Diane Avenue Church of Christ Psalm 71:20 Psalm 71:20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and...
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Diane Avenue Church of Christ Psalm 71:20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
Diane Avenue Church of Christ Psalm 71:20 Psalm 71:20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths
Diane Avenue Church of Christ Psalm 71:20 Psalm 71:20 Though
you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my
life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me
up.
Slide 2
BIBLE CLASS Good Morning Last week with talked about a portrait
of a man who during the time of Isaiah walked with those who were
in sin and committed idolatry, He was disobedient and put the world
around him before God. Of course God was really speaking of a
nation not just one man, but it was typical of the times during
which they were so deceived that they couldnt see the lie in their
right hand .
Slide 3
Divine Restoration Isaiah 44:20 read - 20 He feedeth on ashes:
a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his
soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Had we read
further God again demonstrates his continuing grace and love for
his people?
Slide 4
Divine Restoration Isaiah 21-28 - 21 Remember these, O Jacob
and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art
my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. 22 I have
blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud,
thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. 23 Sing, O ye
heavens; for the L ORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the
earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every
tree therein: for the L ORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified
himself in Israel.
Slide 5
Divine Restoration 24 Thus saith the L ORD, thy redeemer, and
he that formed thee from the womb, I am the L ORD that maketh all
things; that stretched forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth
abroad the earth by myself; 25 That frustrateth the tokens of the
liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and
maketh their knowledge foolish;
Slide 6
Divine Restoration 26 That confirmeth the word of his servant,
and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye
shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: 27
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
Slide 7
Divine Restoration 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd,
and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou
shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
God will restore or for the purpose of this lesson lets say renew
all those who will ask for forgiveness but more importantly
repent.
Slide 8
Divine Restoration As Christians we need to understand
endurance, we dont need to be like everyone else. What did Jesus
want us to understand about his cross? And why did he "endure the
cross, scorning its shame" because of the "joy set before him"
(Hebrews 12:2)? It was because Jesus knew that when he would be
"lifted up" he would draw all people to himself.Hebrews 12:2
Slide 9
Divine Restoration Hebrews 12:2 reads ; 2 - Looking unto Jesus
the (1)author and finisher of our faith; who for the (2) joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Slide 10
Divine Restoration 1. author, finisher it means beginning and
completer of our faith who went ahead of all believers. 2. Joy set
before: His glorification at his Fathers' right hand, actively
ruling with God as Lord over all. As with Christ the humiliation of
our present suffering is outweighed by the prospect of our future
glory.
Slide 11
Divine Restoration Solomon 2 Chronicles 7:14
Slide 12
Divine Restoration In 2 Chronicles 1-7 we are shown the
development, construction and dedication of the temple built by
Solomon to God. Chap. 1 Gods Wisdom (came with a vision at Gibeon)
Chap. 2 Temple Plans Chap 3. Temple Built Chap 4. - Temple
Furnishings Chap. 5 - The Ark of the Covenant Chap. 6 Prayer of
Dedication 1-42, a prayer for restoration Chap. 7 The Glory of God;
It is here where we see the prerequisites of restoration
Slide 13
Divine Restoration In a series of requests, Solomon petitions
the Lord to forgive him and the people of their sins if they are
willing to repent and return to faithfully serving Him (2
Chronicles 6:21-31; 2 Chronicles 6:34-39). God basically promises
them that He will restore to them (as He did to David) the joy of
thy salvation (Psalm 51:12). 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (This is said to the
prophet Nathan after King David committed adultery with Bathsheba)2
Chronicles 6:21-312 Chronicles 6:34-39Psalm 51:12
Slide 14
Divine Restoration 2 Chronicles 7:11-13 (NIV) The L ORD Appears
to Solomon 11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the L ORD and
the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in
mind to do in the temple of the L ORD and in his own palace, 12 the
L ORD appeared to him at night and said: I have heard your prayer
and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command
locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
Slide 15
Divine Restoration 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) 14 if my people, who
are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my
face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Slide 16
Divine Restoration Let us look an analyze these prerequisites
of restoration in the light of other passages and then make
application of them in our lives. 1) Humble Ourselves This is also
a prerequisite of Christ (Matthew 18:3-4; Matthew 20:27; Matthew
23:11-12) and of God (James 4:6; cf. Psalm 138:6; Proverbs 3:34; 1
Peter 5:6)Matthew 18:3-4Matthew 20:27Matthew 23:11-12James 4:6Psalm
138:6Proverbs 3:341 Peter 5:6
Slide 17
Divine Restoration Matthew 18:3-4 (NIV) 3 And he said: Truly I
tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you
will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes
the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven.
