Growing Toward Spiritual Maturity

Transcription

1 Spiritual Growth Tools Growing Toward Spiritual Maturity Developing Christian Character Pastor Stan Lubeck Stanlubeck.com

2 Spiritual Pathway Spiritual Growth Map I - PDF* DOC DOCX LifeGroup Covenant: Lifegroup Covenant - PDF Basics of the Faith Authentic Faith (four weeks) PDF DOC DOCX Spiritual Discipline - Values Climbing Essentials - 2 Weeks - PDF* Spiritual Maturity - FAT - 5 Weeks - PDF Little Communities in the Kingdom of God - 5 Weeks - PDF Jesus, Teach Us to Pray - 5 Weeks - PDF God s Design for His Church Spiritual Gifts - 2 Weeks - PDF Spiritual Gifts Survey - PDF Seeking God s Heart for Prayer - 4 Weeks - PDF Building God s Church God s Way God s Heart for His Church 1-3 Weeks - PDF God s Heart for His Church 2-4 Weeks - PDF 10 RLC Leadership Values - Doc (ten weeks) Doing Battle in the Heavenlies - 4 Weeks - PDF Lighthouse of Prayer Guide - Prayer Evangelism - 1 Week - PDF Lighthouse of Prayer - Quick Guide - PDF Freedom in Christ Bookmark PDF Starting New Ministries PDF Key questions for launching a new ministry. Guest Assimilation Pathway: First Step (Free lunch, Q&A with the Lead Pastor) Rooted Study 10 weeks on Real Life faith essentials. LIFEgroup (small groups scattered) Serving in a ministry. 2 P age

3 "Growing Toward Spiritual Maturity" Establishing Christian Disciplines Preface: This Spiritual Growth Track was developed in a devo:onal format for use in Small Groups. We desire that every member will be equipped to ac:vely contribute to the ongoing ministry of the church. It is an "every member a minister" ministry. This study is one of several that is designed to help believers grow to spiritual maturity in the context of small groups. We believe that the small group is the best environment for life transforma:on, transparency, and personal accountability. Believing that discipleship involves both a rela:onship and direc:on, our prayer is that these tools will assist many in obeying Jesus' command to make disciples of all na:ons. 3 P age

4 Table of Contents Faithfulness 5 Availability 11 Teachability 19 Worship 26 Witness 34 Limi:ng Our Freedoms 44 4 P age

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6 DAY 1 FAITHFULNESS Background for Our Study 2 Timothy 2:2 is a key verse in which Paul directs Timothy as to how to pass on the truths of the faith to succeeding genera:ons. He says, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." There are three ideas in this verse we want to focus upon as we begin our study. They are the important characteris:cs of faithfulness, availability and teach ability. The word "reliable" can be translated trustworthy or faithful. The phrase "you have heard me say in the presence..." speaks of availability and teach ability. These three words will be the basis of our first three studies in this series on Growing Toward Maturity. What thoughts come to mind when you hear a person described as faithful? Week 1 A faithful Chris:an is a dedicated believer who: loves the Lord with all his/her heart, all soul, all mind and all strength, priori:es are in order with God's purposes, willingness to follow spiritual leaders in the ministry in which God is leading them. 6 P age

7 I. Why We Are to be Faithful How would you define "faithfulness? In the verses below, what reasons are we given to be faithful? Deuteronomy 7:9 Joshua 24:14 Is there a connec:on between healthy fear and faithfulness? Explain: 1 Samuel 12:24 1 Corinthians 4:2 How important is "faithfulness" in management? Why? What "true riches" has God given you to manage? Gala:ans 5:22 What is the connec:on between a person's "faithfulness" and "frui]ulness" as a Chris:an? 1 Samuel 26:23a Deuteronomy 11:13-15 Psalm 37:28 7 P age

8 Ma`hew 24:42-47 What is the benefit for the faithful, wise servant? Are you ready? Rev. 2:10 Why did Jesus need to encourage the church in Smyrna to be faithful? What would Jesus say to Chris:ans in our culture about the obstacles in the way of faithfulness? Para-phrase Proverbs 20:6 in your own words: Is it gecng more difficult to find a faithful man today? Explain: DAY 2 8 P age

