Firm Foundation – Christian Living Biblical FoundationsKenbirks.com/downloads/Firm-Foundation-std.pdfFirm Foundation – Christian Living Biblical Foundations Student Edition The

Firm Foundation – Christian Living Biblical Foundations

Student Edition

The purpose of these sessions is to ground you as believers with God so that you will have a solid Biblical foundation from which to grow. It is also to connect you as believers together in relationships and to establish community within a small group environment. Each session will consist of four parts: Digging the Foundation, Forming and Reinforcement, Pouring the Foundation and Finishing Touches.

Digging the Foundation: This is the introduction, why you need to know the subject, what this will do for you in your walk with the Lord and what you may experience if you don’t understand it. Forming and Reinforcement: This is the actual teaching; the truth you will learn will form and reinforce your life and give you the truth you need to build on. Pouring the Foundation: This is the “How to” portion; how you incorporate the truths you have learned into your daily lives. Finishing Touches: This would consist of resources you can review to go deeper into the subject just taught: For example, websites, books, movies, activity, etc. www.rock-firm-foundation.com.

The lessons are designed in such a way that there will be interaction as well as instruction. There are areas in each lesson where you will be asked to share from your personal experiences. The goal is to share transparently on any given topic. Resources materials can be found at www.rock-firm-foundation.com

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living

Biblical Foundations Student Edition

Table of Contents

Session 1: Our Father God – Our View of Him 3333333. Page 3

Session 2: Our Father God – His View of Us 33333333 Page 13

Session 3: Jesus: What He Came to Do – Pt.1 3333...33. Page 21

Session 4: Jesus: What He Came to Do – Pt. 2 333...333 Page 31

Session 5: The Holy Spirit – Who He Is 3333333333. Page 45

Session 6: The Holy Spirit – His Ministry in Our Lives 3333. Page 53

Session 7: The Two Great Commandments 33333333.. Page 59

Session 8: Becoming Salt and Light 333333333333 Page 69

Session 9: Knowing and Understanding our Enemy, Satan ....3 Page 77

Session 10: The Second Coming of Christ 33333333..3. Page 91

Session 11: Communion and Baptism 33333333333.. Page 103

Session 12: Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Gifts 3333333. Page 113

Session 13: Surrender and Trust 33333333333333 Page 125

www.rock-firm-foundation.com

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Our Father God – Our View of Him

I. Digging the Foundation – Discovering the True __________ of the Father, God.

Most of us have grown up with a distorted perception who God is and how He desires to relate to us. We may view God as some mean and cruel person who wants to punish us for every wrong thing we do or we may see Him as the benevolent God, who is primarily a forgiving God. Or we may perceive Him as a critical God, who wants absolute control of all things.

In this session our goal will be to define who God is and how we should view Him from true Biblical view. How you perceive God will affect how you relate to Him. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that we have a correct Biblical view of who God is. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What were your perceptions of God as you were growing up? How did these perceptions affect your relationship with God;

II. Forming and Reinforcement: Four _____________ of God. 1. ____________________ God. He is perceived as angry at humanity's sins and engaged in every creature's life and world affairs. He is ready to throw the thunderbolt of judgment down on "the unfaithful or ungodly.”


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2. The _____________ God. He is perceived as having his judgmental eye on the world, but He's not going to intervene, either to punish or to comfort. He is pictured as God with the classic bearded old man on high. Those who picture a critical God are significantly less likely to draw absolute moral lines on hot-button issues such as abortion, gay marriage or embryonic stem cell research. 3. The ______________ God. He is not perceived as a bearded old man in the sky raining down his opinions on us. Followers of this God see a cosmic force that launched the world, and then left it spinning on its own.

4. The __________________ God – The Correct View. He is perceived as still setting absolute standards for mankind in the Bible, but is seen primarily a forgiving God, more like the father who embraces his repentant prodigal son in the Bible. "God is perceived as being in control of everything and being grieved by the sin of the world, by any created person who doesn't follow him. At the same time He is also perceived as a God who loves us, who sees us for who we really are; and perceived as a God of the second, third, fourth and fifth chance." Of these four perceptions of God, which one do you find yourself in? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

III. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications. One of life’s greatest pursuits is that of discovering who God is and how that discovery affects our lives.


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As we begin to discover who God is in all of His glory and majesty, it enables us to come into a deeper understanding and revelation that enhances our relationship with Him as our creator. Psalms 145:3 (NLT) Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! His greatness is beyond discovery!

God is not only the creator of the universe and the world, but also the creator of our lives, the one who has poured into us our talents, gifts and personalities. God’s desire is for us to discover His creative beauty in each of our lives, which helps to point us towards our destiny in Him. Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. In order to begin to get a glimpse into God’s greatness we must begin to see Him as He views Himself. Instead of allowing our lives to be conformed to our limited of view of who we think God to be, we must humble ourselves and see Him as He has revealed Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ,1 the Scripture and the revelation of His Spirit. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than our ways.2 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How has your limited view of God in the past affected your relationship and growth in Him?

As we seek to get a correct view of Who God is, we will see Him as being both personal and transcendent, meaning that He exists above the material universe and has qualities in His being that we can only approach in our

1 Jesus answered: “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has

seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 NIV 2 Isaiah 55:9


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imagination. As created beings we are made in His image, which enables us to personally experience His divine attributes. The difference is that our experiences in His attributes are always incomplete and inconsistent because of our imperfections. But they do give us a glimpse into God and His nature as we look to Him.3 1. The _____________________ Attributes of God.

•••• God is Self-Existent – His life is in Himself – Psalm 90:2.

•••• God is Spirit – 1 Timothy 1:17

•••• God is One, Yet Three – Father, Son & Holy Spirit – Deuteronomy 6:4

•••• God is Eternal – Psalm 90:2

•••• God is Immutable –Unchangeable in nature–Malachi 3:6

•••• God is Omnipotent – All powerful, although He places limitations on His power in order to give us free will. – Revelation 19:6, Genesis 18:14

•••• God is Omnipresent – Unlimited by space – Genesis 28:15

•••• God is Omniscient – He knows all Things – Hebrews 4:13 2. The ________________ Attributes of God

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness6.” The Bible reveals a personal God reaching out to His creation, demonstrating all of the characteristics of personhood that we experience as human beings, except without sin.

• God is ____________ – He shows unfathomable affection. 1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God in His love desires our everlasting welfare and all of His acts are done to secure it. His Love is consistent, unfailing and pure because “God is love” in the core of His nature. Both heavenly and human beings were created with a free will in order that we could enjoy and fellowship the love of God forever.

3 This quote among many others in this study are taken from the CEI Booklet “ The Knowledge of God” by Terry Edwards


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John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. This well-known verse below speaks of the divine love which moved God to provide salvation for the world through His Son. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

• God is __________ – Absolute purity – Can not sin nor tolerate sin. God’s holiness is revealed in the fact that when Adam and Eve sinned they were expelled from the Garden and were cursed to live outside the garden where they now had to work and toil. Even though God could not tolerate sin He provided atonement for Adam and Eve’s sin by shedding the blood of an animal and covering them with its skin. Thus began the story of redemption and atonement through spilled blood. God is absolutely holy with a perfection of purity in His uncreated being that can fill us with awe and worship but cannot be fully grasped by anything created. He is holy with an infinite fullness of purity that is incomprehensible. Isaiah 6:3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" Revelation 15:4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested." If it weren’t for the beauty of God’s grace that was accomplished through Jesus Christ, we would not be able to approach God in His Holiness. But in His mercy He has made a way for us to approach Him. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The blood of Christ presents us before the Father as righteous and sanctified, able to stand in His presence with an imputed holiness we could never accomplish on our own.


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2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

• God is ____________ – God realizes the best designs by the best possible means. He cannot make a mistake. His is all wise.

A.W. Tozer defines wisdom as “the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means. Psalms 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions; All of God’s acts are done in wisdom because of the integration of these attributes of His being. He is not tainted by sin or selfishness; His acts are motivated by the awareness of ultimate good; He sees and knows all that can be seen and known. Because His understanding is infinite, His wisdom is boundless.

• God is a ___________ God or a God of Love. Isaiah 45:21 (NLT) Consult together, argue your case, and state your proofs that idol worship pays. Who made these things known long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the LORD? For there is no other God but me – a just God and a Savior – no, not one! Because He is all knowing, His sense of justice never lacks necessary information. Because He is infinitely wise, His judgments are perfectly integrated with His purposes. The perfect justice of God was revealed in Jesus Christ when He magnificently displayed His dealings with the sin of mankind. God’s love and goodness culminated in Christ taking the full brunt of divine justice in His perfect humanity.

•••• God is full of __________________. Love, Benevolence, Mercy and Grace are all included in His goodness. The goodness of God is that which enables Him to be kind, benevolent, and full of good will toward all men. In this core of His being God is tenderhearted, sympathetic and inclined to give blessings. He takes great pleasure in the happiness and well being of His people.


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It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

What part did God’s goodness have to do with you in coming to God through Jesus Christ?

•••• God is _______________ – Absolutely trustworthy. His Word Will Never Fail.

God is faithful in the core of His being. Since He is immutable (unchangeable), His faithfulness can never change. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 6:18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

• God is _________________ and Full of Grace. Whether in the Garden of Eden or the Garden of Gethsemane, God is seen as merciful, just and full of grace. All of His dealings with mankind are in mercy and love. A perfect example of God’s mercy is the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. John 8:10-11 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said no one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more. The Christian's experience of grace begins with the reception of the riches of His grace ("fullness") and is progressive and limitless.


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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How has God’s grace and mercy being poured into your life affected your relationship with Him?

God’s mercy and grace arise from His goodness and love. Grace and mercy are related but not identical. The mercy of God is His goodness confronting human sin, guilt and misery. His grace is His goodness directed at our inability and our debt. Grace is the good pleasure of God that enables Him to give favor to the undeserving.

IV. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications. As you can see, a true revelation of God in His transcendent and personal attributes will liberate the human soul. We ultimately become what we believe God to Be. The right concept of God is very critical to our spiritual maturity. Once we know God in some Degree of accuracy, He becomes an anchor to our soul. We are truly liberated when we

break through the discouragements and confusion of our circumstances and embrace the unchanging, loving, all wise, omnipotent King of glory.

One of the greatest and most wonderful things about God is that He wants to share His attributes with us. 2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.


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Leader/Facilitator: Share how embracing the divine nature of God has transformed your life and made you more fruitful in Him. As we begin to embrace and walk in all of the wonderful promises God has given to us through His Word, the divine nature of God begins to take root in our lives as well. Ephesians 1:17-19 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.

V. Finishing Touches – Other Resources

Books: Pursuit of the Holy – Corey Russell The Discipline of Grace – Jerry Bridges Bible Studies: Discovering the Majesty of Who God is Ken Birks

All resources can be found at:

http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-1/


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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Our Father God – His View of Us

I. Digging the Foundation – ________________ the True Character of the Father, God.

Most of us have grown up with a distorted perception of how God views or perceives us. We may perceive God as some mean and cruel person who wants to punish us for every wrong thing we do or we may see Him as the benevolent God, who is primarily a forgiving God. Or we may even perceive Him as a critical God, who wants absolute control of all

things. In this session our goal will be to define how God truly views or perceives us as individuals. The truth is; how you perceive God’s actions and thoughts towards you will affect how you relate to Him. Therefore it is of the utmost importance that we have a correct Biblical view of how God perceives us as individuals. Leader/Facilitator: Share your personal transformation process of how your view of how God views your life changed your life. What is your present perception of how you believe God views you?

The scripture below reveals the bottom line of how God truly thinks about each one of us as individuals. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. When we begin to perceive God in the same way that He perceives us there is an agreement in the Spirit that brings a greater connection and intimacy with Him and thus causes us to seek Him more with a full heart of assurance. The next two verses from Jeremiah 29 reveal this.


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Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.13And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Francis Anfuso writes in his book “Perfectly Positioned, “For years, even decades, I had developed a pattern of expressing my love to God. Many times throughout the day I would say, “God, I love you,” or “Thank you, Jesus, for loving and caring for my life.” I had considered this my First Love relationship with Jesus. In reality, it was Second Love. His love for me came first. The Bible says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” I had become so preoccupied trying to attain God’s approval, I had lost sight of His unwavering acceptance. Actually, I had never fully realized the extent of His feelings toward me. In time I learned to lean less on the commitment I have made to Jesus, and to bask more in the eternal Covenant He has made with me. John, the beloved disciple, again qualifies the essential sequence of love: “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” I now discipline my spirit and soul to receive His unconditional love for me. I reject any thought that conflicts with the ultimate thought: that God is madly in love with me. No matter what I have done or what sin I have committed. There is nothing I could ever do to make God stop loving me. My repentance and return to God does not reactivate His love for me. It was never deactivated. Even before I was born, His thoughts toward me were pure joy and gladness. How can I fully love God if I don’t know He fully loves me? As Jack Frost teaches, “God loves you the way you are, and not the way you think you should be.” 4

II. Forming and Reinforcement: ____________________ Our Thoughts with God’s Thoughts about Us.

Psalms 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! God's counsels concerning us and our welfare are deep, such as cannot be known. We cannot think how many mercies we have received from him. If it were not for his precious thoughts of love to us, our

4 Francis Anfuso, Perfectly Positioned, p. 38-39


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reason and our living for ever would, through our sins, prove the occasion of our eternal misery. (Matthew Henry Commentary)

Isaiah 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. In this section our goal will be to see how God views or perceives us even in our most sinful conditions. Again our goal is to bring our thoughts of God into alignment with His thoughts towards us. This is the forming and the reinforcement to the foundation God is laying in each of our lives. How we go on to build our lives according to His purposes will be a direct result of the foundation that has been formed. 1. God Loves Us And ________ Us Even In Our Most Darkened State. Song of Songs 1:5 I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is probably one of the most important factors in our whole Christian experience that gives us confidence in God. When we fully grasp the significance that God loves us and likes us even in our darkened and sinful state, it gives us confidence and assurance to move forward in His grace and mercy which enables us to walk as overcomers. As it says in 1 John when our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart. 1 John 3:20-21 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. It is only when we truly understand God’s grace and mercy that our heart will not condemn us and thus give us confidence before God. Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), God's infinite love is the groundwork of our salvation; in reference to us that love assumes the form of mercy, and that mercy provides the Savior, the


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Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore the apostle adds, Ephesians 2:5: By grace you are saved—it is by God's free mercy in Christ that you are brought into this state of salvation.—Adam Clarke's Commentary

Many People believe God loves them, but

areNOTconvinced He always likes them.