Slide 18
Divine Restoration Matthew 20:27(NIV) 27 and whoever wants to
be first must be your slave Matthew 23:11-12 (NIV) 11 The greatest
among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves
will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
exalted.
Slide 19
Divine Restoration On Being Humble The purpose of acquiring
this attitude is for: (a) The giving of grace (James 4:6).James 4:6
(b) Us to be exalted in due time (1 Peter 5:5-6).1 Peter 5:5-6 (c)
Teaching us Gods way that we might go down a plain path (Psalm
27:7-11).Psalm 27:7-11
Slide 20
Divine Restoration James 4:6(NIV) 6 But he gives us more grace.
That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but shows favor
to the humble.
Slide 21
Divine Restoration 1 Peter 5:5-6(NKJV) 5 Likewise you younger
people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be
submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God
resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore
humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
you in due time,
Slide 22
Divine Restoration Prayer
Slide 23
Divine Restoration 2) Pray We should note from scripture the
frequency of our prayers to God. (a) The Psalmist said that he
prayed Evening, morning, and at noon (Psalm 55:17). (b) The apostle
Paul states that we should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians
5:17). (c) We are to pray always making supplication for all saints
(Ephesians 6:18).Psalm 55:171 Thessalonians 5:17Ephesians 6:18
Slide 24
Divine Restoration Seek his Face
Slide 25
Divine Restoration 3) Seek Gods Face The idea of seeking Gods
face is: (a) To seek an audience with God (Psalm 20:9). (b) To seek
the favor of God (Proverbs 29:26).Psalm 20:9Proverbs 29:26 We are
told to seek God with all our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 4:29;
cf.2 Chronicles 15:4).Deuteronomy 4:292 Chronicles 15:4
Slide 26
Divine Restoration Turn From Our Wicked Ways
Slide 27
Divine Restoration 4) Turn From Our Wicked Ways (a) It is a
requirement of God (Acts 17:30). (b) It is a requirement of Christ
(Luke 13:3, 5). (c) It is a requirement of the Holy Spirit
(Ephesians 4:30-31; cf. Psalm 78:32-41; Isaiah 63:10; Acts 7:51).
(d) It is a requirement of the apostle of love (1 John 1:9).Acts
17:30Luke 13:3, 5Ephesians 4:30-31Psalm 78:32-41Isaiah 63:10Acts
7:511 John 1:9 Turning from his sins was Davids attitude and desire
(Psalm 51:1-4, 7-14). We should display the same attitude and
desire as well.Psalm 51:1-4, 7-14
Slide 28
Divine Restoration Acts 17:30 (NIV) 30 In the past God
overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people
everywhere to repent. Luke 13:3 (NIV) 3 I tell you, no! But unless
you repent, you too will all perish. 1 John 1:9(NIV) 9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Slide 29
Divine Restoration When we as Gods children fulfill the four
restoration prerequisites enumerated above, then God will
(according to 2 Chronicles 7:14):2 Chronicles 7:14 (a) Hear from
heaven. (b) Forgive our sins. (c) Heal our land. Our fellowship
with God will then be restored! What a marvelous promise from our
Heavenly Father even to His children today.
Slide 30
Divine Restoration Asaph Who is Asaph? Remember Gods commands
humble, pray, seek his face and turn from your wicked ways.
Slide 31
Divine Restoration Question: How do you view the world around
us today? 1. Do you think we live in a very wicked world where it's
very easy to become discouraged. If yes why?
Slide 32
Divine Restoration Have you ever been disillusioned with
people? Have you ever had life just not work out the way you
expected it to? Have you ever wondered why it seems the faithful
suffer while the wicked prosper? Have you ever questioned God when
it seemed like He wasn't keeping His promises?
Slide 33
Divine Restoration If so, you will want to learn about one of
the great men of faith in the Bible who faced all of those tests
and asked all those questions. His name was Asaph. Most Christians
do not even recognize his name. Even those who do, do not seem to
recognize his importance.