9 II. Hezekiah: an Example of Faithfulness In 2 Chronicles we find that Hezekiah became king of Judah at age 25. He was described as a man who did what was right in the eyes of God. In the early part of his reign he: opened the doors of the temple and had them repaired. had the priests and Levites consecrate themselves and purify the temple. had a sin offering made for the na:on, the sanctuary and the people. restored the worship of the Lord in Judah. got people to bring :thes, offerings and sacrifices to the Lord at the temple. re-ins:tuted the Passover which had not been celebrated for years. 2 Chronicles 31:20 describes Hezekiah as follows "This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God." In 2 Chronicles 32 we will see how God showed Himself faithful to Hezekiah in the events that were to follow. In 2 Chronicles 32:1, what was the next situa:on to face Hezekiah as king? In verses 2-8, what did Hezekiah do to meet this crisis? Vs. 8. In what was Hezekiah placing his confidence for deliverance? In verses 9-19, what did King Sennacherib do in an a`empt to discourage Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem? 9 P age

10 In verse 20, what was Hezekiah's response to Sennacherib's ploy? Read Isaiah 37:36, 37 and 2 Chronicles 32: What did God do? Are you currently facing any Sennacheribs in your life? Where are you placing your trust for deliverance? Is you trust misplaced in any way? Specify: Hezekiah remained faithful to the Lord under intense pressure and overwhelming circumstances. Do you see a connec:on between Hezekiah's faithfulness and his prayerfulness? Explain: How has God spoken to you about this area of faithfulness under pressure? 10 P age

11 How bad do your circumstances need to be for you to give up on prayer? How did the people benefit from Hezekiah's faithful trust in the Lord? 11 P age

12 DAY 3 AVAILABILITY IntroducUon What comes to mind when you think about someone who is available? When we use this term, we are speaking about a person who gives God's ministry a high enough priority that lesser ac:vi:es are set aside to carry out ministry. It is the idea of pucng first things first. When a person is mo:vated to serve God, that person will be where he needs to be when he needs to be there. I. Why We Are to be Available? It has been said that the most important ability is "availability". Read Luke 12: available according to this passage? Why should we, His followers, be watchful or What kinds of things has Christ entrusted to you as His servant? If you knew He was coming back in two weeks, what would you do to get things ready for His inspec:on? 12 P age

13 How does Psalm 123:2 exemplify the availability we are to have to the Lord? How does Luke 12:47-48 :e in with what we have been saying? Slaves or servants used to stand at the end of the table or a corner of the room, with their eyes fixed on the hand of their master, wai:ng for a sign for the next task for them to obey. They did not want to miss any of the signals he would make. In much the same way, God wants us, His servants, to be available to Him so we will not miss the signals He gives us of His will for our lives. What are some ways we might look to the hand of our Master, Jesus, to discern His will for our lives? Read 1 Peter 4: What gij have you received from the Lord for the benefit of His people? Are you faithfully using your gij to bring praise to the Lord? How? 13 P age

14 A. Joshua with Moses DAY 4 In Exodus 24, the Lord called Moses to come up on Mt. Sinai to confirm His covenant with the people. The rest of the people were to stay at the base of the mountain. Read verses and answer the following ques:ons: In Exodus 24:13, what was Joshua's rela:onship to Moses? In verse 14 what was Moses' word to the people as he and Joshua started up the mountain? What happened in verses 15 and 16 when Moses and Joshua got up on the mountain? What was the perspec:ve for the people down below according to verse 17? What happened in verse 18? How long was Moses gone? Where was Joshua all this :me? What do you think he did there? 14 P age

15 What would have been on your mind at the end of the first week? 30 days? Read Exodus 33:11. What do we learn about Joshua here? How are you at wai:ng on God? If you find it difficult, what is the reason? Read the following verses and describe what became of Joshua's life: Deuteronomy 1:37, 38 Joshua 1:5 15 P age

