Worry

Teacher's Copy

Satisfaction

Perhaps the most obvious repercussion to the fall of Adam and the perpetual passing-down of sin upon every man because of his fall is the commitment we make to ourselves through worry.  It’s true, worry is the honoring of ourselves above God in hopes to find self-satisfaction… and this did not take place until the fall of man in the garden.

Every sinful act of worry is a response to our lack of satisfaction in God!  This is because the object of our worry is a dramatic event that is beyond our immediate control… and in our hearts, beyond God’s control as well.  We must understand that worry is unbelief in God’s sovereignty and thus unbelief in His grace and ability to solve our dilemma.  1Cor. 12:9 says, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Key Words
Let’s look at some powerful key words and thoughts that come from this one verse:

“…My Grace is sufficient…”

• “Grace” speaks of God’s chosen method for dealing with our weakness.
• “is” speaks of both the guarantee of grace’s sufficiency and also the perpetuallity of both grace and sufficiency.
• “sufficient” is the measure of all we need to be satisfied in God. (Think of His sufficiency as a full bucket of water that will never be drained though you drink of it daily.)

“…my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

• “strength” speaks of the satisfaction that we are lacking due to our lack of faith.
• “made perfect” speaks of the effect of our faith in God. 
• “weakness” speaks of the condition of our life in the time of our faith.  In other words, even though we are weak, we respond to God’s will with faith and the effect our faith has upon us is “strength.” (take note that our situation may note become strong, but rather our satisfaction in God in the midst of our situation becomes strong.)
• “Most gladly” speaks of the level of satisfaction that we find in God in our time of weakness.
• “rather glory” speaks of the choice we make to trust in God instead of trusting in worry.
• “infirmities” speaks of our present condition
• “power of Christ” speaks of His grace, which is God’s response to our faith.
• “rest” speaks of our perpetual condition when we find satisfaction in grace alone for our sufficiency.

Conclusion:

Someone may say, “Isn’t worry natural?”  The answer is: Yes, worry is the natural response to a faithless heart. But the heart that is filled with faith will be evidenced by satisfaction in the sufficiency of Grace.

Student's Copy

Satisfaction

Perhaps the most obvious repercussion to the fall of Adam and the perpetual passing-down of sin upon every man because of his fall is the ______________ we make to ourselves through worry.  It’s true, worry is the honoring of ourselves above God in hopes to find ______ - ______________… and this did not take place until the fall of man in the garden.

Every sinful act of worry is a _____________ to our lack of satisfaction in God!  This is because the object of our worry is a dramatic event that is beyond our immediate control… and in our hearts, beyond God’s control as well.  We must understand that worry is unbelief in God’s sovereignty and thus unbelief in His grace and ability to ___________ our dilemma.  1Cor. 12:9 says, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Key Words

Let’s look at some powerful key words and thoughts that come from this one verse:

“…My Grace is sufficient…”

• “Grace” speaks of God’s chosen method for dealing with our weakness.
• “is” speaks of both the guarantee of grace’s sufficiency and also the perpetuallity of both grace and sufficiency.
• “sufficient” is the measure of all we need to be satisfied in God. (Think of His sufficiency as a full bucket of water that will never be drained though you drink of it daily.)

“…my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

• “strength” speaks of the satisfaction that we are lacking due to our lack of faith.
• “made perfect” speaks of the effect of our faith in God. 
• “weakness” speaks of the condition of our life in the time of our faith.  In other words, even though we are weak, we respond to God’s will with faith and the effect our faith has upon us is “strength.” (take note that our situation may note become strong, but rather our satisfaction in God in the midst of our situation becomes strong.)
• “Most gladly” speaks of the level of satisfaction that we find in God in our time of weakness.
• “rather glory” speaks of the choice we make to trust in God instead of trusting in worry.
• “infirmities” speaks of our present condition
• “power of Christ” speaks of His grace, which is God’s response to our faith.
• “rest” speaks of our perpetual condition when we find satisfaction in grace alone for our sufficiency.

Conclusion:

Someone may say, “Isn’t worry natural?”  The answer is: Yes, worry is the natural response to a faithless heart. But the heart that is filled with faith will be evidenced by satisfaction in the sufficiency of Grace.

The Counsel of God

“The Counsel of God”: Is it Glorious or just a good Lifetime Channel movie?