Do you believe that God always likes you? o Yes o No o I’m Not Sure o I Sure Hope So

The truth is; God has always liked you. But you're not alone! He likes everybody! God likes us even though we do things we know are wrong. God likes us even though He doesn't like everything we do.

God the father couldn't love us any more than He does. He doesn't love us more when we are good; nor does He love us less when we are bad. There's nothing we could ever do to make God love us more.

Likewise, there's nothing we could ever do to make Him love us less. Like a good parent, God’s love for us is unconditional, unwavering and everlasting.

• All we have to do is _______________ God's love. "God is Love"

1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

• God doesn't like us based on our _______________. He likes us based on who He created us to be.

We are created in His image and likeness. He desires a personal relationship with us, which He designed to last forever.


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Is God troubled at times when He thinks about us?

Yes

No

Absolutely not!

He makes a distinction between our actions and who He created us to be. Like a good parent, He may not approve of all the things we do, but He always loves and likes us. God thinks we are precious. . . incredibly valuable. Like a caring parent, He adores us.

• How much does God love us?

1 John 4:9 "God showed how much he loved us by sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him."

God the Father loves us even as much as He loves His Son Jesus.

Jesus said, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love." John 15:9

Ever see a parent smile at his/her son or daughter?

That’s how God feels about us. God enjoys the very thoughts of us.

• How important is it that we receive God's ______________?

The main event in life is not how much we love God, but how much He loves us. 1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. God wants us to be so confident in His love for us that we can stand boldly before Him on Judgment Day.


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1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

• We receive God's love by receiving what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross for our sins.

2. God Will Never ________________ His Will Upon Us. God will never impose His will upon us. He gives us the right to make the choice as to whether we want His intervention or not. He loves us enough to let us go our own way and find out for ourselves the kind of fruit we are capable of producing.

• We must _____________ to Him when He calls us, if we want His help and intervention in our lives.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? 10I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Can you think of a time when you knew clearly what God wanted you to do and you didn’t do it? What was the outcome?

Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

• David understood this when we prayed for God to help Him after choosing to yield to His way.

Psalms 119:173 Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts.


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• God is always ____________ with us, when He is trying to draw us into His presence away form our self-destructive ways.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

V. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications.

It has become very clear from the Scriptures that God is very much for us. Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? If this is true, then we must embrace it and walk in the true reality of God for it to become the new reality of our lives.

As we meditate on who God really is and what His heart’s desire is towards us, we will find ourselves walking in a state of renewal that brings us into the prosperity and blessing that God desires for us. Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper How has this session changed your perspective on how God views you?


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IV. Finishing Touches – Other Resources

Movies: Jesus - See video at website below. Books: The Pleasures of Loving God – Mike Bickle Audio Message: God Likes You - Pastor Francis Anfuso

Take the simple God Likes you Quiz to see how much God really does like you.

All materials can be found at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-2

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Jesus – What He Came To Do – Pt.1

I. Digging the Foundation – ____________________ Jesus. Luke 19:10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." All of us were like sheep going astray. We were lost in our sin, on our way to destructive paths. Jesus came to set us free and to give us a new life filled with God’s abundance. John’s gospel alludes to the fact that the world was already condemned to hell and that Jesus came to save us from the condemnation the world was under. (See John 3:16-19)

The purpose of this session is to discover what it was and is that Jesus came to do. The above Scripture sums up His purpose and mission statement – He simply came to seek and save those who were lost and under the condemnation of the world. This session will explore how it was that He accomplished this monumental task.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Share briefly what the most significant factor was that Jesus chose to seek you out.

__________________________________________

We will be taking a close look at all that Jesus did during His 3½ years of ministry as the anointed One sent From God This session explores all that Jesus did during this time of ministry and the session that follows will explore what took place as a result of His death, burial and resurrection when He went to the cross.


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In coming to seek and save the lost, Jesus shares from the prophetic passage of Scripture found in the book of Isaiah, how He would go about doing what He was commissioned to do.5 Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." When we see all that Jesus did through His anointed ministry, it will give us a glimpse of what we can expect from Him as we become more and more acquainted with Him and His purpose towards us as individuals. It will also show us what we are capable of doing under the anointing that God pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit. John 14:12-13 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This is a great and wonderful promise from Jesus concerning what He wants to do in our lives. If we neglect the opportunity to really get to know Him and what He is capable of in our lives, we could miss out on a beautiful destiny He has for each one of us.

II. Forming and ______________ – What Jesus Came To Do. God is looking to build something in our lives that will last throughout eternity. The truths that come forth from the life and ministry of Jesus are strong foundational truths that are the forms and the reinforcements that go into building the spiritual foundation that is necessary for God to build on.

• He came to show us the way to the Father.

• He came to reveal the love of the Father.

• He came to reveal the Father’s power and authority.

• He came to show us the true character of God.

5 Isaiah 61:1-2


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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Of the four areas mentioned above, which one do you appreciate the most? Why?

__________________________________________ 1. He Came To Show Us The __________ To The Father. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Many have come and gone throughout history proclaiming they knew the way to the Father, but it is only Jesus who said, “I am the way.” Jesus is the way because He came from the Father and is the mediator between man and God. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

2. He Came To Reveal The __________________ Of The Father. When you think of how Jesus came to show us the love of the Father, the story of Jesus’ response to the woman who was caught in adultery really exemplifies the love of the Father expressed through Jesus. John 8:3-11 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5"Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" 6This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of


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which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. 7So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." 8And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" 11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Questions for Reflection: How does this story relate to your life?

__________________________________________ Do you believe God has totally forgiven you of your sin? Why?

__________________________________________ 3. He Came to Reveal the Father’s ______________ and ___________. When Jesus was in the temple at His home town in Nazareth He read from the Book of Isaiah the Prophet concerning His ministry, which reveals the authority and power of which He would operate under. Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Acts 10:-38 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.


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Jesus revealed the Father’s authority and power through the many miracles and healings He performed upon those who were bound up in one form or another through the works of Satan. Listed below are some of the miracles performed by Jesus. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• The _________________ of Jesus: Water changed into wine – Jn 2:9 Draught of fishes – Luke 5:6 Demoniac in the synagogue – Mark 1:26 Peter’s Mother-in-law healed – Mt. 8:14 Cleansing the leper – Mt. 8:3 Paralytic healed – Mt. 9:2 Withered hand – Mt.12:10 Centurion’s servant – Mt. 8:5 Raising the Widow’s Son – Luke 7:11 Stormed stilled – Mt.8:26 Demoniacs of Gadara – Mt. 8:28 Raising of Jairus’ daughter – Mt. 9:18 Issue of Blood – Mt. 9:20

Feeding five thousand – Mt. 14:15 Walking on the sea – Mt 14.25 Daughter of Syrophenician – Mt. 15:22 Deaf and Dumb healed – Mark 7:23 Feeding the four thousand – Mt. 15:32 Lunatic child – Mt. 17:14 Tribute Money – Mt. 17:24 Ten Lepers – Lu. 17:12 Lazarus raised from dead – Jn. 11 Cursing Fig Tree – Mt. 21:19 Malchus healed – Lu. 22:51 Second draught of fishes – Jn 21:6 His resurrection – Lu 24:6

Of all the miracles Jesus performed, which one stands out to you the most? Why?

_____________________________________________

Do you believe God desires to perform miracles in and through you as well?

_____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. He Came To Show Us The True ________________ Of God. Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He


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had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Jesus embodies God in human flesh and blood. If you want to know God’s character, look at Jesus and His character. John 14:19 (NLT) Jesus replied, “Philip, don’t you even yet know who I am, even after all the time I have been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking to see Him? John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus was the total embodiment of the fruit of the spirit that is mentioned in Galatians. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Leader/Facilitator: Share briefly which of these character traits was the greatest struggle for you and how you got the victory. Jesus came to show us what these character traits looked like in human flesh. He was full of kindness, gentleness and goodness and always exercised self-control and longsuffering, even in the most adverse situations. He was full of love, joy and peace as He went about doing His Father’s business.

VI. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications.

We’ve just been given a glimpse into the life of Jesus and have seen through the Word of God, Who He is, and what He came to do. His desire is for us to follow Him in all things.

John 17:18-20 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19"And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that


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they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

• Just as Jesus came to show us the way to the Father, He expects us to show ____________ the way as well.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you presently or have you had people in your life that you are reconciling to in this way? How are you doing this?

• As we go forth in His name, His desire is for us to show the same _____________ from the Father that He showed.

John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How are you presently involved in showing love towards others? Do you find this difficult or easy?

• His Desire is for us to experience His awesome power towards us.


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Ephesians 1:17-19 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How have you recently experienced God’s power working through you? If so, explain.

• We are to grow into the _______________ of Christ. Ephesians 4:22-24 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What changes have you seen in your life since your decision to follow Jesus?

IV. Finishing Touches – Other Resources Bible Studies: Jesus and His Divinity and Jesus Revealed to the Hebrews by Ken Birks Books: Born Again by Charles Colson is a readable biography about the founder of Prison Fellowship. It tells the story of how President Nixon’s “hatchet


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man” came to Christ during a time of disgrace in the Watergate era. It shows God’s grace for an undeserving man, and how God can transform and use a person. The above resources can be found at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-3

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Jesus – What He Came To Do – Pt.2

I. Digging the Foundation – Discovering ________________. Matthew 20:28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The purpose of this session is to discover what it was and is that Jesus came to do. The above Scripture sums up His purpose and mission statement – He simply came to seek and save the lost by giving His life a ransom for many. This session will explore how He accomplished this monumental task by going to the cross as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

1. Jesus Was To Come As The ____________ Of God To Take Away The Sin Of The World.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

• You may ask, “Why is this so critical for me to know?” Genesis 3:16-17 Then [God] said to the woman, "You will bear children with intense pain and suffering. And though your desire will be for your husband, he will be your master. And to Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit I told you not to eat, I have placed a curse on the ground. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

• We are saved from the curse. Because of our imperfection, we needed the work of Jesus as the Lamb of God on our behalf.

The truth is; this is the very foundation of all that we are and do as a Christian. Without an understanding of Jesus as the Lamb of God, Who has come to take away our sins, we will never come into the fullness of what He desires for us. If you don’t understand why He is the Lamb of God and what His blood has accomplished in your life then you really don’t have anything to stand on.


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Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• His Ministry as the Lamb of God was His most _________ Ministry. Of all that Jesus came to do, His ministry as the Lamb of God would be His most significant contribution to the world. The Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah records a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah and what He would be sent to accomplish. Isaiah 53:4-7 Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. The Scripture above gives us close look at all that Jesus accomplished as a result of His death, burial and resurrection when He went to the cross. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When you read the above passage of Scripture, which part stands out to you the most? Why?

__________________________________________

2. The ____________ of the Lamb – Why? Leviticus 17:11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given It to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'


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Throughout the Old Testament, beginning with Adam and Eve, whenever mankind sinned an animal had to be sacrificed to make atonement for their sins. When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. They were simply trying to cover their sin with their own means, like many of us do before we experience Jesus as the Lamb of God. God saw that their own means of covering their sin was not sufficient, so He came down and killed an animal, shedding its blood, to cover their sin. From then on, blood became the atoning factor for man’s sin. 6

Hebrews 9:22&28 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Illustration: A small detachment of British troops, surprised by an overwhelming enemy force, fell back under heavy fire. Their wounded lay in a perilous position, facing certain death. They all realized they had to come immediately under the protection of a Red Cross flag if they wanted to survive. All they had was a piece of white cloth, but no red paint. So they used the blood from their wounds to make a large cross on that white cloth. Their attackers respected that grim flag as it was held aloft, and the British wounded were brought to safety (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Great Boer War).

Our enemy not only must respect the blood of Christ shed on Calvary's cross, he also is helpless against it. Christ's blood represents the sacrifice of One whose death removed the guilt and condemnation of our sin and broke its hold over us. It is absolute protection against the accusation of Satan, the defeating remembrances of past sins, and the down pull of our Adamic nature. No wonder we glory in the cross.—D.J.D.