16 B. Elisha with Elijah Read 1 Kings 19:21. What was Elisha's rela:onship to Elijah? Read 2 Kings 2:1-14 and answer the following ques:ons about Elisha: What was about to happen to Elijah? In verses 2, 4 and 6, what did Elijah tell Elisha to do? Why do you think he told him to do that? How did Elisha respond? Why do you think he responded that way? What do their responses say about their rela:onship? What is Elisha's request of Elijah in verse 9? What do you think he meant by this? In verse 10, Elijah states the condi:on for Elisha's request to be granted. What is it? Did Elisha get what he asked for? Why do you say that? 16 P age

17 DAY 5 C. The Disciples and Jesus Read John 1:43 and Ma`hew 4: These verses describe the beginning of Jesus' ministry. What is the common factor in Jesus' contacts with these men? Mark 3:14 says, "He (Jesus) appointed the twelve designaung them apostles that they might be Him..." At the end of His ministry in John 11:54, what did Jesus do with His disciples? According to John 15:27, what were the apostles creden:als for tes:fying about Jesus? What promise did Jesus give the disciples at the Great Commission in Ma`hew 28:20? What conclusion did the Sanhedrin draw about Peter and John in Acts 4:13? All of these passages give us a key to being available. It is How do you think we are to do that? 17 P age

18 D. Jesus' Teaching on Availability Read John 15:4-11 and answer the following ques:ons: What is Jesus' key idea in these verses? How would one go about doing this? Jesus repeats the words remain in me, love and bearing fruit. How does He put these ideas together? What promises does Jesus make to the person who remains in (is available to) Him? (give at least 4) As a branch on Christ's vine, how would you describe the fruit in your life? Why? What do you need to do to be more available to Him? 18 P age

19 DAY 1 TEACHABILITY IntroducUon In 2 Timothy 2:2 Paul says, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust..." Paul is expec:ng Timothy to teach reliable men the things Paul has taught him. In order for Timothy to accomplish this, he will have had to have heard, understood and learned it for himself. We cannot give to others that which we do not possess. To effec:vely learn something, we must have a teachable spirit. A person who is teachable is one who: is eager to learn, is willing to change, has the capacity for intellectual and spiritual growth and development, seeks a clear signal from God as to what He wants him to do. Knowing one is involved in the will of God can be a great mo:vator. A good leader con:nues to learn and is eager to improve ministry skills. I. Learning to be Teachable: What reasons are given in the following verses for one who is teachable? Proverbs 10:14 Week 2 Proverbs 12:15 Proverbs 13:18 Proverbs 15:14 19 P age

20 Proverbs 22:17, 18 John 8:31, 32 John 13:15-17 What is the connec:on between blessing and obedience? John 14:15 What is the connec:on between love and obedience? 2 Timothy 2:15 What characterizes a person who is teachable? What evidence is there in your life that reveals you teachable spirit? 20 P age

21 DAY 2 II. Examples from Scripture A. Moses Read Exodus 18:13-24 Moses had been serving as judge for nearly 2 million people as they traveled in the wilderness. When his father-in-law, Jethro, came to visit, he watched Moses conduct his daily ac:vi:es, cri:qued what he saw and came up with a sugges:on for improvement. In verse 14 Jethro spots a problem with the way Moses was running things. What does he see? How does Moses answer Jethro in verses 15 and 16? In verses 17 and 18, what is Jethro's response and reasoning? Jethro offers a solu:on in verses Summarize it below: How does Moses respond to his father-in-law's sugges:on? 21 P age