Certain verses in John’s 12th Gospel chapter causes even the greatest of Gospel theologians to ponder silently while scratching their heads for lifetimes.  Most of God’s men would happily skip over such subjects… and their congregations would be none the wiser.  However, the subject of “the decrees of God” is not a subject that binds but rather a subject that sets free.

Definition: Decree –noun

1. a formal and authoritative order, esp. one having the force of law: a presidential decree.

2. Law . a judicial decision or order.

3. Theology . one of the eternal purposes of god, by which events are foreordained.

Perhaps the simplest illustration that has been introduced to me concerning the foreknowledge of God used time to illustrate the difference between the mind of God and the mind of man:

Man thinks of time in increments: Millenniums, centuries, decades, years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds.  God, however, does not think of time in increments but rather a single event- fluid and without any breaks.  It’s a beautiful picture of covenant.

For this reason Isaiah wrote chapter 46:9-10.  Please turn as we read together.

Having this understanding also allows us to see more clearly God’s statement, “…I am that I am…” Ex. 3:14.

What does all this mean?  It means that everything God does has already been done in the mind of God and nothing can or will change it. “For I [am] the LORD, I change not;” Mal. 3:6

A simple illustration might be that of the difference between vows made long before the wedding and the same vows made at the wedding. The vows are the same but don’t take effect until the wedding day.  The only difference being, what things God decrees, counsels or sets in order will not change or be prevented.

Case in point:

John 12:37-41 tells of God doing the unthinkable.  He closed the door of opportunity for certain people to receive the message of the Gospel.  Let’s read together.

The question has to be asked, “Why would God do such a thing?”  The answer is found in verse 41 (read).  When Isaiah saw the glory of God, in all its splendor, he thought immediately of those whom God would open the eyes of and considered them to be glorious examples of grace.  In fact, if everyone on the planet is to be redeemed, the grace of God is not glorious but rather a good Lifetime Channel story.

Unfortunately for us (but fortunate to the glory of God) not every person will go to Heaven. So, who will go to Heaven?  John 6:34-40 gives us the answer.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution

Isaiah 53:7

(Teacher copy)

Corporate Challenge:

Can you think of a time when your Christianity made the difference in the way you handled conflict?  (Be ready to discuss at the end of the lesson.)

When you became a Christian, perhaps the first thing you noticed, in the way of change, was the way you were expected to handle conflict.  Before, you were expected to be: 1) Law abiding, 2) Respectful and 3) Willing to fight it out to the bitter end (i.e. never back down).  However, upon taking upon yourself the name of Christ, you were suddenly expected to be Godly as well.  By the raising of hands, has anyone had their faith in Christ thrown in your face when facing conflict?

Avoiding Conflict

It’s commonly agreed that avoiding conflict is not realistic nor is it spiritual.  Can anyone tell why avoiding conflict is not spiritual?  The Bible is full of conflict. In fact, from the first story (Adam and Eve) to the last (Judgment of man), conflict is what makes the Bible relevant. It was conflict that brought about the need for a Savior, and in coming to earth, the Savior lived in constant conflict.  However, the theme of the Bible is not conflict, but rather, the resolving of conflict. This is why conflict is not to be avoided… we are given tools to help us resolve all conflict.

Therefore, the way a Christian is to avoid conflict isn’t to avoid it at all, but handle it Biblically.  NOTE: any resolving of conflict that isn’t Biblical is sin, and often a offers a greater consiquence than the actually conflict.  Which is to say, the handling of any conflict should be done to resolve the conflict, not make it worse.

Hearts and Sleeves

Perhaps the problem isn’t always the offender as much as the offended.  While we should never provoke others to wrath, we should equally not be so easily offended.  How do we do this?  Follow these principles:

1)    Never go into a situation ready to fight but rather to fix. (Retaliation vs. Restoration)

2)    Be ready to give others the benefit of the doubt. (Paranoia vs Practical)

3)    Don’t be so concerned about getting hurt. (Risk vs. Reward)

Scripture Time:  Turn and be ready to discuss:

Proverbs 14:29 and James 1:19

Matt. 7:12

Luke 6:29

Matt. 5:41

Corporate Challenge

Conflict Resolution

Isaiah 53:7

(student copy)

Corporate Challenge:

Can you think of a time when your Christianity made the difference in the way you handled conflict?  (Be ready to discuss at the end of the lesson.)