Slide 34
Divine Restoration We can choose one of two paths: a. The path
of worldly thinking that will ultimately end in despair. b. The
path of godly thinking that will allow us to see truth and hope.
(Romans 8:6) - 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the
mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Slide 35
Divine Restoration Asaph found himself facing this decision in
the context of Psalm 73. Who is Asaph? - The Psalms of Asaph are
the twelve psalms numbered 50 and 73 83 of the Book of Psalms.
According to the Chroniclers, the sons of Asaph, Zaccur, Joseph,
Nethaniah and Asarelah, were assigned by David to prophesy "to the
accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals" (1 Chr. 25:1-2). As
such, Asaph would be one of David's chief musicians
Slide 36
Divine Restoration Lets turn our Bible to Psalms 73: Psalm
73:1(NIV) BOOK III Psalm 73 A psalm of Asaph. 1 Surely God is good
to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
Slide 37
Divine Restoration I. The Wickedness of the World (v. 1-12) A.
Asaph observes the various sins of the people, 1. Arrogance/Pride
(v. 3, 6) 2. Violence (v. 6) 3. Evil thoughts - (v. 7) (Gen. 6:5)
4. Mocking (v. 8) 5. Sins of speech (v. 9, 11) We must guard
against these sins.
Slide 38
Divine Restoration B. What troubled Asaph so much was that the
wicked still enjoyed so much. 1. God often continues to bless
people who are in sin or so it may appear. (Why) 2. Asaph became
envious and was tempted to give up his righteousness. (v. 2, 13) We
must not simply give up because of the wickedness of the
world!
Slide 39
Divine Restoration II. The Reaction of the Righteous (v. 13-17)
A. Anger 1. There are two ways we can be angry at the wickedness of
the world a. We can be angry because they're prospering and we're
not. This is selfish b. We can share God's anger at the fact that
they are sinning! (Eph. 4:26)
Slide 40
Divine Restoration Eph. 4:26 - 26 In your anger do not sin: Do
not let the sun go down while you are still angry, B. Confusion 1.
This is a natural reaction from a physical point of view 2. It
sometimes appears that doing the right thing is useless/vanity.
(Ecc. 2:14-15)
Slide 41
Divine Restoration Ecclesiastes 2:14-15(NIV) 14 The wise have
eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I
came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. 15 Then I
said to myself, The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What
then do I gain by being wise? I said to myself, This too is
meaningless.
Slide 42
Divine Restoration C. Turning to God 1. Thankfully, Asaph
turned to the right place in his anger and confusion; he turned to
God! 2. Coming into the sanctuary of God will help us put things
into the proper perspective, (v. 17) 2. This proved to be a turning
point for Asaph, as he saw things in a far different perspective
once God was in the picture.
Slide 43
Divine Restoration III. Putting Things into Perspective -
Learning to Trust in God (v. 18-28) A. Seeing the disaster of a
wicked lifestyle (v. 18-20). 1. The first thing Asaph notes after
his realization is the horrible situation that the wicked find
themselves in. 2. This also helps him to see the brevity of life
(Psalm 39:4-6) 3. Ultimately, the disaster of the wicked comes with
the wrath of God! (Romans 1:18)
Slide 44
Divine Restoration B. Seeing ourselves and our emotions
properly in this conflict (v. 21-24) 1. Sometimes we may seem
senseless before God when we think from a worldly perspective, (v.
22) 2. But God is still with us, even in the midst of our anger and
confession (v.23) 3. If we trust in Him, God will guide us through
these times, ultimately to a safe and glorious end in heaven! (v.
24)
Slide 45
Divine Restoration C. Seeing the infinite goodness and love of
God! (v. 25-28) 1. When we see the world as it truly is, our desire
will be for God, and Him only! (v. 25) 2. When we trust in God, He
will be our strength even when our earthly strength may depart. (v.
26) 3. We must learn to see things from the proper perspective and
make God our refuge.
Slide 46
Divine Restoration Conclusion: How do we view the world around
us? 1. In spite of the wicked world we live in, God is still in
control. 2. God wants us to seek Him and find him in the darkness
of the world. (Acts 17:26-27) 3. Are you ready to face reality with
the proper perspective?
Slide 47
Divine Restoration Acts 17:26-27 (NIV) 26 From one man he made
all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he
marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of
their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and
perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from
any one of us.