22 What does this tell us about Moses? B. David DAY 3 Read 1 Samuel 25: When David was on the run from Saul, he sent some of his men to a wealthy man named Nabal, who was shearing his large flock. They were to remind him that they had protected his flocks and would he be so kind as to give them something to meet the needs of David and his men. Nabal is described as being mean and surly. He made disparaging remarks about David, refused his request and sent David's men on their way. When David's men told him what had happened, David told 400 of his men to arm themselves and they would take care of Nabal. One of Nabal's servants got to Nabal's wife, Abigail, and told her how Nabal had treated David's men. She gathered up provisions for David and all his men and sent them on ahead. She met David and his army as they were on their way to kill her husband. In verses 23 and 24, what does Abigail do to gain David's favor? What appeals does she make in verses 25-28? What other approach does she make in verses 29-31? 22 P age

23 How does David respond in verses 32-35? Who is your Abigail the one who has kept you from sin by appealing to your conscience? Have you expressed your gra:tude to the person who was able to instruct you in the proper way? C. Paul DAY 4 Read Acts 16:6-10 and answer the following ques:ons: What are Paul and his companions a`emp:ng to do in verses 6-8? What has been God's response to them? How do you think God might have done this? What is God's response to Paul in verse 9? 23 P age

24 How does Paul respond to God's leading in verse 10? Paul was responsive to the leading of God. He was taking ini:a:ve to minister for the Lord and to reach people for Christ. Paul was teachable, because he was sensi:ve to the Lord's change of direc:on. Once he know what God wanted him to do, he did not hesitate to act. What is God leading you to do? III. Questions for Application DAY 5 How do you respond when you receive correc:on or cri:cism? Is your reac:on dependent upon who the messenger is? From whom do you find it most difficult to receive cri:cism or correc:on? Why do you think this is so? What does this say about the teach ability of your spirit? 24 P age

25 DAY 1 WORSHIP IntroducUon Week 3 Webster defines worship as reverence or devo:on for a deity; extreme devo:on or intense love or admira:on of any kind. It is the idea of ascribing worth or value to a person. Pastor Jack Hayford puts it this "The reward of worship is God's enthroned presence..." His Majesty, pages 53 and 137.) way, "Worship is an opportunity for man to invite God's power and presence to move among those worshipping Him... The reward of worship is God's enthroned presence...the goal of true worship...(is) the reshaping of our lives." (From Worship We do not worship God because He is a cruel megalomaniac whose fragile ego needs constant stroking, but because He is alone is worthy of praise for who He is and for all that He has done. Not only that but we ourselves gain from our worship of God. Not only is God to be the focus of our worship but, according to Hayford, "He had always planned that in worship we would find joy, blessing, fulfillment and purpose The Scriptures consistently show God calling His creatures to worship in His presence that He might release, redeem, renew and restore them." (Worship His Majesty, pages 46 and 48.) I. What Scripture Says About Worship According to Exodus 20:3-6, how does God feel about our worshipping anyone or anything besides Him? What reason does He give for this? 25 P age

26 What does He say are the results of worshipping anyone or anything else? What other results does He give in Deuteronomy 11:16, 17? In Deuteronomy 12:3, 4, we are told not to worship God in the world's way. What reason is given in verse 31 of Deuteronomy 12? According to Ma`hew 4:9, 10 What does Satan desire? Why? In Deuteronomy 4:29, what promise does God give concerning worship? Exodus 23:25 lists other blessings that come as a result of our worship of God. What are they? How does the crea:on worship God according to 1 Chronicles 16:31-33? 26 P age

27 A. Reasons For Our Worship: DAY 2 2 Kings 17:39 Nehemiah 9:6 Psalm 28:7 Psalm 99:5 Psalm 100:3, 5 Hebrews 12:28, 29 Revela:on 4:11 Revela:on 14:7 Revela:on 15:4 DAY 3 27 P age

28 II. Our Attitude When We Worship What should characterize our actude toward God as we worship Him, according to the following passages? Psalm 5:7 Psalm 9:2 Psalm 32:11 Psalm 37:7 Psalm 143:6 What explains your actude for worship right now? Which actude to you exemplify regularly? 28 P age