II. Forming and Reinforcement – What Jesus Came To Do. God is looking to build something in our lives that will last throughout eternity. The truths that come forth from Jesus’ ministry as the Lamb of God are strong foundational truths that are the forms and the reinforcements that go into building the spiritual foundation that is necessary for God to build on.

6 Genesis 3:7,21


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According to Isaiah 53, through the work of the cross Jesus came to:

• bear our griefs (sicknesses, diseases) and heal us by the stripes that He was beaten with.

• carry our sorrows

• be wounded for our transgressions and iniquities

• be chastised for our peace

• take upon Himself our sins ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Of the five areas mentioned above, which one do you appreciate the most? Why?

1. He Came to Bear Our and _______________ and ______________. Isaiah 53:4,5b Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted6 and by His stripes we are healed.

• The fulfillment of Isaiah 53. Matthew 8:16-17 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses." Notice that it says here that he healed all who were sick that the prophecy of Isaiah 53 might be fulfilled. Jesus was and is obligated to heal all who come to him for healing. During His ministry He healed everyone who came to Him for healing. Because He operated in perfect faith He was able to do this. He is still obligated today; as Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, but the problem is; we don’t operate in the same perfect faith that He did. We must be like the apostle Paul who said3


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Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. The key to our victory, in the above Scripture, is to believe God and to press forward in and laying hold of the victory He has already gained for us. Salvation and faith apply to every area of our lives including faith and our battle with the enemy. In fact, the Bible uses the same Greek words for salvation as it does for healing. They are the Greek words “sozo” and “soteria.” The Word of God guarantees us victory in every area that pertains unto life and salvation including our victory over the enemy’s devices. We have been made overcomers by the blood of the Lamb. 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you believe God wants to heal you of all your sicknesses and diseases? What area of faith do you need to press into the most?

__________________________________________

2. He Came to _________ our Sorrows. Isaiah 53:3-4 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. Matthew 26:38-39 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." 39He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."


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As Jesus was in the garden praying to His Father in Heaven, He was totally aware of what was about to transpire in the next few hours. In His flesh He felt the full weight of what He was about to go through and became very sorrowful. He went through this on our behalf, so that we would be able to cast all of our sorrows upon Him.

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What kind of burdens and sorrows have you sincerely laid at the feet of Jesus?

__________________________________________

3. He Was ________________ For Our Transgressions and Iniquities. Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; 1 Peter 1:18-19 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. In these verses Peter is speaking of the objective work of God for your salvation, which is redemption. He had to pay a price for you. You and I stood under the judgment of God, for the Scripture says ". . . the soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4) God has never revoked that decree. God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The immutability of God is the terror of the wicked – if they give any thought to it at all. We hear it said that we are living in a new age with new thoughts and new values, but God has not changed. There would be no reason for Him to change because He knew the end from the beginning. Neither did He learn anything when He looked at the morning newspaper or heard the television newscaster this morning. It didn't give Him any information


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because He knows all things – past, present, and future. And God has not changed His decree that "the soul that sins, it shall die." J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

Isaiah 53:5 shows the account of the sufferings of Christ for our sins that Jesus suffered for us. We have all sinned, and have come short of the glory of God. This is the atonement that was to be made for our sins and is the only way of salvation. Our sins were the thorns in Christ's head, the nails in his hands and feet, the spear in his side. He was delivered to death for our offences. He purchased for us the Spirit and grace of God, by His sufferings to destroy our sinful desires. (Adam Clarke Commentary)

Romans 5:6-8 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

"All of us carry the nails of the cross in our pocket."

How easily we crucify Him!

• By subtly moving Him to the peripheral of our conversation when it is embarrassing to be identified with Christ.

• By compromising His principles in business when it is to our advantage to hedge the truth.

• By smugly taking credit for accomplishments that would have been impossible without His help.

While enjoying a warm and secure evening with Christ and the other disciples the night before the cross, Peter declares, "Lord, I will lay down my life for you." In a matter of hours however, Peter distances himself from any association with Christ: Personal survival winning over telling and identifying with the Truth.

It is easy to promise Christ the moon when we are among His friends. The true test comes amidst times of guerrilla warfare in hostile enemy territory.

We would never physically crucify Christ. Of course, but how often do we subtly abandon Him when identifying with Him would jeopardize our peace, prosperity, or social standing?


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Yes3 we, like Peter, "carry the nails of the cross in our pocket." – Martin Luther

Matthew 10:32-33 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, We serve the God of reconciliation, forgiveness, and second chances. Peter sinned by denying Jesus three times, but he was restored by Christ and empowered to do great things. In like manner, we can be forgiven for whatever we have done, and used by God. There is no condemnation for Christians. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. He Was ______________ For Our Peace. Isaiah 53:5b The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Colossians 1:20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. Peace between God and man; for man being in a sinful state, and there being no peace to the wicked, it required a reconciliation to be made to restore peace between heaven and earth; but peace could not be made without an atonement for sin, and the consequence shows that the blood of Christ shed on the cross was necessary to make this atonement.

— Adam Clarke's Commentary __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In what ways have you experienced the peace of God since coming to Jesus?

4. He Took Upon Himself Our Sins – He Became Sin For Us. Isaiah 53:6b And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This is probably one the most amazing facts concerning the atonement of Christ – that is that He became sin for us. Jesus who was totally without sin was now filled with sin as He hung on the cross. Up until now He had not cried out, not even once while He was beaten and crucified. Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. Now that He is hanging on the cross full of the sins of mankind, He cries out in agony. Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" At this point in time, because Jesus was full of the sins of the world, the Father could no longer look at Him. The close intimacy He had continually experienced with the Father during His time on earth was no longer and He cried out in agony and dies.


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When you think of Jesus hanging on the cross full of your sin, completely alone and alienated from His Father, how does it make you feel?

___________________________________________

As a result of Jesus taking our sin, He also became our righteousness. This means we are now totally righteous in Him. He has become our righteousness. Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. In other words, when God now looks upon us, He doesn’t see us in our sinful state, but rather as perfect, standing in the righteousness of Christ. Psalm 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

VII. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications.

We’ve just been given a glimpse into the atonement of Jesus and have seen through the Word of God, Who He is, and what He came to do through the work of the cross. His desire is now for us to receive all that He purchased for us. We are His purchased possession. We have been given much as a result of all that Jesus came to do.

2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.


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1. We Must ___________________ as Abraham Did. Romans 4:20-22 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." The key to Abraham’s faith was that he was fully convinced in his heart that God would perform His promise towards him.

• What if I’m not fully _____________ the way Abraham was? How can I get there?

There is really only one way to get there and that is to meditate in His word to the degree that you begin to take possession of it and own it. In other words, you really believe it.

1. Joshua was told to meditate in the Word to make his way more successful – Joshua 1:8

2. David encouraged us to mediate in God’s word so that we would continue to bear fruit and prosper – Psalm 1:1-3.

3. David also said, “I have hidden His word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” – Psalm 119:11.

2. We Must _________________ That Which We Believe. 2 Corinthians 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,

• What does this really mean? How do I begin to confess God’s Word for my Life?

1. Instead of making confessions according to your circumstances,

confess who you are in Christ and what He has said you are capable of.

2. Examples: You are more than a conqueror in Christ, He always leads you in triumph, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you – Romans 8:37, 2 Corin. 2:14, Phil. 4:13.


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3. During Abraham’s great testing of his faith, he made confessions according to the covenant God had already established with him rather than the circumstances of the moment – Genesis 22:5,8.

4. What are the everyday circumstances you are going through that seem to be in contradiction to what God has purposes for your lives? He has given to you, through His covenant, all things that pertain unto life and godliness.

5. Begin to make your confession based on the promises of God’s Word rather than your personal circumstances and you will begin to see your faith grow in a mighty way just as Abraham did.

3. We Must _______________ Upon That Which We Believe. James 2:25-26 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Faith works hand-in-hand with works. Acting upon what you say you believe reveals your faith. The above passage of Scripture speaks of how Rahab was justified by works. How was this so? According to the second chapter of Joshua, she received the Hebrew spies when they were scouting out the land. She not only received them, but told them how to escape without being detected. She jeopardized her life by turning her back on her old life and on her own people. She did not just say, "Jesus saves and keeps and satisfies." She said to them, "I'm going to do something. I will hide you because I believe God is going to give the people of Israel this land. She believed God, and she became involved. She was justified before God by her faith. Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. J. Vernon McGee writes, "Many years ago I went to a nursery and bought a bare root which was labeled "Santa Rosa plum." It wasn't even as big as a broom handle, and it looked no more alive than a broom handle. I was told to put it in the ground in a certain way, and I did that. I watched it, and the next spring it began to shoot out leaves. In three years there were blossoms on it, and then there was fruit. Do you know what kind of fruit was on that tree? Plums. The root of that tree was a plum root.


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Faith is the root, and the root produces the kind of fruit that the root itself is. If you have a living faith, there is going to be fruit in your life. Paul says, "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves . . ." (2 Corinthians 13:5) What is it in your life now that pertains unto life and godliness that you are in need of?

__________________________________________

How will you go about receiving what God has promised you through His Word?

__________________________________________


Bible Studies: The Covenant of Healing by Ken Birks Movies: The film The Passion of the Christ does a great job showing the suffering of Christ. It also shows His encounter with the devil, how He overcame evil with good, and how He defeated Satan. The symbol of the cross is important, because it shows the love

of Christ, the death that we deserved, and how to overcome evil with good. Without God we can be easily defeated or destroyed by Lucifer. It is only by God’s grace that we have the power to be victorious over the devil. Books: The classic by Charles Dickens, Tale of Two Cities, is a great read. In it, during the French Revolution, a main character gives his life for others. The above resources can be found at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-4

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living The Holy Spirit – Who He Is

I. Digging the Foundation – Discovering Who He Is.

In this session we will be discussing the person of the Holy Spirit and who He is. This is a very important area of study as everything we receive in God comes through the Holy Spirit. He is our link to God the Father and Jesus the Son. Even though this session and the next one

focus primarily upon the Holy Spirit, it is important to keep in mind that the Holy Spirit never glorifies Himself, but always points towards the Lord Jesus Christ.7 After believing and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the _____________ of our inheritance until our complete redemption. Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. When a person is saved or born again because they have come to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they receive the birth of the Holy Spirit into their lives. The Holy Spirit then becomes an indwelling presence in the life of a believer. Later, when a person is baptized or fully immersed into the Holy Spirit there is a greater release of His activity in the life of a believer. We will discuss more about these two experiences in a later session. Everything that has been committed to us from Jesus Christ and the Father are kept in our lives because of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit

2 Timothy 1:13-14 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14That good

7 John 16:14-15


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thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Up until now, what has been your understanding of the Holy Spirit?

As you can see from the above Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is a major player in the life of a believer, which makes it very important that we understand who He is.

II. Forming and Reinforcement: The Holy Spirit has a Divine

________________ with the Father and Son.

The Holy Spirit is revealed in scripture to

be the third person in the eternal Godhead or the Trinity,8 and is often associated with the Father and Son in Scripture. There is a mystery to the Trinity, but it is important to recognize that there is only one God, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make

disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit... 1 John 5:7-8 For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one 8And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

8 The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but is a good word to describe the Godhead. Tertullian, one

of the early church fathers introduced the word "Trinity" as the most suitable word to define the teaching concerning the Godhead.


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1. The Holy Spirit is Just as Much God As The Father and the Son Are. He Is a _______________ Personality.

He is not merely an influence, but a Divine Person, coequal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. Believers can be robbed of a real relationship with the Holy Spirit if they consider the Spirit to be an impersonal influence, power or energy. John 16:13-14 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14"He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 2. Jesus Said That The Holy Spirit Would _______________ Him In Every Way.

He came to take Jesus' place and in so doing He fulfills the ministry of Jesus on the earth. In order to do this He must be equal to Jesus; and He must be a person. The Holy Spirit is the silent member of the eternal Godhead or Trinity. By that we mean He never projects Himself He always glorifies God the Father and God the Son. John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When you look at all the things Jesus accomplished through His life and ministry, do you see the Holy Spirit accomplishing some of those same things in your life? If so, share briefly what He has accomplished.


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3. The Holy Spirit Has the Same _______________ as the Father. The same essential and moral attributes ascribed to the Father and the Son are also ascribed to the Holy Spirit. This could only be so if the Holy Spirit is indeed a Divine person. The Holy Spirit is called God and referred to as being eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. These are the same characteristics that we saw in the Father. (See Acts 5:3-4, Hebrews 9:14, Luke 1:35, John 14:26 and 1 Corinthians 2:10).

�� Other Attributes and ______________ of the Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the world – Genesis 1:1-2.

• He is active in the regeneration of fallen man – John 3:3-5.

• He was involved in the resurrection Jesus’ body – Romans 8:11. • He was active in the inspiration of Scripture – 2 Timothy 3:16

• The Holy Spirit has a mind – Romans 8:21. • The Holy Spirit has a will – 1 Corinthians 12:11.