When you became a Christian, perhaps the first thing you noticed, in the way of change, was the way you were expected to handle conflict.  Before, you were expected to be: 1) Law abiding, 2) Respectful and 3) Willing to fight it out to the bitter end (i.e. never back down).  However, upon taking upon yourself the name of Christ, you were suddenly expected to be _________ as well.  By the raising of hands, has anyone had their faith in Christ thrown in your face when facing conflict?

Avoiding Conflict

It’s commonly agreed that avoiding conflict is not ___________ nor is it ____________  Can anyone tell why avoiding conflict is not spiritual?  The Bible is full of conflict. In fact, from the first story (Adam and Eve) to the last (Judgment of man), conflict is what makes the Bible ___________ It was conflict that brought about the need for a Savior, and in coming to earth, the Savior lived in constant conflict.  However, the theme of the Bible is not conflict, but rather, the ____________ of conflict. This is why conflict is not to be avoided… we are given __________ to help us resolve all conflict.

Therefore, the way a Christian is to avoid conflict isn’t to avoid it at all, but handle it Biblically.  NOTE: any resolving of conflict that isn’t Biblical is sin, and often a offers a greater consiquence than the actually conflict.  Which is to say, the handling of any conflict should be done to resolve the conflict, not make it worse.

Hearts and Sleeves

Perhaps the problem isn’t always the ___________ as much as the ___________.  While we should never provoke others to wrath, we should equally not be so easily offended.  How do we do this?  Follow these principles:

1.   Never go into a situation ready to ________but rather to ____. (Retaliation vs. Restoration)

2.    Be ready to give others the benefit of the doubt. (Paranoia vs Practical)

3.    Don’t be so concerned about getting hurt. (Risk vs. Reward)

Scripture Time:  Turn and be ready to discuss:

Proverbs 14:29 and James 1:19

Matt. 7:12

Luke 6:29

Matt. 5:41

Corporate Challenge

Worth

Worth!

Like the willingness of a deported soldier, no word or gift could qualify as an equivalent return for the price that Jesus paid on the cross for our sins.  And yet, for that sacrifice to go unnoticed would be a disgrace to the price paid.

Could a man actually repay Christ for His gift of eternal salvation?  No- however, the life that we live for Him declares His worth to us as thankful and humble recipients of heavens greatest gift.

We get a glimpse of this evidence of worth from Romans 12:1.  Will someone please turn there and read loudly?  The word “reasonable” seems to have a double emphasis: if you are “able” to do a thing, that should be “reason” enough to do it.  The shear fact that God has made it possible for us to do a thing doesn’t necessarily mean that it is ours to do. However, it certainly does qualify us to pray about God’s will concerning that thing.  It’s amazing how so many can walk directly passed an open door to glorify God (with full capability of doing so) and never consider that door to have been opened for them.

When Judas betrayed Jesus, he did so for an amount.  33 pieces of silver was that the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas.  It seems that everyone has an amount.  If we had asked Judas 3 years earlier of the value of his relationship with God’s Son, I’m confident he would have laughed at such an amount.  However, his heart could not lie or be deceived.  In fact, the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas could be registered in a dollar amount.  Going around the room, what price would you put on the worth of Christ?

I’m sad to report that each of us daily place an amount on the worth of our Lord in our hearts: 

• Our disobedience to tell others of Christ’s great sacrifice equates to the worth we hold for that sacrifice.  In other words, whatever excuse we use to not tell others the Gospel- is valued greater than the gift of the Gospel itself.
• Our excuse to not take on ministry, that is an open door opportunity, is the value that we have placed in our hearts concerning ministry.
• Whatever excuse we use to end our service for the Lord, when put on a scale, is heavier than our view of the One who gave everything… without excuse!
• Our excuse to not repent of sin is the worth we put on our relationship with Christ.

Matt. 27 is the horrible telling of the governor’s judgment of Christ as he gives them the choice of setting free either Jesus, the King of the Jews or Barabbas, a murderer and thief.  Verses 21 and 22 tell of the worth of Christ as seen in the hearts of those forcing the hand of Pilate: “The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.”

It’s easy for us to say that we would never do such a thing.  However, we do it everyday: Laziness, failure to pray, failure to give, failure to take joy in God… the list is endless.

Listen to the words of Paul as he made comparison of everything that would seek to devalue Christ in his life.  Phil. 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency (Worth) of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,”  In short, I suppose we can know the worth of Christ in our heart by the value placed on this world.  May we repent today of loving ourselves too much.  For in the end, any excuse to not serve God is our excuse to love ourselves more than Him.

Worth!