29 III. Methods of Worship As you read the following passages, they relate a DAY 4 number of different ways of worshipping God or forms that our worship may take. List the ones you find in each passage: 1 Chronicles 16:28-30 Give one reason you ascribe glory to God today: Nehemiah 9:5 What is the significance of standing up during praise? Psalm 3:3 Psalm 9:1 What is different about your worship of God when you are doing it with all your heart? When you are just going through the mo:ons? Psalm 28:7 What song represents your thanks unto the Lord? Psalm 47:1 29 P age

30 When was the last :me you shouted about something, and it didn't involve you children? Psalm 48:9 How can you make medita:on a regular part of your worship experience on Sunday mornings? Psalm 66:1-3 Psalm 95:6 How does a person's posture affect the ability to worship? Why do you think we are instructed to bow and kneel? Psalm 100:2, 4 Does joy and gladness accompany your worship? Do you lean toward solemn worship, or toward expressions of joy? What do you think this says about your walk with the Lord? Psalm 134:2 Why is it hard for many people to raise their hands during public worship? 30 P age

31 What does raising of hands signify? Why do you think we are instructed to raise our hands? DAY 5 Psalm 149:3 experience? What role does dancing play in your worship John 4:23, 24 What kind of worshipers does God seek? Ephesians 5:19 Hebrews 12:28 From your study in this lesson, what new insights did you discover about worship? Did any of these insights ruffle your comfort zone? Which ones and why? 31 P age

32 What has been your greatest struggle in offering worship to God? Why? As a result of your :me in the Word, what changes are you going to bring to your worship of God? What specific things do you need to work on? What can you do to improve your actude toward worship? One of the choruses we ojen sing speaks of the benefits of worship to us: Times of refreshing, here in Your presence; No greater blessing than being with You. My soul is restored, my mind is renewed; There's no greater joy, Lord, than being with You. 32 P age

33 DAY 1 WITNESS IntroducUon In 1 Peter 3:15, the Apostle Peter exhorts us to "in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." Peter is calling us to live our lives in such a way that people will see the hope we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, no ma`er what our circumstances. If we do, they many :mes will want to know how we can be so hopeful in the midst of our current circumstances. Then we are to be prepared to give them the reason for our hope the Lord Jesus Christ is our defender, deliverer, p r o v i d e r, p e a c e, s o u r c e o f c o m fo r t a n d encouragement. When we came to faith in Christ, we became one of God's instruments to reach the world for Himself. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and respond to the following ques:ons: What is the result of our "in Christ" rela:onship verses 17, 18? Week 4 What is God seeking to do through Christ verses 19 and 21? What posi:on has God given us verse 20? What is God seeking to do through us verse 20? 33 P age

34 What has God supplied in order to help us verse 19? DAY 2 I. Why Are We to Witness? Isaiah 61:1-3 is part of a prophecy about Jesus made over 600 years before He came to earth. What had God called Him to do? Which of those things can be related to witnessing to others? How does 1 John 2:6 relate to this? How is this confirmed by Jesus' command to His disciples in John 15:26, 27? Ma`hew 28:18-20 is Christ's Great commission to His disciples and those who would follow them. It is a command to produce disciples. How are we to do this? Acts 1:8 records Jesus' very last words to His disciples just before His being taken up into heaven. What did He say they would receive when the Holy Spirit came upon them? 34 P age

35 What was this to be used for? Would Jesus give us the power to do something and not expect us to follow through on it? What, then, would you say He expects of us? Read Acts 10: This was Peter's sermon to the Gen:le household of Cornelius. According to this statement, were the disciples being obedient to Jesus' command? What does he say they were called to be? How were they to fulfill their role? In 2 Timothy 1:8 Paul passes the Great Commission to the next genera:on. What does he imply that will keep us from fulfilling it? DAY 3 II. The BeneKits of Witnessing How does Paul describe those without Christ in Titus 3:3? 35 P age

36 In Ephesians 2:1-3? According to Philippians 3:4-6, into what do some people place their confidence for right standing with God? According to John 5:39, in what were the Jews placing their confidence? How to Witness: Isn't it amazing how we take the simple things of God and complicate them? You do not have to have a Bible college or seminary educa:on to be a witness for Christ. Ojen our best witnessing is done the first few weeks or months ajer we come to Christ. The longer we are in Christ, the greater the tendency to complicate the message. Work through the passages below and see if you don't agree. Read 1 Corinthians 2:1-4. How does Paul describe his witnessing ability? What were his weaknesses? What were his strengths? What was his message? 36 P age