• The Holy Spirit has emotions – Romans 15:30. As we have seen the Holy Spirit is a divine Person and the third Person in the Godhead. He is God indwelling the believer. It is a privilege to have the conscious joy and knowledge of the Spirit within. 4. The Holy Spirit in the Life of ________________. In order to fully understand how the Holy Spirit works in the life of the believer, it is important to see how He worked in the life of Jesus. Keep in mind that when Jesus came to earth, He emptied Himself of all of His Divine attributes and became dependent upon the Holy Spirit in the same way that a believer must. Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind (attitude) be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.


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The whole life of Jesus as a perfect Man was governed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus depended upon the Holy Spirit in such a manner, how much more should the believers constantly depend upon the Holy Spirit. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ All that God has for us and wants to do in our lives will only be done by the operation of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Therefore it is of utmost importance for believers individually and the church corporately to open their hearts to seek the fullness of the Spirit working in them. Luke 4:14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the LORD." Do you believe this same anointing is available to you? If so, have you experienced this anointing? Give an example.

VIII. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications.

When you have needs in your life, to whom do you turn? You look to the Father because His is the giver of every good and perfect gift. The source is the Father. But the giver of that source is Christ. And the power of the source is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is your __________. He is


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your assistant to help you receive everything that pertains to life and godliness that God has made available to you. John 14:16-17 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, 17"even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” Think about a time when you really needed some help and someone came alongside you who knew more than you knew as well as being very experienced in the task. You probably drew upon their strength and abilities and let them do most of the work. Well, that is exactly what we have in the Holy Spirit. He is our helper who is much more experienced and adept at anything we put our hands to doing. We need to learn to draw upon Him as our Divine helper. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Relate a story in your life when you really needed someone’s help and assistance.

� It is through the _____ ______ that the Spirit enters into our lives. John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” When we come to the place in our lives where we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we are born again; and we receive the birth of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He is now resident within us.


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John 20:20-22 Now when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Then Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.” When you consider your life as a Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit, how does that affect the way you can now view your life?


Books: The Shack No one knows what a spirit looks like. In the book The Shack, the Spirit is pictured as a person who shimmers. The author is trying to portray the Holy Spirit in human terms, but no one knows if this is accurate. God also describes Himself as a spirit. We know

that Jesus is a man, only because He is incarnate. Movies can portray Jesus because He is tangible, but how can a movie portray a spirit? The Bible does not say much about how God appears, but it says much about what He does. It is impossible for a human to look upon God and survive unless we are allowed to. Exodus 33:20-23 “But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live. The LORD continued, "Stand here on this rock beside me. As my glorious presence passes by, I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed. Then I will remove my hand, and you will see me from behind. But my face will not be seen."


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Bible Studies: The Godhead, the Holy Spirit, Word and Spirit: Partners Audio Files: Word and Spirit, the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. The above listed resources can all be either downloaded or seen at the following site: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-5

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living The Holy Spirit – His Ministry In Our Lives

I. Digging the Foundation – Discovering How He __________.

In this session we will be discussing the person of the Holy Spirit and how He works in the life of a believer. This is a very important area of study as everything we do in our lives and ministry is a result of His ministry towards us. If we fail to rely upon the Holy Spirit in our lives we will end up producing wood, hay, and

stubble rather than gold, silver, and precious stones. On the other hand when we rely upon the Holy Spirit our works will be saved and we will receive the reward. With this in mind, we can see how important it is for us to know how the Holy Spirit wants to work in our lives. (See 1 Cor. 2:11-15)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In what ways have you witnessed the Holy Spirit working in your life?

II. Forming and Reinforcement: The Holy Spirit’s __________ and ____________ in our Lives.

As we look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit

in our lives it is important that we understand that His ministry works in conjunction with the will and purpose of God. The purpose of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to bring us into the fullness of all that our sonship represents and to be transformed into the image and the glory of the Son.


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2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began6 We have all been saved and called with a divine purpose and as we will see it is the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit that brings us into God’s wonderful destiny for our lives. 1. The Holy Spirit ____________ us and Imparts the Divine Revelation

of God into our Spirits. God is intimately acquainted with all of our ways. He knows exactly what we need to know and do to fulfill His calling in our lives. The Holy Spirit searches the heart of the Father to reveal these things unto us. He delights in teaching us and imparting divine revelation into our spirits. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. Whenever we do personal study, either of a book or of the Bible, God reveals truth to us. 1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Describe a time when you experienced illumination from the Holy Spirit concerning God’s Word?


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2. The Holy Spirit will ________ the Things Freely Given to us By God. God’s desire is to give to us everything we need in this life to fulfill His purpose for our lives. It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry to reveal these things to us and to give them to us. 2 Peter 1:3-4 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Can you think of something God has freely given to you to help you work out His purpose in your life? If so, please write it in the space to the right.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 3. He Leads & ____________ Us Into God's Will and Our Ministries. John 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. Try to imagine yourself on a safari or an adventure into one of the great jungles of the world without a guide or maybe a rafting trip down swift rapids. Think of all the dangers from wild animals, natives, snakes and other predators you could encounter along the way. You probably wouldn’t even attempt it. Yet we attempt to navigate through the jungles of life that have just as many dangers without the aid of a guide.


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Have you ever been on an adventure where you needed a guide? If so share how the guide helped you to accomplish your mission.

____________________________________________

The Holy Spirit is our personal guide through this life. When our lives are dedicated to serving God and His purpose we activate this ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When our lives are full of self will and self-serving motives His ministry in this area will be quenched. Leader/Facilitator: If you have ever received a vision, dream or prophetic word that helped you find your way to your destiny in God, share that with the group. Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Whether it is through prophecy, the still small voice, dreams, visions or even an audible voice the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to be our personal guide into the purpose and will of God for our lives. This starts out with a personal calling and then leads into more specific adventures in the Spirit. 4. The Holy Spirit Gives Us _____________ Over Sin. Romans 8:11-13 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors; not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. There are many Christians walking around today who are still in bondage to the sins of their youth. God wants to break those bondages in your lives and set you free. The problem is; so many people try to break these bondages relying on their own strength rather than the power of the Holy Spirit.


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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Understanding that all Christians sin, do you have areas in your life that you need victory in? If so, write out a prayer asking for the Holy Spirit to help you.

When you yield yourself to the power of the Holy Spirit and the purpose and will of God; and you will begin to experience His help and ministry in your lives on a permanent basis. If you yield to Him and allow Him to speak to your heart through His gentle promptings you will find Him leading you through life's many snares and into the purpose of God for your lives. 5. The Holy Spirit ___________ Us To ____________. Oftentimes, we have no idea of what we should be praying for, but as we wait on the Lord, the Holy Spirit begins to impress upon us what we should be praying for. Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

IX. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications.

When you have needs in your life, to whom do you turn? You look to the Father because His is the giver of every good and perfect gift. The source is the Father. But the giver of that source is Christ. And the power of the source is the Holy Spirit. If we really desire the Holy Spirit’s help and assistance in our lives, it will mean

coming under His sufficiency rather than our own sufficiency.


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2 Corinthians 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Jesus is our example: In all that He did while He ministered in the fullness of the Spirit during His short 3½ years of ministry, He did it through the Holy Spirit as the Spirit searched the heart of the Father. John 5:30 "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. We must learn to acknowledge God in all of our ways, even in the least significant of areas. As we do He will guide and direct our lives in the way they should go. Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. How has this session changed your view on the Holy Spirit and how He desires to help you in every way?


Bible Studies: The Godhead, the Holy Spirit, and Word and Spirit: Partners by Ken Birks Audio Files: Word and Spirit, the Godhead, the Holy Spirit by Ken Birks

The above resources can be found at the following location: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-6

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living The Two Great Commandments

I. Digging The Foundation – Discovering Their ___________.

In this session we will be discussing the two great commandments that were given by Jesus. It is essential for us as Christians and disciples of Jesus to understand how important these commandments are in relationship to our overall growth and maturity in the Lord, because how we fulfill these two commandments will affect every area of our walk and fruitfulness in Him.

Mark 12:28-31 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30’And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31"And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." As we look at these great commandments we see, first of all, that we are to acknowledge God in His oneness, which we have already discussed in previous sessions. Secondly, Jesus is talking about four different areas in which we are to Love God – the heart, soul, mind and strength. Thirdly, we are to love our neighbor in the same way we love ourselves. This is a pretty tall order, but if we fulfill it, we will become the kind of Christians who will leave a mark in our world and make such a difference that others will have to stand up and take note.

• The ____________ of God. Discovering the oneness of God keeps us safe and secure in times of deception. We know that we are now entering into a time of great deception in our culture. More and more, our culture is becoming a godless society that has many different beliefs about who God is.


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Discovering the ones of God and how to truly love Him as He desires will insure us that we will have the kind of character that will keep us from falling into the enemy’s clutches. Discovering how to truly love others as ourselves will help to take the focus off of ourselves and onto the needs of people around us who may be hurting because of the destructive paths they have found themselves on.

II. Forming and Reinforcement: Understanding and Fulfilling the ______ _ ____________________. 1. The _______ Great Commandment. Mark 12:29-30 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is:

'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30’And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.

• The Lord our God, the LORD is one. The Bible teaches very explicitly that God is one, but it also teaches us that God is three. The study of the oneness of God must always be in connection with the threeness of God, and the study of the threeness of God must always be in conjunction with the revelation of the oneness of God otherwise either extreme can become heresy. 1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. God's revelation of Himself in the Scripture is One God in Three Person, Eternal, Self-existent; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, distinguishable but indivisible. Why do you think the command to acknowledge God as One is so important?

___________________________________________


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• You shall _________ the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Leader/Facilitator: Share with your group how the commandment to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind has affected your walk with the Lord. Have you tried to obey this command? If so, how have you accomplished this?

___________________________________________

• There are four areas mentioned here. I believe we could look at them like this:

We are to love the Lord with all of our mind – intellectual nature We are to love the Lord with all of our heart – emotional nature We are to love the Lord with all of our soul – willing nature We are to love the Lord with all of our strength – physical nature

• If we are not __________ in our love for God in these four areas, our love for Him will become distorted and unbalanced in our Christianity.

To love Him with strength of the mind and the weakness of emotion would produce the intellectualist and legalist in religion. To love him with the strength of emotion and the weakness of the mind would produce the sentimentalist in religion or one who is governed by feeling and emotional idealism or and excess of affection of sentiment or sensibility. To love him with the strength of the will and the weakness of emotion would produce a man of iron who is not very approachable. When we love God with all of our strength of mind, strength of emotion and strength of will it will produce a pure Christian, who is truly balanced, with strong character and one who is able to be truly committed to the cause of Christ.


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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Of the above mentioned areas, which unhealthy area do you have a tendency to fall into?

• What Does It Mean To Love The Lord With All of Our ___________? For some the emotional side of love comes very easy. Their personality is such that it comes very natural, but for others this is not so easy. How is it that we love God emotionally? It comes through a genuine appreciation for being forgiven and then as we grow in the Lord it comes through worship and praise in our adoration towards God. To adore means to worship or honor as deity, or as divine, to regard with reverent admiration and devotion: to be extremely fond of.

• The example of the sinful woman - Luke 7:36-48. Luke 7:37-38 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Verse 38 shows a real remorse and godly sorrow for her sins. It also shows a deep humility and contrition of heart which results in humble service towards Christ. This woman's emotions were very much involved in her love and devotion towards Christ. She simply threw herself at Christ's feet. She wasn't afraid to lose her dignity in Christ's presence. How many of us often find ourselves like the Pharisees in Christ's presence, aloof and disengaged while playing intellectual games with Him? As we seek to spend time in personal worship to Him the hardness of


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hearts begins to melt away and we are able to truly love God with our emotions. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Have you ever felt like a Pharisee in God’s presence? How did it make you feel?

Psalms 95:6-8a Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts6 It is through worship and praise that we are drawn into God's presence. Worship draws us close to His bosom. The following two scriptures illustrate to us the intimacy and warmth that Jesus desires to have with us on the emotional level. Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

• What does it mean to love Him with all of our ___________? Loving the Lord with all of our soul represent our willingness to obey Him and follow Him in the things that He has purposed for our lives. Many times David cried out for His soul to submit to God. Actually, the soul includes all of the areas mentioned, the will, the emotion and the intellect, but it definitely includes the aspect of our will. Psalms 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.


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Leader/Facilitator: Share how you have had to deal with bringing your soul into submission and how you were able to overcome. Do you have a hard time getting your will to cooperate with your spiritual desires? Who usually wins?

Jesus talked about this area of loving Him on many occasions. He said, If you love Me, keep my commandments. This is a love coming forth from our will. John 14:15-16 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,

• What does it mean to love the Lord with our ____________? To love the Lord with all of our minds has to do with our intellect. We must have a love for God's word, because it is through His word that our minds or our intellect are renewed. Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalms 119:140 Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it.

• The illustration of Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. Luke 10:38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."


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Mary sought the deeper life with Christ. Her devotion and love For Christ caused her to want to sit at His feet and hear His word. Her heart was consumed with a desire to fill her mind with His word. What we see here is a picture of a Mary loving Jesus from a heart felt warmth and a desire and love for His word as well.