Like the willingness of a deported soldier, no word or gift could qualify as an _____________ return for the price that Jesus paid on the cross for our sins.  And yet, for that sacrifice to go unnoticed would be a disgrace to the price paid.

Could a man actually repay Christ for His gift of eternal salvation?  No- however, the life that we live for Him declares His worth to us as ___________ and _________ recipients of heavens greatest gift.

We get a glimpse of this evidence of worth from Romans 12:1.  Will someone please turn there and read loudly?  The word “reasonable” seems to have a double emphasis: if you are ________ to do a thing, that should be __________ enough to do it.  The shear fact that God has made it possible for us to do a thing doesn’t necessarily mean that it is ours to do. However, it certainly does qualify us to pray about God’s will concerning that thing.  It’s amazing how so many can walk directly passed an open door to glorify God (with full capability of doing so) and never consider that door to have been opened for them.

When Judas betrayed Jesus, he did so for an amount.  33 pieces of silver was that the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas.  It seems that everyone has an amount.  If we had asked Judas 3 years earlier of the value of his relationship with God’s Son, I’m confident he would have laughed at such an amount.  However, his heart could not lie or be deceived.  In fact, the worth of Christ in the heart of Judas could be registered in a dollar amount.  Going around the room, what price would you put on the worth of Christ?

I’m sad to report that each of us daily place an amount on the worth of our Lord in our hearts: 

• Our disobedience to tell others of Christ’s great sacrifice equates to the worth we hold for that sacrifice.  In other words, whatever excuse we use to not tell others the Gospel- is valued greater than the gift of the Gospel itself.
• Our excuse to not take on ministry, that is an open door opportunity, is the value that we have placed in our hearts concerning ministry.
• Whatever excuse we use to end our service for the Lord, when put on a scale, is heavier than our view of the One who gave everything… without excuse!
• Our excuse to not repent of sin is the worth we put on our relationship with Christ.

Matt. 27 is the horrible telling of the governor’s judgment of Christ as he gives them the choice of setting free either Jesus, the King of the Jews or Barabbas, a murderer and thief.  Verses 21 and 22 tell of the worth of Christ as seen in the hearts of those forcing the hand of Pilate: “The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.  Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.”

It’s easy for us to say that we would never do such a thing.  However, we do it everyday: Laziness, failure to pray, failure to give, failure to take joy in God… the list is endless.

Listen to the words of Paul as he made comparison of everything that would seek to devalue Christ in his life.  Phil. 3:8, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency  (__________) of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,”  In short, I suppose we can know the worth of Christ in our heart by the value placed on this world.  May we repent today of loving ourselves too much.  For in the end, any excuse to not serve God is our excuse to love ourselves more than Him.

God, In Space and Time

God In Space and Time

John 9:1-4

(Teachers Copy)

Corporate Challenge:

If time and space were not in your equation, in what ways would your life change?

Intro:

What would it look like if our God who is not constrained by space and time found Himself dealing with geographical boundaries and deadlines?  The answer: He would look like Jesus.

Walking in the sandals of men meant dealing with many of the same limitations as you and I do today.  This is seen clearly in the story of the blind man in verses 1-4.  Our example of how God incarnate handled Himself on a deadline is made clear as He addressed the disciples in verse 4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Here we see clearly the mind of God in time.

Knowing that His departure time was nearing, Jesus made good use of the time allotted Him by the Father’s will.  God, the Father, did in fact have a will for His Son, Jesus Christ, which was fulfilled by Christ’s spirit of obedience to all that His Father deemed as His to accomplish.  And with all that was His, Christ performed flawlessly as our example.  What is it that we see as being of necessity if ever we are to perform in the same manner?

First, Christ had an understanding that time was of the essence- without losing site of the Father’s will for His life on earth.  Remember, everything about the incarnation of God on earth was purposed to supply His people, both then and now, with His commission for our lives.  And yet, there was a sovereign-filtered urgency that directed the works of God in the flesh.  In other words, while the urgency- due to time- was there, His spirit of composure allowed Him the where-with-all to both perform miracles on the go- and yet take time with His disciples to teach them along the way.

It’s important to understand that while time created urgency, the Lord’s teachings would not be constrained by time. Had Jesus merely hurried about performing miracles- without education, the Great Commission would be limited to 2 measures rather than 3.  We are, in fact, commanded to (1) make disciples, (2) covenant them to the church and (3) disciple them through the teachings of Christ.  This would not be possible had He not taught the disciples along the way.