37 What substan:ated his message? Is that available to us today? (Remember Acts 1:8!) Read the passages below and list the key idea of DAY 4 each message: John 9:24, 25 John 3:16 Romans 5:8 1 John 4:9, 10 What mo:ve is given for God's ac:ons in the above passages? 1 John 4:14? 1 John 5:11-13 The key element of our message is stated in Acts 4:20. What is it? 37 P age

38 How does John put this in 1 John 1:2, 3? Read Acts 22:3-16 and 26:12-19 to see how Paul put his tescmony together. DAY 5 III.God's Promises to Witnesses Read the passages below and note the promises God has given to those who witness for Him: Ma`hew 28:18-20 Acts 1:8 John 15:26 Read 1 Corinthians 2:4 and Acts 4:33. Was God true to His promises to His disciples? What does that mean for us? IV. The Results of Being Witnesses Everything we do in life has results or consequences some posi:ve and some nega:ve. The best result of all is that those to whom we witness, may come to faith in Christ, be forgiven of their sins, be reconciled to God, be adopted into God's forever family and live with us and Him for all eternity. Read the passages below and list the results that may come our way by being witnesses for Christ: Philemon 6 38 P age

39 Acts 4:18, 21 Acts 26:16 (This was in exile not on vacacon.) Revela:on 6:9 Revela:on 20:4 The above two verses may not seem too appealing but remember the promise of the last sentence in Revela:on 20:4 and the promises in Ma`hew 28:20 and Hebrews 13:5. Write a prayer expressing your heart s desire to be a witness of God s goodness to you: 39 P age

40 DAY 1 LIMITING OUR FREEDOMS Week 5 IntroducUon When we enter our rela:onship with Jesus Christ, we experience true freedom for the first :me in our lives. In the verses listed below, what have we been freed from? Romans 6:18 Romans 8:2 Revela:on 1:5b In Christ, we have been set free from the principle of sin, the controlling power of sin and the individual sins in our lives. This was not done so we could run loose with no boundaries to protect us. On the contrary, God has given us some principles which will help us to maximize the freedom He has provided for us. What does Gala:ans 5:1 tell us we need to guard against? What is the yoke of slavery Paul is warning us about? What else does Paul warn against in Gala:ans 5:13a? 40 P age

41 What does he encourage instead in Gala:ans 5:13b? What guideline does Paul give us in Gala:ans 5:14? This is one of the core values of our church. In the series the "Three Loves of the Church," we said that God has called us as a church to heed the great commandment as Jesus gave it in: Mark 12:30 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." 31 The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these." To love God with all our heart with all our soul with all our mind and with all our strength means that we are passionately pursuing God with all of our being. This is the first love of the church. The second and third loves of the church are summed up in the command to "love your neighbor as yourself." The second love of the church is to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, not just those in our church but those in any life giving church, just as Jesus has loved us. We are all part of the one Body of Christ and, therefore, part of one another. What command does God give us in 1 John 4:7? Why are we told to do this? What does 1 John 4:11 say about the importance of loving our brothers and sisters in Christ? 41 P age

42 According to that verse, what should be our mo:va:on? In reading 1 John 4:20, 21 do you think God takes this idea of loving our brothers and sisters in Christ seriously? Why? What is other mo:va:ons are given to love one another in John 13:34 and 35? The third love of the church is for people who do not yet know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. We are to love them with the same love that God has for them and for us. How much does God love people according to: John 3:16? 1 John 4:9 How did Jesus describe His ministry in Luke 4:18 and 19? In light of the above, how is 1 John 2:6 a mo:va:on for us to love the lost? How deserving were we of His love according to Romans 5:8b? 42 P age