• What does it mean to love the Lord with all of our ____________? God also wants us to love Him with our bodies, which means we dedicate the strength of our bodies to Him for His cause and purpose. Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

• The Apostle Paul's example. 1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. Leader/Facilitator: Share an example of when you didn’t feel like doing something God was asking you to do, but you gave in and did it anyway. 2. The _________________ Great Commandment. The second great commandment takes our focus off of God and on to those around us. How can we truly love God if we don’t love those God has placed in our lives? Mark 12:31 "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John 4:20-21 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.


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Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does it mean to esteem others as more important than you? Is this a new concept for you or have you been practicing this already?

• The Parable of the Good Samaritan. The Parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates to us what Jesus really meant when He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:30-35 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31"Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32"Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34"So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35"On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'

o He was motivated by compassion to help someone in need. o His compassion moved him to action – He went out of his way to

help. o He sacrificed his own comfort by putting him on his animal o It cost him something – He paid the innkeeper to take care of him.


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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Share a time when you were either called on to be a Good Samaritan or a time when you received from a Good Samaritan.

III. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications.

You can learn how to love God more effectively in your devotional life. What area are you the strongest in? Is it strength of mind? If so, begin your devotions in the Word, then move into worship and intercession, which will get your emotions more involved. If you are more of an emotional

person, begin your devotions in worship and then move to intercession and then to the Word. As you are praying ask God to show you who your neighbors are that need to be reached out to. 1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. When we love God with all of our strength of mind, strength of emotion, strength of will, physical strength, and love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we will become genuine Christians, who are truly balanced with strong character. We will see ourselves as being truly committed to the purposes of God for our lives and kingdom. What was the most important truth you learned from this session?


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V. Finishing Touches – Other Resources

Bible Studies: 50 Commands of Christ - by Lance Wallnau www.lancelearning.com

Audio Files: Becoming A Great Lover of God - by Ken Birks

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Becoming Salt and Light

I. Digging The Foundation – Discovering ________________.

In this session we will be discussing what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and how He desires for us to be the salt of the earth and the light to the world in which we live. Matthew 4:16-19 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of

death Light has dawned." 17From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 18And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Just as the people in Jesus’ day were waiting to see a great light, people in today’s world are awaiting to see a great light as well. Jesus has called all of us to follow Him and to go forth making disciples and fishers of men. John 17:18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Matthew 28:18-19 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Before we can become salt and light in the way Jesus has purposed for our lives, we must first become His disciples and understand what it means to live as a disciple. Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15"Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all


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who are in the house. 16"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

II. Forming and Reinforcement: __________ Salt and Light.

Becoming a true disciple of Jesus means that we are committed to becoming salt and light in the field or environment we have been placed in. 1 Corinthians 7:24 (NLT) So, dear brothers and sisters, whatever situation you were in when you became a believer, stay there in your new relationship with God.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Where has God placed you? Do you see this as your harvest field in which He wants you to shine as a light?

The early disciples were said to have "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). The problem is that many in the church today keep their faith to themselves and are only concerned about their personal peace and affluence. They are not really interested in impacting their society even though the Bible makes it clear that we are to be the salt and light of the world. Many in the government want a private belief, not a public one that others can see. We were created in the image of God, and we are being conformed to His character and viewpoint right now. Luke 6:47 "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:


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1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1. What does ________ do?

• Salt adds flavor

• Salt makes you thirsty

• Salt preserves.

• Salt melts ice.

• Salt stimulates growth.

• Salt heals.

2. What Does _________ Do?

• Light dispels darkness.

• Light exposes things that are hidden.

• Light illuminates our way.

• Light allows us to see the beauty around us.

As you look at the above things that are affected by salt and light, we can see why Jesus really desires for us to be salt and light. Our world will be impacted in a very positive way. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How do you see the above mentioned areas affecting you as you interact with the people God has placed in your field of harvest?

If we're not impacting our world, then something is wrong. We are not being what Jesus has called us to be. As Christians our goal should be to be the light and salt we are supposed to be as Jesus' disciples. Let it also be said of us, "these that have turned the world upside down have come here also" (Acts 17:6). If we are truly being light and salt people will see a difference in our lives. Jesus said "we are not to hide this light", as so many do, but let it "shine for all to see". As the moon has no light of its own, and merely reflects the light of the sun, we also have no light of our own and merely reflect Jesus' light.


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Your light may seem dim in the midst of your other brothers and sisters, but when you get out into the darkness of the world even the dimmest light among us shines forth brightly. .


The message is clear. We are to be salt and light in the world in which we live. In this section we will begin to discover how it is that we are to become the kind of salt and light God has ordained for our lives. It is by becoming salt and light that we become the kind of disciples that Jesus is looking for who will go forth bearing much fruit.

John 15:8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 1. It takes Being Fully _______________ To God’s Word. Psalms 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives under-standing to the simple. As we are faithful to read, study and meditate in God’s Word it causes us to not only walk in the light, but to be a light to those around us. A person whose life is governed by the Word of God stands out in stark contrast to those who are being governed by the world and all of its influences. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you see your life as being governed by God’s Word rather than the philosophies of the world? If so, share an example of how this is happening.


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John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide (continue-KJV) in My word, you are My disciples indeed. To abide in God’s word means that it has literally taken root in our lives to the extent that our goals, plans and decisions in life spring forth from the principles that have now come forth from God’s Word rather than our own self centered desires and the philosophies of the world. When this happens there is a natural light that springs forth from out lives that gives hope to those around us. This is also known as a Biblical world view vs. a secular world view. A Christian has hope, whereas a non-Christian will chase many things trying to obtain hope, but will fail. 2. It takes Having an ______________________ Testimony in the Eyes

of the World. Whether we admit it or not, as Christians our lives are living epistles to those around us. We are ambassadors of Christ who represent Him to a lost and decaying world. When we compromise our testimony for the sake of personal liberties, our salt is losing its flavor and we are not of much value to those who really need us. We are to hold fast to the word of life. Philippians 2:15-16 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. 2 Corinthians 4:2-4 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Have you ever compromised your testimony to those around you? If so, what affect did it have?

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Colossians 4:4-6 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 3:8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 3. It Means Choosing to Live In the ______________ Realm of God’s Grace Rather than the Permissive Realm.

One of the things that happened in the last decade or so is that Christians have come out of the bondage of legalism (following a list of do’s and don’ts) and have begun to explore their liberty in Christ. The problem is; liberty is now being abused and it is hard to tell the difference between a Christian and an unbeliever. What we have to understand is yes, all things are permissible, but they are not necessarily beneficial. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 1 Corinthians 10:23 (NIV) "Everything is permissible" – but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"–but not everything is constructive. We have to determine whether we are willing to live in the beneficial realm of God’s grace or the permissible realm of His grace. The permissible realm causes our light to be greatly diminished. As disciples who desire to


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be standard bearers of the light, it is necessary for us to live in the beneficial realm of God’s grace. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Are there areas in your life, in the permissible realm that you would be willing to give up to experience more light and salt? If so, please list them.

1 Corinthians 8:9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Romans 13:12-14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. 4. Keep a Full Supply of _______ – Continually Immerse Yourself in

the Holy Spirit. Matthew 25:1-4 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2"Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3"Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4"but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.


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Oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The more we keep ourselves filled and built up in the Holy Spirit, the brighter we will shine. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Video: Carrie Prejean Video: Tim Tebow Audio Message: Salt and Light Francis Anfuso

The above resoureces are available at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-8

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Knowing and Understanding Our Enemy, Satan

I. Digging the Foundation – Discovering Who Our _______ Is.

As people who have been born again of God's Spirit, we have been delivered from the power of darkness. There was a time when all of us were under the influence and the jurisdiction of Satan's kingdom and domain. Now that we have been born again and translated into the kingdom of God, we should not take lightly that we still have an enemy who wants to bring

harm to us and render us ineffective as ambassadors of God's kingdom. Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love... In this session we will be looking at who our enemy is; and the tactics and temptations he uses against us. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you believe in the reality of Satan? If so, what do you believe about him?

2 Corinthians 2:11 ...lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. Many Christians are walking around in defeat and even in backslidden conditions, simply because they have not been aware of the enemy's


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cunning devices. They are being destroyed because of a lack of knowledge.9 We need to understand that Satan is the arch enemy of God and the church. This means he is your arch enemy as well, if you belong to God. You will not find our enemy as a red devil with a pitchfork. His intent is to destroy the work of God in your life by any means possible. Therefore we should understand just who this enemy is and how he works. When you became a Christian, you became part of the war between God and Satan, good and evil. You have chosen to live with God and do well. Satan wants to destroy you, just like he wants to destroy God. John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Is Satan presently achieving victories in your life or have you overcome him? Where do you need the most help?

In warfare many victories are won by those who understand and know the moves of their enemies. In spiritual warfare it is much the same way, the more we know and understand the tactics of our enemy the more on guard we will be, as well as being able to thwart his attacks. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1. Satan's __________ and __________.

9 Hosea 4:6


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Who is Satan and where did he come from? This is a question of great importance. The answer to this question gives us insight into his characteristics and how he tries to operate in our lives.

• He Was One of God's ___________ Beings – An Archangel. Ezekiel 28:13-14 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. Before his fall he was one of the most powerful angelic beings in the universe, being of great beauty. His name was Lucifer and he had a high position in heaven before he became Satan. Ezekiel 28:15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.

• He Was Cast Out Of ______________ Because Of Sin. Ezekiel 28:16-17 "By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. 17"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. Pride enters into the heart of one of God's mightiest creatures and causes his destruction and causes him to be transformed into Lucifer, the devil. Lucifer and those who chose to follow him had free will. They could choose to do good or evil, to be for God or against God. Isaiah 14:13-14 For you have said in your heart: `I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'


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Lucifer wanted to sit where God is and wanted his throne to be in heaven, not on earth. The name "Most High" in the Bible is the word "El Eloim" which not only means "most high," but also means "the possessor of heaven and earth.” When Lucifer fell and was cast out of heaven, he was thrown out of the third heaven. The Lord Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven like lightening. The first realm of heaven is that area of our universe where we see all the stars, planets, and the sun and moon. The second realm of heaven is that area that Paul mentions in Ephesians 6 where we war against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. The third realm is where God the father and God the Son are seated with heavenly hosts of angels. Luke 10:18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Jesus simply meant He saw Satan fall from the third heaven as lightning. Right now Satan still has access to the heavenlies. His place today is in the second heaven. He dwells there as much as he dwells in the earth. He rules from his place of authority, the heavenlies. This is the place where we wrestle against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We fight by using prayer. Ephesians 6:12 NLT “For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.” In Daniel 9, God sent an angel in response to a prayer by Daniel. The angel had to fight a prince of Persia, and bring Michael to fight for him while he talked with Daniel. Daniel 9:23 (NLT) “The moment you began praying, a command was given. I am here to tell you what it was, for God loves you very much. Now listen, so you can understand the meaning of your vision.” The angel could only spend a brief period with Daniel because he had to go back and fight the prince of Persia again. We see an example of spiritual warfare by our prayers in this. Our prayers are very powerful and influential


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with God. God listens to our requests. Just like Daniel, our answer may be delayed because of spiritual warfare. Eventually Satan will be thrown out of this realm of heaven as well. This happens just prior to the great tribulation. Revelation 12:7-8 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

II. Forming and Reinforcement: Major Tactics and Devices. 1. Satan is a Powerful ________________. Let's remember that he is still a powerful angelic being of great beauty and is still able to transform himself into an angel of light and to even transform his ministers into ministers of righteousness. Just about everything Satan does is shrouded in his deceptive practices.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. As born again Christians, we are living in a world that is hostile to the very God we serve. Because of this, we will face temptations that work to destroy our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are some of the ways in which the enemy of your faith has deceived you?


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• He Works through _______________ and Subtlety. 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. His deception often times comes through the word of God itself. He will take God's word and either question it, take away or add to it. He will try to twist the scriptures to our destruction as well as his. This is how he was able to deceive Eve.

• He caused Eve to _______________ God's Word. Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Have you ever bought into the lies of the devil concerning God’s Word? What happened?

Our victory over this kind of an attack is by knowing and understanding the Word of God, being like David who said, "I have hid the word in my heart that I might not sin against You." Satan has nowhere to stand and launch his attacks successfully when we are standing in the truth of God’s Word.

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a [liar] and the father of it. 2. Satan Purposes to ________________ and Lay Snares in our Paths.


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Psalms 140:4-5 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, who have purposed to make my steps stumble. The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set traps for me. Selah He waits for those vulnerable times in our lives when we are most susceptible to temptation and then springs the trap. This was exactly how he worked in the life of Jesus. Luke 4:13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Are you aware of your weakness in which Satan can come at opportune times? What can you do to prevent him from taking advantage?

Our victory over Satan in this area is to continually keep our eyes on Jesus, because when our eyes are on Jesus, He will steer us around the traps and help us to strengthen those areas of vulnerability. He will be our guard. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 3. He ___________ and ____________ Himself Above All That Is God. The very thing that got Satan into trouble in the first place is still the major characteristic that he has imbedded into our society – the antichrist spirit. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.


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We are living in a culture today that is quickly being influenced by the antichrist spirit10 of which opposes and exalts itself against all that is called God. The more we become partakers of what the world has to offer, the more we come under the influence of the antichrist spirit as well. That’s why Paul, in the Book of Romans, exhorts us to resist the squeeze of the world. 11 4. Three Major Areas of _______________. There are many forms of temptation that fall into three major areas: The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. 1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; is not of the Father but is of the world.

