little or no interest in people of different cultures. Ask God to give you an awakened passion to pray for and reach people who have never heard the Gospel. Take time today to pray for the young woman from Mountain Life who is in China, working with an Unreached People Group. Ask God to make her fruitful. Pray for one Unreached People Group that comes to your mind. Ask God to do something in their culture greater than you could ask or think. Ask God to give you a surrendered heart to be willing to go overseas if the Holy Spirit leads you. Pray for the young woman from Mountain Life who is in China, working with an Unreached People Group. Ask God to make her fruitful. 3. Take some time to pray for your family, asking God to redeem and change them through His love. 4. Continue memorizing the verses for this week. 12

13 Walking through Victoria Station in the middle of Mumbai India is like wading through a sea of people. As an American, I m not used to the Asian perspective of space. Everyone is mashed up against each other, and mashed up against me. I ve been to many of America s biggest cities, but I ve never seen a mass of humanity like this in my life. As I m pushed along by the teaming crowd, I step over beggars and cripples, grieving at the poverty and hopelessness. The question then comes, Lord, how many of these people will join you in Eternity? I intuitively know the answer is unsettling. The Tower of Babel was an act of Redemption, though at first blush it may appear one of judgment. God had to have a plan to woo the heart of man back to Himself. He chose to divide them with a language barrier. It wasn t long before the Father of Lies would counterpunch with the great lies of racism and elitism (my people are better than your people). Now, the walls between us sometimes seem insurmountable. These lies go to work when we share the Gospel with different ethnic groups. The lies tell people that the Gospel is the religion of the white man, and that their own religion was made for people of their color. (Don t forget, Jesus was as brown as he could be...not a white boy!). I wonder When you pray, does your heart break for the many on the planet who have no idea of God s love for them? It s easy in our culture to get caught up in our own little world, and to forget about the throngs of people who because of united rebellion have no idea who Jesus is. Father, show me your heart for the nations today. Help my heart to beat with yours. Give me the desires of YOUR heart! 13

14 1. Take some time to quiet yourself before God, and then to praise Him and thank Him for whatever comes to your mind. 2. Slowly read over Philippians 2: 111. Write down any of your observations about this passage. 3. Pray for loved ones, friends and coworkers who do not know Jesus and ask for God to draw them to Himself. Ask God to show you specifically how to pray for them, and then pray for God to show you specifically how to show love to them in a practical way. 4. Finish memorizing your verses today. See if you can quote your memory verses or passage to a friend or spouse. 14

15 Still, it s what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he d see life come from it life, life, and more life. And GOD s plan will deeply prosper through him. Isaiah 53: 10 THE MESSAGE The first eleven chapters of the Bible cause us to wonder if God has lost control of mankind. He makes such profound judgments in order to deal with mankind s rebellion; and they continue to go their own way. Yet, passages like Isaiah 53 tell us God is so amazing that He works in the midst of what looks like total chaos! He is completely in charge of everything, and His plan of redemption continues to work even in the midst of fallen humanity. Though God is completely in charge, He s not a control freak or a micromanager. As people, we control others out of fear. God has no fear. He never worries, and He never gets surprised. All of His actions are in love, mercy, and infinite justice. Jesus came as the climax for God s plan. Isaiah told us 700 years before that God s plan would deeply prosper through Him. His plan has been revealed through Paul s writings: God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God s glory. It s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. Colossians 1; 27 It s that simple. God is carrying out His great plan of redemption THROUGH YOU! Christ in you, the hope of glory is God s secret mystery hidden for centuries and has now been revealed. You are God s plan! 15

16 This section of our curriculum is aimed at helping parents disciple their own children. We hope you will take a few evenings a week to open the scriptures and talk to your kids about kingdom things. You can mix and match these ideas to meet the needs of your family s children. Babies through preschool: Table Talk: Read to your child the story of the Tower of Babel either from a children s Bible or from Genesis 11. Ask and/or discuss with them the following questions: Why did the people want to build the tower? Did they finish the tower? What did God do? Is anything more important than God? Bible Verse: All the nations you have made will come and worship before you O Lord Psalm 86:9 Prayer: Dear God, I may be little and yet to grow, but You love me, this I know. Help me be a shining light, helping others do what's right. In Jesus' name, Amen. Activity: Sing the following song with your child. (It is sung to the tune of B-I-N-G-O) There was a tower that grew so tall And Babel was its Name-O B-A-B-E-L, B-A-B-E-L, B-A-B-E-L And Babel was its Name-O God had a plan for this tower And Babel was its Name-O B-A-B-E-L, B-A-B-E-L, B-A-B-E-L And Babel was its Name-O He mixed up all the languages So no one could build the tower 16

17 Elementary: 1. Read Genesis 11: 1-9 and ask the following questions: Why do you think that man wanted to build this huge tower? Why might all of mankind living in one city be a bad thing? Why do you think God wanted to scatter man all over the earth? How do you think man would see himself if he were able to make a tower that reached Heaven? 2. Remind children that one of the things God did to stop the creation of the Tower of Babel was to create several different languages among the people. Over dinner, have everyone speak in a different, made-up language to illustrate what it might have been like trying to build a huge tower when no one spoke the same language. 3. Summarize the story of the Tower of Babel. Discuss again why God wanted to stop this project. Make sure that children know that God wants us to work together and that he was not spreading us apart so that we could not accomplish things. God loves us to work together but He wants us to work together to honor Him, not ourselves. They were not creating the Tower of Babel to honor God but rather to honor man. Come up with ways that you can work together to honor God in your life. 17

18 Teens Meal One: As a family read Genesis 11, then ask these questions: Genesis teaches the unity of the human race: we are all children of Adam through Noah, but because of rebellion at the Tower of Babel God scattered the people over the face of the earth. How do you feel when you are not connected with God? Have you ever felt scattered or with out direction? Meal Two: There are three great judgments on sinful humanity in Genesis The first is the expulsion (removal) from Eden, the second is the flood and the third is the scattering of the people from Babel. When we decide to do things on our own in rebellion of God, there are consequences. Describe in your opinion what are consequences when we are separated from being in a relationship with God? Meal Three: Babel sounds like the Hebrew word, balal for confused. Because of our arrogance and our own knowledge, we sometimes feel that we know more than God, which leads to confusion. Share with your parent s things in the Bible, your life and society that you are confused about. Memory Verse: That is why it was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. Genesis 11:9 18

19 Write any notes from the week here 19

20 20 Shortening Life Spans After the Flood