43 According to 1 John 4:19 why are we able to love others? So we see that, though we are free in Christ, we do not possess unlimited freedom. There are boundaries but they are present that we may fulfill the command to love God and love our neighbor. I. A Lesson From the Early Church DAY 2 In Acts 15 we come across a threat to the very survival of the early church. It took place about 15 years ajer the beginning of the church in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas had been called by God to be missionaries to the Gen:les. On their first missionary journey, they had started four churches in the region of Gala:a, at An:och of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Word of this reached the church in Jerusalem. Some Jewish believers sent by James (the brother of Jesus) from the Jerusalem church had come to the church of An:och in Syria to tell the Gen:le believers that they must be circumcised and follow the Law in order to be saved. Others had gone with the same message to the churches started by Paul and Barnabas in Gala:a. The idea was that these Gen:les could not become believers un:l they had first become Jews. This was contrary to Paul's teaching of jus:fica:on by faith alone. The coming of these Jews from Jerusalem to An:och also affected the behavior of Peter, Barnabas and the other Jewish believers in An:och and upset the unity of the church. Paul had to confront Peter publicly (Gala:ans 2:11-13) to avert a problem. Paul and Barnabas debated these Jews and were finally asked to come to Jerusalem to talk to the apostles there about the situa:on. What did Paul and Barnabas do when they got to Jerusalem verse 4? 43 P age

44 What was the focus of their report? Why do you think this would be significant? In verse 5, what was the response of those who belonged to the party of the Pharisees? There was quite a lot of discussion and in verses 7-11 Peter addressed the assembly. What is Peter's response in verse 10 to making the Gen:les obey the law of Moses? What is his reasoning? In verse 11 what does Peter say is the key to salva:on? What does Peter base this upon in verses 7-9? To what did Paul and Barnabas appeal in verse 12? In verses 13 to 18, to what did James make his appeal (especially verses 17 and 18)? If you have a study Bible, where does your margin note say James got his ideas? In verses 19-21, James makes a judgment, which is put in the form of a le`er (verses 23-29), and sent with Paul and Barnabas and two 44 P age

45 representa:ves from the Jerusalem church to the church in An:och. These were the requirements that were to be placed upon the Gen:le believers. What do you think James means by "we should not make it difficult for the Gen:les who are turning to God." in verse 19? Why do you think he says this? What implica:ons can we draw from this as we think of sharing our faith in Christ with others? In verse 20, what restric:ons were placed upon he Gen:le believers? Why do you think these specific restric:ons were chosen? Did these restric:ons lead to salva:on? According to verse 20, what was the purpose of placing these restric:ons on the Gen:les? What "addi:ons" to the Gospel might a new believer sense in our church? in your home group? 45 P age

46 from you? What should the church, your Small Group or you do about that? 46 P age

47 II. What About "Gray" Areas? There are numerous things in Scripture which are DAY 3 forbidden: murder, sexual immorality, stealing, lying, gossiping, etc. to name a few. There are other things we are commanded to do: love, serve, bear one another's burdens, give, obey God's commands, etc. But we want to look at the "gray" areas. How would you define a "gray" area? What would be some examples of "gray" areas today? What are 1 or 2 "gray" areas you personally struggle with? "Gray" areas are those areas where there is no specific teaching of Scripture. So, how are we to know what to do in those situa:ons where Scripture is silent? What is the key to behavior in these areas? Once again we can look back to our core values of loving God and loving others, believers as well as unbelievers. In areas where Scripture is silent, what is the loving thing to do? 1 Corinthians 8 will give us some guidelines in how to handle the "gray" areas with love being our guide. Paul is dealing with a church made up mostly of Gen:les who came out of an idolatrous lifestyle. People would make sacrifices at a pagan temple where there were temple pros:tutes and orgies as part of their worship. When they came to faith in Christ, they found they struggled even going to the temple much less being involved with anything that had to do with it. When sacrifices were made at the pagan temples, the sacrificial animal was cut into thirds. One third of it was burnt as a burnt offering, one third was given to the priest for his share and one third was given back 47 P age