• The Lust of the ____________. The lust of the flesh has to do with our bodily appetites and pleasure associated with them. Sexual immorality, drunkenness, gluttony, and drug addiction are just some of the sins of the flesh. Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

• The Lust of the_____________. The lust of the eyes is an excessive desire for the things of the world. The world can be very appealing to us with all of its materialistic possessions. Covetousness, greed, idolatry, love of money, and financial dishonesty are a result of the lust of eyes. Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Failure to set your affection on things above will make you vulnerable to many temptations that will surely come your way.

10

1 John 2:18-19, 22 11

Romans 12:1-2


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• The ____________ of Life. The pride of life is the desire for self-glory. It comes from the self-centered tendency of our old nature. We have been given gifts, talents, and abilities by God. The pride of life would use these apart from God, or fail to give Him the glory for them. The pride of life is tempted by worldly honors, reputation and position. To achieve these, the world usually requires a compromise in our standards. Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. 1 Corinthians 1:31 that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Of the above three areas, which one do you struggle with the most? What can you do to prevent Satan from taking advantage of you in that area?

4. God Promises to ______________ us From Temptation.

2 Peter 2:9 Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, It is important for us to understand that our enemy is already defeated in every sense of the word. Jesus defeated Him once and for all at the cross. All we have to do is call on Jesus and defeat him by the blood of His testimony. Even though Christ has defeated Satan, God has allowed Satan to continue his evil ways. It is Satan who will try to destroy and kill you


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through deceitfulness. God has allowed evil to continue to exist in order to give us the free will to choose to do good or evil. God respects us so much that He has given us free will. Even though we see evil around us, often great evil, God has chosen to limit His power in order to enable us to be able to choose good over evil. God is powerful enough to destroy Satan and his followers, but for our sake, the sake of free will, He limits His power. 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. If we follow the principles God has given to us in His Word, we will not be deceived by Satan and our own flesh, when temptation comes, but we will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the testimony of God’s Word.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

When dealing with temptation, if we come to realize that neither the temptation nor the devil has power over us; and God has made a way of escape, we can live the life of an overcomer. We simply need to know what our escape route is. 1 John 5:18-19 (NLT) We know that those who have become part of God's family do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them. 19We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one.

X. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications in the Discovery of Your Escape Routes.

We must understand that the temptation itself is not sin. Sin happens when we give into the temptation. Remember, Jesus was tempted but never gave into the temptation. Listed below are ways in which we can escape or endure temptations when they come.


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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you aware of what your personal escape routes from temptation are? If so name at least one.

1. Know the __________ of God. What are your greatest areas of struggle? Do you know what the Bible says concerning them? Jesus was able to defeat Satan by quoting him the Word of God.12 David said, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”13 2. Learn How to Come______________ to the Throne of Grace. When you truly understand that you are always standing in the righteousness of God14 no matter what you have done, you will have the boldness that is needed to approach God, even in your weakened state. This is a major escape route for you. It is when you have this revelation that you are able to get up immediately rather than wallowing in sin and condemnation.15 The only person interested in keeping you down, under guilt and condemnation is Satan. Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 3. Submit, _____________ & Rebuke. On many occasions David had to submit his soul to God. Our emotions

12

Matthew 4:4,7,10 13

Psalm 119:11 14

2 Corinthians 5:21 15

Proverbs 24:16


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and circumstances will try to direct our lives, but it is only as we submit our will to God that the devil16 is able to flee. James 4:7-8 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. A big part is submitting our soul unto God in this area, is disciplining ourselves to think and meditate on the consequences of falling into the temptation. The sinful desire will begin to die and lose its power when we see the consequences. We must develop a habit pattern of resisting and rebuking the temptation immediately. It is when we dwell on the temptation that our will becomes weak and we give into it. Satan will continue to press us until he is convinced that our commitment to God will not waver. Once he sees that we will not give in, he will flee from us. James 1:12-16 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 3. Build a _____ of Protection by Separating Yourself from the World. Many Christians stumble and fall because they have never come to the place of separation from the world. They think they can stand next to the fire and not get burned. 2 Corinthians 6:14,16-17 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 16And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." 17Therefore "Come out from among them and

16

Satan, Lucifer, devil, and the serpent are all used to describe the activities of the evil one.


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be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." God desires for us to walk in holiness by as being separated from our unbelieving friends, which will protect us from harmful influences. It’s easy to be subtly influenced by what we are exposed to. Much of what comes across in today’s media is polluted with the purpose of enticing us towards the very fleshly desires that we are trying to avoid. We need to set standards for the kind of entertainment we allow ourselves to be exposed to. Putting a block on your computer and joining an organization like www.xxxchurch.com is a great way of building a hedge around you. 4. Get an _________________ Partner. James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Have you given much thought in having an accountability partner? If so, do you believe you need one?

This does not mean we confess our sins to anybody and everybody, but we have one or two people in our lives that we can share the struggles we are going through. As Christians we are called to be overcomers. Though we may experience occasional falls and temporary setbacks, as we yield ourselves to God, He will help us to become the overcomer He has called us to be. The future reward of obedience is great.


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Filters and Blocking Software http://www.bsafe.org www.covenanteyes.com www.integrityonline.com

Service Provider Integrity Online www.integrityonline.com

Accountability

Covenant Eyes: (www.covenanteyes.com) XXX Church: (www.xxxchurch.com) Hedgebuilders: (www.hedgebuilders.com)

The above resources plus a video on the reality of Satan based on the Srewtape letters by C.S. Lewis can be found at:

http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-9

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living The Second Coming of Christ

I. Digging the Foundation – The _________ of the Church.

In this session we will be taking a look at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the hope of the church. This is the event that we as Christians all look forward to. The Second Coming of Jesus gives us a vivid expectation of grand and glorious things taking place at His appearing. It also gives us a faith

picture of being changed and conformed into His image, being totally delivered and freed from the bondage of this flesh as well as a faith picture of living and reigning with God throughout eternity. 1 Corinthians 15:19-23 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How has your understanding of the Second Coming of Christ given you hope?

There are many views amongst Christians as to when Jesus will return. In this session the objective is not to lift one view up above another, but to simply look at the fact that Jesus will return in the future and how we must prepare ourselves for this great event the church has been anticipating since the ascension of Jesus to the Father following His resurrection from


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the dead. Almost every generation since Jesus went to the Father has anticipated His return. Acts 1:9-11 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

II. Forming and Reinforcement: The ________ and the Signs of His Coming

A. The Reality of His ______________. Just as surely as Jesus came the first time over 2000 years ago He will come again just as was stated in the above passage of Scripture. Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Matthew 26:64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. Daniel 7:13-14 "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. 14Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which


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shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. As you can see, the Bible is very consistent from Daniel to Revelation that Jesus shall return in the same manner that He left – in the clouds of heaven. Matthew 24:29-31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. His appearing won’t be kept in a corner. There is going to be a proclaiming trumpet and a great shout. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Corinthians 15:52 6 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Leader/Facilitator: Share briefly why you have peace when you think about the Second Coming of Christ. When you think of the Second Coming of Christ do you have peace or fear? Why

B. The _____________ of His Coming. Now that we have established that Jesus is surely coming a second time let’s look at some of the signs that are to precede His coming. Are there


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indicators in the Word of God that will give us a hint as to when He will return? Let’s keep in mind that no one knows that day nor the hour, but that doesn’t mean we should be ignorant of the season. Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. Even though we won’t know the day or the hour of His return, I believe God expects us to be aware of the season. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and the Sadducees for not being able to discern the signs of the times. Matthew 16:2-3. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; 3"and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. Jesus wants us to be like the sons of Issachar17, who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. There must be those in the Church today those, who have an understanding of the times and also to know what the Church should do today to prepare itself for the future. 1. False ____________ Shall Come and Try to ____________ Many. Mark 13:22-23 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23"But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand. The seeds of deception are already at work in our culture and world in mass proportion. Do you think there are false christs and prophets in the world today? How should you take heed?

17

1 Chronicles 12:32


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2. Wars and ___________ of Wars, ________________, Famines with Trouble Abounding.

Mark 13:7-8 "But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ When you think of the Second Coming of Christ do you have peace or fear? Why

3. The Whole ______ Shall Be Preached with Evidence to the Nations. Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Most of the people groups still unreached by the gospel live in places stretching across the maps of northern Africa and Asia. Christian missions’ strategist Luis Bush started calling this rectangular area or band: "the 10/40 window." He used that easy-to-remember name because it lies across Africa and Asia from 10 degrees latitude north of the equator to 40 degrees latitude north of the equator.

World evangelism statistics: Of the 55 least evangelized countries, 97% of their population lives within the Ten Forty Window. 18

18

For more information on the 10/40 window, see: http://home.snu.edu/~HCULBERT/1040.htm#facts


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What are some practical things you can do to help spread the gospel message to people living in the 10/40 window?

4. Christians Shall Experience Suffering and _________________. Mark 13:9-13 "But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11"But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12"Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are your thoughts concerning persecution and suffering? Does this strike fear into you or do you have a peace about it? How would you prepare yourself for suffering?

5. There will be a Great ________ _____ of Christians From the Truth. Matthew 24:11-12 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.


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2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition6 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you think there is a possibility that you could fall away from Christ? What can you do, personally, to insure yourself that you will endure until the end?

6. There will be Great _____ and ________ in Men’s Hearts and Minds. Luke 21:25-26 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26"men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. 7. The Body of Christ Will Come Into the _________ of the __________ of Christ.

One of the greatest signs that many fail to understand is that as the Second Coming of Christ draws closer and closer, the body of Christ, the church, will begin to arise out of its place of obscurity and come into more and more of the fullness that was expressed in Jesus. Ephesians 4:11-13 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of


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the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; Ephesians 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 5:27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Obviously, by looking at the events that are taking place in our world today, we can discern that the Lord’s coming is drawing nearer and nearer, but we can also discern the nearness of His coming by detecting how the Church is measuring up to the stature of the fullness of Christ. 8. The Anti-Christ or the _______________ will be Revealed. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. The reason Paul wrote this epistle to the Thessalonians was because there were those who were preaching that Jesus had already returned.19 Paul rebuts this heresy by showing what must take place before Christ returns. The revealing of the antichrist shall be an eminent sign of the Second Coming of Jesus. Notice is says very clearly that Jesus will not return until this man is revealed for who he is. The beast or the antichrist shall have power and great authority. 9. A Sense of _________ and ___________ Comes Over the World. The world will be deceived into thinking they are secure with a lasting peace.

19

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2


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1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 10. The Great ______________ will be a Remarkable Sign, Prior to the return of Jesus there shall be a great tribulation that shall come upon the earth. The "Great Tribulation" is that period of time which immediately precedes the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ the second time. It is the last three and a half years in the end of the present age. It is the last half of Daniel's seventy week prophecy.

The tribulation period will be the darkest page in the history of the world. All that has gone before, is as nothing to the horrors that will be enacted under the reign of the blasphemies of the antichrist.20 Mark 13:24-25 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25"the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

11. There Will Be ______________ in the Heavens. Mark 13:24-25 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25"the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Acts 2:19-21 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.'

• Many Christians will be ________________ from this time.

20

Quote from W.H.Offiler God and His Bible, The Divine Harmonies of Revelation.


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Luke 21:34-36 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35"For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." Revelation 3:10 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. This scripture speaks of being kept from the hour of temptation which shall come upon the world. The word “kept” here is the Greek word (tereo), which means to guard from loss or injury, by keeping the eye upon. It also implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus.21 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon describes the word “kept” by guarding to cause one to escape in safety out of the power and assaults of Satan.22

XI. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications. The great challenge for the Christian, prior to the Second Coming of Christ, will be how to maintain a state of readiness. When Jesus returns He’s coming for a bride that has made herself ready and full of faith. Revelation 19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the

Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." Matthew 25:10 "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Luke 18:8 "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

21

Strong’s Concordance #5083 22

Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament #5083


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A study of Matthew Chapter 25 reveals that the determining factor in being ready is the amount of oil we have in our vessels. Oil is always symbolic of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Therefore it is important that we have an ongoing vibrant relationship with the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves stirred up in the faith if we want to be among those who will be ready when the Bridegroom comes for His bride. Matthew 22:11-12 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12"So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. A. Getting Ready – Putting on Wedding Garments 1. Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Oil Supply.23 2. Build a Strong Word Foundation – Lamps represent God’s Word.24 3. Walk in the fear of the Lord.25 4. Put on the garments of the new nature & destroy the old nature.26 5. Purpose to Walk in Love.27 6. Learn to Accept Trials & Tribulations with Joy.28 We are in a season now in which we are laboring together with the Lord in putting on our wedding garments, but there is coming a day in which we will cease from all of our labor and the Lord will perfect that which He as started in us. He is the author and finisher of our salvation.29

23

1 John 2:20,27 – from Strong’s Concordance <G5548> (chrio); an unguent or smearing, i.e. (figurative) the special endowment (“chrism”) of the Holy Spirit :- anointing, unction.

24 Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 6:1-3 – foundations truths needed to go on to maturity.