Secondly, there was an understanding in the mind of Christ that legacies are built while living in time- but live on in infamy; therefore what is done in time must be done in such a way that what is made of His works (by men) after He was gone would not be tainted by those men.  In other words, while time creates our sense urgency it should not create fallacy.  Jesus knew that men would seek to defile the works of His miracles and teachings even long after He went to be with His Father in glory.  Therefore, everything He did on earth was done with a spirit of excellence.

Christ was the perfect incarnation of God- without error.  His words were spoken without the possibility of honored perversion.  His miracles were performed without possibility of relapse.  And as we see in this text, every minute of His time on earth was utilized to perfection.  May we see this as our example of how to live the Christ centered life- in time.  Today, we are the light of the world- through the Spirit of our Lord.  May men see our good works and glorify God- even the way we utilize the time that God has given to every man.

Corporate Challenge

God In Space and Time

John 9:1-4

(Student Copy)

Corporate Challenge:

If time and space were not in your equation, in what ways would your life change?

Intro:

What would it look like if our God who is not constrained by space and time found Himself dealing with geographical boundaries and deadlines?  The answer: He would look like Jesus.

Walking in the sandals of men meant dealing with many of the same ____________ as you and I do today.  This is seen clearly in the story of the blind man in verses 1-4.  Our example of how God incarnate handled Himself on a deadline is made clear as He addressed the disciples in verse 4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Here we see clearly the mind of God in time.

Knowing that His departure time was nearing, Jesus made good use of the time allotted Him by the Father’s _______.  God, the Father, did in fact have a will for His Son, Jesus Christ, which was fulfilled by Christ’s _________ of _____________ to all that His Father deemed as His to accomplish.  And with all that was His, Christ performed flawlessly as our example.  What is it that we see as being of necessity if ever we are to perform in the same manner?

First, Christ had an understanding that time was of the essence- without losing site of the Father’s will for His life on earth.  Remember, everything about the incarnation of God on earth was purposed to supply His people, both then and now, with His _____________ for our lives.  And yet, there was a _____________-____________ urgency that directed the works of God in the flesh.  In other words, while the urgency- due to time- was there, His spirit of ____________ allowed Him the where-with-all to both perform miracles on the go- and yet take time with His disciples to teach them along the way.

It’s important to understand that while time created urgency, the Lord’s teachings would not be constrained by time. Had Jesus merely hurried about performing miracles- without education, the Great Commission would be limited to 2 measures rather than 3.  We are, in fact, commanded to (1) make disciples, (2) covenant them to the church and (3) disciple them through the teachings of Christ.  This would not be possible had He not taught the disciples along the way.

Secondly, there was an understanding in the mind of Christ that ______________ are built while living in time- but live on in infamy; therefore what is done in time must be done in such a way that what is made of His works (by men) after He was gone would not be tainted by those men.  In other words, while time creates our sense urgency it should not create fallacy.  Jesus knew that men would seek to defile the works of His miracles and teachings even long after He went to be with His Father in glory.  Therefore, everything He did on earth was done with a __________ of _______________.

Christ was the perfect incarnation of God- without error.  His words were spoken without the possibility of _____________ perversion.  His miracles were performed without possibility of _____________.  And as we see in this text, every minute of His time on earth was utilized to perfection.  May we see this as our example of how to live the Christ centered life- in time.  Today, we are the light of the world- through the Spirit of our Lord.  May men see our good works and glorify God- even the way we utilize the time that God has given to every man.

Corporate Challenge

The Perfect Community

“The Perfect Community”

While we have very little information to go on (just 13 verses), Luke 2:40-52 give us a good insight into the communal life of Jesus Christ. One can only imagine that the earthly life of an adolescent Jesus was not only lived in perfect harmony with what would someday be referred to as “the Bible”, but was also as common as any other Jewish boy of his age.  It’s hard to imagine the two lifestyles being fashioned into one… but Jesus did it.

The early verses of our story help us greatly to see what kind of childhood that Jesus had. Let’s read together verse 40-44.

Verse 40 is key to understanding the kind of child Jesus was. It could also give us a glimpse into the kind of community He grew up in.  The kind of community that produces healthy, spiritual, intelligent and gracious kids.  What tools are necessary to have this kind of community?

It Takes a Village

Perhaps the greatest tool required to produce this kind of child is a community of the same.  A child will most always adapt to his surroundings… being creatures of habit and example.  Having such a community aided greatly Mary and Joseph as they raised Jesus.