48 to the person to take home to eat. Because of the volume of sacrifices made each day, the priests had more meat than they could eat so they sold it to others who sold it in the market place. A person buying this meat would be ea:ng meat offered to an idol. Also, if you were invited over to the home of an unbeliever for a meal, there was a good chance you would be ea:ng the one third of the sacrificial animal given back to them at the sacrifice. This made it difficult for many of the new believers in Corinth. With these thoughts in mind, let's see what we can learn from Paul's dealings with the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 8. He is answering ques:ons that had come to him in a le`er concerning prac:ces for believers. In verse 1 what do you think Paul means as he contrasts knowledge with love? Why would it be important for us to have a balance in these two areas? Verses 4-6 describe the person who would see himself as mature. What does he "know" that the "weaker" brother does not? Verse 7 describes the person who would be called the "weaker" brother. What does he believe? What truth is Paul trying to communicate in verses 9-13? How does this relate to love? 48 P age

49 What key principle of love concerning "gray" areas do we find in verse 13? What personal applica:on does that have for you? A.Application DAY 4 We must ask ourselves how our ac:ons will affect others. Will they offend a weak Chris:an or an unbeliever? Also how might our ac:ons affect us if we get too close to the edge? the ques:on we need to be asking ourselves isn't, "Is this ac:vity right or wrong?" but "Who will be affected in a nega:ve way if I par:cipate in this ac:vity?" What is a "freedom/s" you feel you have that may be a stumbling block to another? Does Scripture specifically say anything about this or would it be considered a "gray" area? What should be your response of love in this area? Are there areas in your life that you previously thought were OK but now feel should be changed? If so, what are they? What changes do you feel you need to make? 49 P age

50 In the :mes or situa:ons where you might have been the "weaker" brother, how did you feel toward those who were "stronger?" Were you affected nega:vely by this? In what way? As you read each passage of Scripture below, what ques:on could you ask to determine if a situa:on, falling in a "gray" area, is appropriate for you or not? 1 Corinthians 6:12a Hebrews 12:1a 1 John 2:6 Colossians 4:5a 1 Corinthians 10:23 1 Corinthians 10:31 Romans 14:13b DAY 5 III.Motivations for Limiting Our Freedoms In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul gets into the reasons why he 50 P age

51 chooses to limit some of his freedoms. In verse 19, why does Paul make himself a slave to others? How has Paul used his freedom in Christ in verses 19-23? How does this relate to what he told the Corinthians in 8:13? What caused Paul to choose to limit his freedoms in verses 19, 22 and 23? What do you think Paul means in verse 22 to "become all things to all men?" What adjustments would you have to make in your life to apply the principles found in verses to people in your sphere of influence who need to know Christ? Who are these people? What is there in your life that could hinder you from being an effec:ve witness to them? Would it be worth limi:ng some of your freedoms to see them come to Christ? When it comes to making judgment calls in the "gray" areas, what has proved helpful to you? 51 P age

52 What do verses have to do with our topic? What do you think Paul means by being "disqualified" in verse 27? An athlete is free to eat whatever he wants, go to bed whenever he wants, to train or not train, to smoke, drink, or do drugs or to refrain from them just like anyone else. But he chooses to limit himself in those areas because he wants to be a top athlete, the best in his field. If a person can to do this for a ribbon, a trophy or money, can't we learn to limit ourselves for the cause of Christ and the eternal souls of men and women for whom Christ died? Read 2 Timothy 2:2, and in prayer ask God to show you to whom He would have you pass on what you have learned in the last several weeks. Review this en:re devo:onal and write down a key personal applica:on from each sec:on. It may be an applica:on that you previously iden:fied, but lis:ng all your top level applica:ons here will help you quickly review what the Lord has laid on your heart so that you can be a "doer" of the word and not a "hearer" only. 1) Faithfulness 52 P age

53 2) Availability 3) Teachability 4) Tithing 5) Worship 6) Witness 7) Limi:ng Freedoms Pastor Stan Lubeck Stanlubeck.com P age