25 2 Corinthians 7:1 – perfect holiness in the fear of God

26 Ephesians 4:20-24 – the new nature vs. the old nature.

27 Colossians 3:14 – Love the bond of perfection.

28 James 1:2 – Count it all joy

29 Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 5, Romans 9:28,


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• Video – Tribulation Time Line

• Books – End Time Daniels by Daniel Gonzalez

• Bible Studies – The 2nd Coming of Christ

• Audios – The 2nd Coming of Christ

• Podcasts –The 2nd Coming of Christ

•

•

The above materials are available at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-10

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Communion and Baptism

I. Digging the Foundation – ___________ Water Baptism and Communion.

In this session we will be discussing two of the great sacraments of the church – baptism and communion. We will see baptism as an important part of our walk with the Lord as it brings about the newness of Christ’s nature to our being. We will also see that communion is very important in that it helps us to continually hold in remembrance all that Christ accomplished

for us with His death burial and resurrection by going to the cross. The goal of this session is to establish the biblical precedent for partaking of the Lord’s Supper and why it is necessary for Christians to be water baptized. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What are your experiences with baptism & communion up until now? How have they affected your life in Christ?

II. Forming and Reinforcement: The Two ___________________. A. Communion – The Lord’s _____________. We enjoy the privilege of communing with Christ through the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, but there is also a sacrament in which Jesus desires for us to enjoy and benefit from with the corporate body of


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Christ. This would be the communion service or the Lord’s Table. 1. Defining the term “_______________________.”

• Dictionary: fellowship between two or more persons, interchange of thoughts or interest, a state of giving and receiving, agreement, concord.

• Greek: koinonia – fellowship, association, community, joint participation translated “fellowship” in Acts 2:42 and “communion” in 1 Corinthians 10:16. In the King James Version of the New Testament it is translated “fellowship” 12 times and “communion” 6.

The full meaning is having in common, partnership, fellowship; to share a common experience and oneness. Therefore when we speak of the “Communion Service” or the “Lord’s Supper”, we are participating in the death of the Lord Jesus in all of its fullness.

Both of these sacraments are designed so that we are able to fully identify with Christ in all that He accomplished through His death, burial and resurrection as well as receive the benefits that came from it. 1 Corinthians 10:16-18 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 18Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. What benefits can you think of that you have received from participating in the Lord’s Supper?

2. The Two __________________ of the Communion Service. The two features of the Communion service are the blood and the body of


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the Lord Jesus. John 6:53-56 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54"Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55"For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. When we partake of the communion emblems of the cup of blessing and the bread, which represent His blood and body we are partaking of Christ just as He admonished us to Does it matter if the bread is leavened or unleavened? There is no specific command about the type of bread that is used. Some churches use unleavened bread because in the Passover ceremony unleavened represents lack of sin. At the Rock, leavened bread is used showing our freedom in Christ. It is more important to recognize what Jesus has done on our behalf then to be concerned about the type of bread that is used. Does the cup of blessing that is used in Communion actually turn into the body and blood of Jesus? No, the elements used in Communion represent the blood and body, but they do not transform into the actual body and blood of Christ. John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.“ How often must Communion be performed? There is one reference in Scripture where Communion is to occur as often as you gather together, so some churches have Communion every week. However, there is no mandate about how often it must be done. It can be performed in the home or in the church. What is important is that it is done in order to recognize what Jesus has done for us. At the Rock, Communion is held once a month. If you want to express your gratitude to the Lord more often, feel free to do it at home. 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in


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remembrance of Me." 25In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." The institution of the Lord’s Supper as taught to the New Testament Church represents what the broken body of Christ can do for us and what His shed blood has done for us. Those who partake of it, are to take him as their Lord and Life, yield themselves up to him, and live upon him. Here is an account of the ends of this ordinance. It is to be done in remembrance of Christ, to keep fresh in our minds his dying for us, as well as to remember Christ interceding for us, at God's right hand. It is not merely in remembrance of Christ, of what he has done and suffered; but to celebrate his grace in our redemption. We declare his death to be our life, the spring of all our comforts and hopes. —Matthew Henry Concise

B. The Sacrament of _______ ___________. Water baptism is a vital part of the Christian experience as we will see in this portion of the session. In fact, it is a very necessary part of the spiritual foundation that is being built in our lives. It is much more than a Christian ritual.

1. Jesus ___________________ us to Be Baptized.

One of the most important reasons for getting water baptized is because Jesus commanded it, and if we knew nothing more than this, this would be reason enough. It really should be our very first step of obedience. It’s the first thing Jesus wants from us after receiving Him into our lives. Although there is no direct command that Christians must be fully immersed in water, rather than sprinkled, every incident in the Bible shows that the disciples were immersed as was Jesus.30 The very word “baptism” in the Greek means to be fully immersed. For these reasons and the fact that the baptism shows the death of sin, The Rock chooses to baptize by full immersion.

30

Matthew 3:16, Acts 8:38.


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Matthew 28:18-19 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 2. Baptism Is a ________________ Part of Our Spiritual Foundation. We are being built up as a spiritual house in the Lord as it says in 1 Peter 2:5. According to the Scriptures it is very important that we build a strong foundation. We see this in the parable of “The Wise and Foolish Man” in Matthew 7 and then again in 1 Corinthians 3:11-17. Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of the doctrine of baptisms. . . It is basic Bible doctrine. We can't go on to maturity until we have experienced these things as it says in verse 3. “and this we will do if God permits.” In other words, God has to issue us a building permit, otherwise we are simply building with our own plans and devices, which will be nothing more than wood, hay and stubble. 3. Water Baptism Breaks the __________ of __________ in our Lives. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The word “remission” here is a strong word that encompasses more than forgiveness. It also means deliverance.

• Greek Definition of Remission – aphesis, af'-es-is; freedom; (fig.) pardon: deliverance, forgiveness, liberty, remission.

4. In Baptism We _______________ With Christ in His Death, Burial

and Resurrection Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?


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One of the most important things that we as Christians must do is change our identity. We can no longer identify with the world and all of its lusts and pride. We must totally identify with Christ and all that He desires to do in our lives. We begin this process by identifying with Him in His death. Some churches have infant baptism. This practice is often justified by the verse where it says that a believing father will save his whole household. It is an ancient practice that was used in the early church. It is difficult for an infant or baby to identify with the death of Christ, so the Rock believes it is important to understand what you are doing. There is no infant baptism at the Rock. Whenever a child or an adult understands the meaning of baptism, then a person can be baptized. 5. Our _________ ___________ Is Crucified With Him Romans 6:4-6 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death.. 6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Water baptism confirms the fact that our old nature (the sin nature) has been destroyed just as the Egyptians were destroyed in the Red Sea. We are no longer to be slaves to sin just as the Israelites were no longer slaves to Egypt. God delivered them and God delivers you of your bondage to sin. Exodus 6:6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: `I am the LORD, and I will free you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with mighty power and great acts of judgment.” Romans 6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Write down all of the bondages you need to be freed from?


The practical application to both of these sacraments involves faith. Do we have faith to believe what the Word of God says concerning communion and baptism? There must be an agreement with God’s word in order for faith to kick in and for us to receive the benefits of these sacraments.

• In communion God desires to __________________ cleanse us from all sin as we confess our sins to Him.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Communion allows us the opportunity to _____________ ourselves for proper repentance.

1 Corinthians 11:27-31 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. When Paul refers to one drinking judgment upon himself he is not referring to the unforgivable sin. He is simply bringing out that we can be saved and going to heaven and still bring suffering upon ourselves for not completely


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heeding to God’s Word.

• Listed below in the following Scripture are the benefits we receive when we come to the Lord’s table with a heart of faith and expectancy.

Psalms 103:2-5 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

• In Water Baptism we can be _______________ of all our bondages, addictions and strongholds.

This may not happen instantaneously, but as you continue agree with God’s Word in this area, the victory will eventually come. Don’t give up! The question is, “Do you believe this?” Remember what it said in Romans 6:6 said – “that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” When you come into agreement with what God’s Word says and you stand strong in faith, you will eventually receive the benefit. We simply have to set the thermostat of our faith in the same way we set the thermostat in our homes. When we set the thermostat at a certain temperature, it takes awhile to reach its intended temperature. If we continue to adjust the thermostat it takes that much longer. Faith works that way as well. If you are double minded as to where you have set your faith, you will not receive, but if you stand fast believing no matter what the circumstances are telling you, your faith will eventually rise to the level you have set it.

• Illustration of the Children of Israel Coming out of Egypt: The story of Israel being delivered from their Egyptian bondage is a perfect illustration of how communion and water baptism work together to bring about victory in the Christian’s life. In Exodus chapter 12 the Israelites were told to kill a lamb and to take the blood from the lamb and put it on the doorposts of their homes. By doing


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this, God promised to Passover them when He was about to pour out the last plague upon the Egyptians. The blood protected them from God’s wrath just as the blood of Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb will protect us from the wrath of God. It’s interesting to note that as Jesus was celebrating the Passover dinner with His disciples the night before His crucifixion, He also instituted the Passover under the New Covenant as He broke bread and drank from the cup with His disciples, which has now become known as the communion service. The Israelites were then told to eat of the lamb, which represented the broken body of Christ. As they partook of the lamb we discover in Psalms there were no feeble or sick people among them. Psalms 105:37 (NLT) But he brought his people safely out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; there were no sick or feeble people among them. The bread that we partake of during the communion service represents the broken body of Christ that provides healing for us in the same way the lamb provided healing for the nation of Israel. We may still get sick at times in the same way that we still sin at times, but we shouldn’t settle for that. We should continue to press forward laying hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of for us.31 We always have the liberty to press forward in faith believing God for what He has purchased for us. Paul said, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on.” Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. As the story continues, the Israelites came up to the Red Sea and through a miracle of God, were able to cross it on dry land. As the Egyptians tried to cross it in the same manner, the waters receded back to where they were and they were all drowned.

31

Philippians 3:12


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This is a strong type of what happens in water baptism. When the nation of Israel came up on the other side of the Red Sea they were completely delivered from their Egyptian bondage. They were now free to worship God in the newness of life. This is exactly what God intends for the New Testament Christian through water baptism. When we come up from the Water we are a completely new creation in Christ, who is now free to worship God free from all of the past bondage of the old nature. So, in communion we celebrate the forgiveness of sins and the healing God desires for us and in baptism we celebrate the new life we now have in Him, free from the bondages of the past. Do you believe this? If so, walk in it and don’t look back. Again, what I’m saying is this; we are not perfect in the same way that Paul wasn’t, yet he continued to press forward in faith, believing God for what Jesus purchased for us in His death, burial and resurrection. Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.


• Movies – The Prince of Egypt The Story of Moses

• Books –Christ in the Passover by Benjamin Galan and Rose Publishing.

• Bible Studies – Water Baptism

• Audio Message – Water Baptism

All materials can be found at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-11

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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts

I. Digging the Foundation – Exploring the ___________ of the Holy Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit.

In this session we will be taking a look at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as well as the gifts of the Spirit. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an essential part of our spiritual foundation32 in Christ. With it, we receive the power and the anointing to do all that we have been commissioned to do. The gifts of the Spirit are necessary to minister effectively as New

Testament ministers of the Gospel. Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 1 Corinthians 1:7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What has been your experience with the baptism of the Holy Spirit? �Check the circle or circles to the right that best explain your experience.

� I’m curious about it � I’ve experienced it but want to know more about it. � I’m not sure whether I’ve experienced it or not � I’m a little afraid of it. � I’m not sure whether it’s for Christians today. � I’m really hungry for it and would like to receive it. � I really want to know what the Bible has to say about it.

There are many questions that come to mind when this subject is mentioned. In this session we will try to look at all of the questions and then find the answers in God’s Word.

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Hebrews 6:1-2.


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II. Forming and Reinforcement: Finding the _________________. 1. The Baptism of the ______ ________. As was already stated there are many questions that come to mind when this topic is discussed. Our goal will be to see what God’s Word has to say rather than what our personal experiences may have taught us.

We all have personal experiences that are our own, but what we have to remember is that any spiritual experience we may have is filtered through our own imperfections and paradigm of thinking. God’s ways and thoughts33 are much higher than our thoughts, so it is His thoughts we want to conform our thinking to.

• Question #1 – Is Baptism in the Holy Spirit a _________ Experience from Salvation?

Answer: Yes it is. We find the answer to this question in several places in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. The first example is from Jesus Himself. In John 20 we have the scene following Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection where He breathed His Spirit upon His disciples. What you have to realize is that up until this point the disciples were not saved under the New Covenant. Their salvation was under the Old Covenant. They had not received the birth of His Spirit yet. When we come to the place in our lives when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us and we are willing to repent of our sins by allowing Him to become the Lord of our lives, we are saved.34 It is at this point that we receive the birth of the Holy Spirit into our lives. This happened with the disciples in John 20. John 20:21-22 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." 22And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

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Isaiah 55:8-11 34

Romans 10:9-10


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He then told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit would come to fill them. Luke 24:49 (NLT) "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." These disciples had already received salvation and the birth of the Spirit and were now being told by Jesus to wait in Jerusalem until they received the filling of the Holy Spirit. When this happened in Acts 2:4, it was referred to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. When Peter was testifying to the other apostles in Jerusalem concerning the Gentiles receiving salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he referred to both experiences as the baptism of the Holy Spirit that John the Baptist spoke of. Acts 11:15-16 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16"Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Another example is found in Acts chapter eight, where the evangelist, Philip is having a great revival in Samaria. People were getting saved, water baptized, healed, delivered by demons and experiencing extraordinary miracles,35 but they had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit until the apostles, Peter and John, arrived on the scene. Acts 8:14-17 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

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Acts 8:4-8.