Let’s read verses 41 and 44 together, stopping at each verse to find key words/phrases that stand out as suggestive ideas for such a community.

·         Vs. 41 ___________________________________________________

·         Vs. 44 ___________________________________________________

Ideally…

A key principle in discipleship is, if anything is ideal, it is ideal to keep it that way.  In-other-words, if at all possible, it is always best to follow manufacturer’s instructions.  The manufacturer of “church” (God) gives us the ideal format for the leadership/authority structure in the church.

(1) God/Jesus

(2 )Apostles/Bishops (leadership) (Elders)

(3 )Men (husbands/fathers)

(4) Women/children

The idea church community is arranged in this fashion.

The Wrath of God and The Wrath of Man

“The Wrath of God and the wrath of man”

Without a doubt, God’s divine attribute of wrath is an unexpected character of God.  We expect him to be holy, sovereign, omniscient and omnipotent… but “wrathful”?  It’s not how we choose to view a loving God. 

It’s funny, really- how much of the world has always loved the dark, violent side of sin… in fact, we have come to expect it from lost humanity.  It seems that the world would love the wrathful side of God… (“It” seems rebellious and vengeful) but instead, the world uses this divine character to reject Him instead of embrace Him.

For the Christian, however, it makes since.  True believers want so much to be like God and the Christ of the Bible- and yet we are taught to avoid wrath and pursue peace.  Turn to James 1:19.

Romans 12:18 says, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

This clear scripture seems to give some leeway to activity that is contrasting to peace; “If it be possible…”  What may be some typical scenarios that would cause a Christian to choose between peace and… not-so-peaceful?

Our chief objective

Our chief objective is live glorified lives- harmonious with the scriptures.  This is only possible when justified Christians seek continually to live sanctified (set apart) lives.  Being set apart from the world causes us to see the lost in a different light.  When our objective is to live a glorified life, anything less than glorious is easily noticed. However, when we live too worldly, the line between us and them becomes very blurry.  These blurry-eyed Christians find wrath a more convenient pattern of life.

Wrath is ours… but not ours

Wrath is God’s attribute, not ours.  Due to our sin nature, wrath is our first choice… but it shouldn’t be. Now, having been washed, ours is to release vengeance to our God.

The scriptures are clear that God delights in the protection of God’s people:

Duet 32:43  “Rejoice, O ye nations, [with] his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, [and] to his people.”

Psalm 94:1  “O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.”

Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Matt. 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

It’s clear that God longs to be Lord of our life… even over our adversaries.  One final scripture should seal the deal… Matt. 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

The Love of God

The Love of God – Matt. 22:36-40

Throughout the Bible God’s children are instructed to love one another.  In fact, this seems to be the repeated theme throughout the new testament- to love God first and your neighbor as yourself.  According to the text, this is the foundation and the sum of every commandment.  And yet, it seems to be the least obeyed in all the Bible. 

In “air war” we were given 3 “loving facts” as an introduction to our morning sermon. Let’s examine these 3 facts more in depth.

1. Love Is the Nature of God

In this we mean that the heart of God flows naturally through the emotion of love.  This is not so with man.  Someone turn quickly to Jer. 17:9. If love flows naturally from the heart of God, according to the text, what flows from the heart of man?

We must not leave this point without making clear that the “nature” of God and the “essence” of God are different.  Does anyone know what attribute of God would be considered the “essence” of God? (Hint: it is the foundation by which all other things flow).

Why is this important? When we realize that man is not holy, we can begin to realize why we cannot love as God commands us to love, except we rely on our new nature.

2. Love is the Response of Man

This is not to suggest that man naturally responds to anything in love or that he ever looks for things to respond to with the heart of love. This is only to suggest that we only show love to God as a response, and never without provoking. (1John 4:19)

It seems that the only way to combat this carnal nature of man is to deny ourselves and fully consider God in all things. 

3. Love Has a Measuring Stick

John 14:15 says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if everything and everyone in life had but one standard of love? With man, our standards change with every new television show.  But with God, the measuring stick of our love to God has always been the same- obedience.  This is in fact how we are to gage our love for God.  If we are obeying Him at all times.

Turn to Matt. 5:17. 

What we see is that the death and resurrection of Christ makes it possible for evil-hearted man to love God. Without the Gospel no man would be fit to glorify a holy God. Praise His name!