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This once again shows that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was subsequent to receiving salvation. Another example is found in Acts 19:2. The word baptism means “____________.” As in water baptism we are immersed into water, whereas in Spirit baptism we are not only born of the Spirit, we are immersed into His Spirit. • Question #2 – Do I need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to go to heaven?

Answer: No, absolutely not! The only requirement for being saved and going to heaven is that we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ At this point in the study, what do you see as the biggest contributing factor that would hold you back from receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Question #3 – What does “___________ in ___________” have to do with the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Answer: Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence that you have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the Book of Acts there are five great examples of the believers experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Of the five examples, three of them show very clearly that speaking in tongues was the evidence that


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assured them that they had received. They are as follows:

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 10:44-46 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. The other two incidents are the Samaritans in Acts 8 and Paul the apostle himself. With the Samaritans, even though it doesn’t mention tongues, Simon the sorcerer saw and witnessed something dramatic when Peter and John laid hands on them. It was so significant he wanted to buy the gift. Peter then rebuked him and said, “You have neither part nor portion in this matter.” 36 The Greek word for “matter” is the word “logos”, which means divine utterance. In the case of Paul the apostle in Acts 9:15-19, he later said that he wished everyone would speak in tongues.37 Another point to consider is that Jesus said in Mark 16 that those who believed in His Name would speak with new tongues. Mark 16:17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the only valid experience in the New Testament that shows when believers would receive this gift that Jesus spoke of. Question #4 – Is Speaking in Tongues Still _______________ Today? Answer: Yes, Absolutely!

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Acts 8:21 37

1 Corinthians 14:5


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Acts 2:39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who

are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."38

We find more of the answer to this question in 1 Corinthians 13 where it indicates that there will be a day in which tongues will fail or cease. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. Notice is says, “When that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.” In order to find the answer, we must determine what “that which is perfect” is referring to. There are many who say that when it is referring to “that which is perfect” it is talking about the Bible being canonized. The problem with this thought is that verse 12 defines very clearly what “that which is perfect” is referring to. 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. This is obviously talking about the second coming of Christ as it says, “then face to face.” The verse below bears this out. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. So, what it is saying is this: “Speaking in tongues” is necessary right up until the second coming of Christ. Therefore, it is still relevant today as it was over 2000 years ago. If the disciples of Jesus, who were with Him for 3 ½ years, needed it to carry out their commission, we surely need it today. • Question #6 – Doesn’t it say that not all people will speak with tongues?

Answer: Yes and No.

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See 1 Corinthians 1:7 also


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Yes it does say or rather it is implied in 1 Corinthians 12:29-31 that not everyone speaks in tongues, but that is referring to the gift of tongues – one of the nine gifts of the Spirit that is to be used in a congregational setting, which must be followed with an interpretation. 1 Corinthians 12 talks about the gifts of the Spirit, of which tongues and interpretation of tongues is included. 1 Corinthians 14 talks about the use of the tongue that is to be a part of our prayer language, of which the apostle Paul said, “I wish you all spoke with tongues.”39 Therefore Paul and Jesus are in one accord. The Bible is in agreement on this subject. There is a divine harmony of revelation. Jesus also said, “Out his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.”40 • Question #7 – What does the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues do for _______?

Answer: Almost Everything! 1. It’s a vital part of our spiritual foundation – Hebrews 6:1-2. 2. It brings us into God’s supernatural power – Acts 1:8. 3. It helps to bring about deliverance from sinful habits – Matthew 3:11. 4. It helps to build and strengthen our faith – Jude 20, 1 Corinthians 14:4. 5. It helps us to pray according to God’s will – 1 Corinthians. 14:2, 14-15

Romans 8:26.

6. It brings us into a deeper level of intimacy with God – 1 Corinthians 14:2. 7. It brings us into a deeper revelation of God’s Word – 1 John 2:20, 27.

8. It brings rest unto our souls – Isaiah 28:11-12. Why would we not want something that has the potential of helping us in all of these dimensions? The Holy Spirit has come to be our helper. If we really desire His help, we need to be fully immersed into His Spirit by being baptized with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; B. The _____________ of the Holy Spirit.

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1 Corinthians 14:5 40

John 7:37-39


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In this portion of the session, we will look at the gifts of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12. This is intended to be a simple overview of the gifts of the Spirit, not an elaborate teaching. You can follow the links in the Resource Section if you wish to dig deeper. The gifts of the Holy Spirit will bring forth the fullness of His ministry in our lives. It is through the gifts of the Spirit that we are able to minister effectively one to another and to receive the help of the comforter in our lives. John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. God's desire is to do His works through us that we might be effective in our ministry one to another. Therefore we must be good stewards of all that God has given to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that those around us will be partakers of His complete ministry. 1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Have you ever been used in any of the gifts of the Spirit? If so, please explain

• The _____________ and ________________ of the Holy Spirit are released through the gifts of the Spirit.

As we seek to be led by the Spirit and press into the Spiritual gifts that God has for us we will begin to see more of His power and presence manifested when we assemble together as His body. 1 Corinthians 12:6-7 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.


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There are two important words in these two verses that should help us to see God's intent and purpose for these gifts, and how He expects them to work in our lives. “It is the same God who works all in all:” The word “works” here means active operation, effectual, powerful to be active, efficient, fervent, be mighty in, show forth. “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” The word “manifestation” means to make visible, clear, manifest, known. The true meaning is to uncover, lay bare, reveal.41 With these two definitions in mind, we can see that it is God's desire to be fervent and mighty in showing forth and making visible His power through the gifts of the Spirit. We as His people are to be fervent, active, effectual, efficient and powerful in manifesting His gifts in our lives for the edification of the Body of Christ, so that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is effectively released for all of us to profit from. • The _______________ Gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the nine gifts mentioned in the above passage of Scripture and they fall into three general classifications: gifts of revelation, gifts of power and gifts in inspiration or vocal gifts. • The ______________________ Gifts. The revelation gifts include the 1) word of wisdom, 2) word of knowledge, and 3) discerning of Spirits. Collectively, these three gifts are supernatural manifestations of the Spirit of God. Through them we may know anything

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Vines Expository of New Testament Words


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which God chooses to reveal. Each gift is a supernatural revelation given by God to an individual for a particular purpose, and at a particular time and in a particular place. • The _______________ Gifts. The power gifts are the 4) gifts of faith, 5) working of miracles and, 6) gifts of healings. Collectively these three gifts are supernatural manifestations given by God for a particular time in a particular place. These three gifts will show forth God's glory, His power, His greatness, His majesty and His victory over sickness, diseases and over death in supplying the needs of His people. The power gifts are for deliverance and overcoming nature itself. • The ______________ Gifts. The vocal gifts or the gifts of divine revelation are the 7) gift of tongues, 8) interpretations of tongues, and 9) prophecy. Collectively these three gifts are supernatural manifestations of the Spirit of God and, through them, God can speak through man anything which He chooses to tell. Each gift is a supernatural manifestation given by God to an individual for a particular purpose, at a particular time and in a particular place.

XII. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications. In this section we will look at how it is that we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit into our lives. Since the baptism of the Holy Spirit really is the entrance point to receiving the gifts of the spirit, we will concentrate on this.

• Our heart needs to be properly prepared through repentance.42

• We need to have a real hunger and thirst for it.43

• There must be a sense of expectation.44

• There must be an active response to your faith.45

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Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19 43

Matthew 5:6 44

Luke 11:9-13 45

James 2:20, 26 and Acts 2:4


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• Audio Messages: Have you Received the Holy Spirit?

• Bible Studies: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit Have you Received the Holy Spirit? The Gifts of the Holy Spirit All audio messages and Bible Studies by Ken Birks

The above listed resources can be found at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-12


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Firm Foundation – Christian Living Surrender and Trust

I. Digging the Foundation – Exploring ________ and ______.

This session deals with the aspect of trust and surrender in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Trust is one of the most important areas in our relationship with Jesus Christ as it enables us to come into the fullness of what He has for us. It is trust that allows us to defeat the enemies of our soul and take possession of the promises of

God. In order to fully trust God we have to be willing to volitionally surrender ourselves completely unto Him.

• ________ and _____________ work together. You cannot have one without the other. You cannot trust unless you are willing to surrender and you cannot surrender volitionally unless you truly trust God.

Matthew 10:39 (NLT) If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it. The example of Jesus going to the cross: The life of Jesus provides us with a perfect example of trust and surrender. While He was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, He was contemplating all that He was about to go through on the cross, He began to cry out to the Father concerning this. Luke 22:41-42 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." He had to come to a place of total surrender and trust in His Father God. As a result Satan was crushed under His feet and the greatest victory mankind would ever experience and participate in was won. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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What areas to you find it most difficult to trust God for? What is it that you have to surrender to do so?

II. Forming and Reinforcement: The _________________. When we think of trust and surrender, we cannot escape the fact that we all have many plans and purposes we would like to fulfill in this lifetime. The question is, “Do we trust God with our lives or do we want to maintain control of our destiny?” This is where the rubber hits the road.

God’s purpose is going to prevail no matter what, but the question is, “Will you be a part of His purpose or will you resist because of a lack of trust?” Just as Jesus had to surrender to the will of the Father, so must we, if we are to be partakers in the wonderful victory He accomplished on our behalf. A. God’s __________ for our Lives Comes Forth as a Result of Trust.

Proverbs 19:21(NLT) You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail. Moses was one of God’s great prophets, the man who led the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness, where they learned to worship God in the Tabernacle. As great a man as Moses was, he failed to go into the promise land, because of a lack of trust. Numbers 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!" Moses got impatient with God and tried to take matters into his own hands when he got angry and hit the rock twice. How many times do we get


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impatient with God and take matters into our own hands, thus thwarting the purpose and destiny of God in our lives? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Can you think of a time you got impatient with God and took matters into your own hands? What happened?

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. Our own understanding will always get us into trouble, just like it did for Moses. As we learn to trust God in all things, we experience His goodness and blessing in our lives the way He intended for us to. Oswald Chambers – “We must never put our dreams of success as God’s purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.” It is when we embrace the process of trust and surrender in every aspect of what we are going through that we experience the fullness of what God has intended for our lives. Francis Anfuso – “If you are questioning God about the season you are in, you are not fully embracing it. When God is in complete control of our lives we don’t feel the need to ask Him questions.” B. God Wants His ______________ for Our Lives. The reason God wants us to trust Him and surrender our lives to Him is that He really knows what’s best for us. His desire is that we would experience His goodness in a way that continually brings joy into our lives.


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Psalms 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. Psalms 34:10 (NLT) Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing. C. Perfect ______________ Comes to Those Who Trust in Him. Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on

You, because he trusts in You. One of the foremost qualities most people want in life is peace. Who doesn’t want it? The problem is that when we persist on doing things our own way and operating out of our own sufficiency and strength, we often lose our peace. 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NLT) It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God. D. Our Sense of Joy is _______________ in Trust and Surrender. Joy Defined: A deep sense of inner elation and satisfaction that comes from seeing your life from God’s perspective and responding properly to the challenges and sufferings of life. Psalms 28:7 (NLT) The LORD is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. What would you rather do – finding yourself going over a cliff with no sense of security as to how you would end up or riding a roller coaster at a theme park? When we choose not to trust God and surrender our lives to Him, we get to experience the cliff effect in our lives. There are no guarantees – it’s a reckless ride. However, when we fully trust God for our lives and surrender to Him peaceably, we get to experience all the thrills of a roller coaster ride, knowing we are in the safety of His hands.


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What is your life like? �Check the circle to the right that best describes your experience.

� I feel like I’m going over a cliff � It’s a bit frightening, because I don’t know what’s ahead � Sometimes it’s a thrill ride and sometimes it’s a cliff ride. � It’s a thrill ride because I’m trusting God.

XIII. Pouring The Foundation – Practical Applications. A. Begin Trusting God in the ______ Things Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! Before we can truly trust God with the big things in our lives we need to taste and see how good He really is.

When we begin to acknowledge everything in our lives, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us, it allows us to begin to taste of His goodness and mercy. B. Recognize that the ________________ of __________ are an

opportunity to go deeper. James 1:2 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. The irritations of life are God’s invitation to go deeper in trusting Him. They are also divine opportunities, not stumbling blocks or road blocks. C. Accept the _____________ You are In. If you are questioning God about the season you are in, you are not trusting Him nor fully embracing it. Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 (NLT) There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. How do you know you are trusting God? When the best season of your life


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is the one you are presently in. If we obsess over the pain and displeasure inherently associated with a particular season or struggles of life, we will miss the entire point and not be fully trusting in God.


• Audio Messages:

• Books – Perfectly Positioned • by Francis Anfuso

The above resources can be found at: http://rock-firm-foundation.com/christian-living/session-13

Documents

Firm Foundation – Christian Living Biblical FoundationsKenbirks.com/downloads/Firm-Foundation-std.pdfFirm Foundation – Christian Living Biblical Foundations Student Edition The