bsf lectures – The Notes are Good

BSF Genesis: Week 6, Day 3

Questions:

5.
a.
And then he died, 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31

The only way to eternal life is to be born again in the spirit
If you do not believe in Jesus, you will “die in your sins”
Death has reigned ever since the time of Adam
Wages of sin is death

6.
All of mankind is made in Adam’s likeness. Because Adam became imperfect, we are copies of that imperfection. Because Adam sinned, we are all sinners. The likeness of God in every person has been corrupted by original sin

7.
a.
Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Noah: “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.”

b.
I can do that. Enoch didn’t have some special power or calling. He didn’t have some extraordinary gift or blessing. He walked. I walk. He walked with God. I can do that.

My Daily Journal

One thing I love about the people in the bible is how ordinary they are. They sin. They make mistakes. They live and die. They are like me. But they also serve as examples for me. I can do what Enosh did and call on the name of the Lord. I can do with Enoch did and walk with God every day. I don’t have to build an ark (jumping ahead), I can just walk. It doesn’t take a leap of faith to begin, just a single step.

BSF Genesis: Week 4, Lecture

Think of the Garden of Eden as a private luxury yacht, one the size of a cruise liner. Life is good. All you can eat buffets. Beauty is all around you. You have an amazing captain that walks the deck with you. There are no fears, no threats, no worries, no sweat. There is only one rule, stay on the boat (i.e., obey). But one day you are together talking with a serpent and he asks, about the rule and in the process of the conversation you change your perspective from seeing the rule as one meant to protect you to one meant to keep something from you. You want to be the captain. So, without much thought, you jump ship. When you reach the water you find that it isn’t a clear calm body of pure water, it is dirty, yucky, murky, oil and grease and pollution. The more you splash in it, the more covered you get. Fortunately, God releases a lifeboat, tied to his ship (through the sacrifice of a living creature), but no more lido deck and no way to get back on the yacht. Until… (we’ll come back to that thought).

Let’s first go into our scripture story this week. In our first section we read about a conversation that Adam and Eve have with a serpent and the decision they each make that results from that conversation. We learn that the serpent is a crafty creature and in his craftiness he asks a question; a question with an innuendo. Did God really say…? He asks it of Eve, but we are told Adam is with her. When Eve responds, the serpent’s tone gets even more sarcastic and pointed, basically calling God a liar and someone who is trying to keep things from Adam and Eve. He says, “you won’t die.. you will be like God knowing good and evil.” Keep in mind, up to this juncture, they were like God, made in his image and they knew good, because everything around them was good. So, really what Satan is suggesting is that they should want to know evil. And, like so often we do ourselves, they let their eyes and their perspective stray. They turned from being focused on the word of God and the character and attributes of God and they turned their focus to the temptation. Vs 6 says, “…saw that the fruit was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom,” Then, they make one of the most pivotal decisions in the history of mankind, they took it and ate it.

There was a TV show years ago with a line, “The devil made me do it.” But that is wrong. It is wrong now and it was wrong at the time of Adam and Eve. The devil prompted them to question God’s word and His character. The devil lied to them about God’s intentions for them and misled them, but the devil did not force them to eat it. He didn’t pick the fruit and lie to them that it was some other fruit, so they weren’t deceived. He didn’t even force a situation of panic or urgency to cause immediate action. He just tempted them to place their eyes and their focus away from God and onto a lie. The same way we are tempted today.

Who are you blaming for your sins? Society, TV, your friends, your parents? What are you doing to focus your vision every day on God and not on temptation?

So, now their eyes are opened and they see evil. What panic must have filled them! I don’t know if you have ever felt a panic attack, but I cannot even imagine the emotion of the situation, the fear, the shame, the uncertainty. They start sewing together fig leaves, like that is some rational thing to do, and then they hear God walking through the garden. Panic! Hide!

God calls out to them and the reality that they can’t hide from God must have sunk in and Adam answers back. God then patiently lets them tell their story. Adam blames everyone else. It was Eve, and, by the way, you are the one who put her here. Eve blames the serpent. But, both acknowledge and confess. “I ate.” Don’t miss that part. Their confession worked then like our confession does not. It puts us in a proper position to receive God’s grace. Adam and Eve should have died immediately. The consequence of sin is death. But through their confession, God gave grace, not without cost, but neither what they earned.

When we sin, there are consequences. The negative consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin was pain, fear, longing, domineering, toil, thorns, thistles, sweat, fight to survive, death. The serpent was cursed, the ground was cursed.

Think of it like ripples or waves. When we jumped ship and splashed into the dirty water, we made waves, things were moved and affected. That is still true today. One of the tricks the tempter plays is to hide the impacting waves of our sin from us. It being hidden does not mean it is not there, just that we don’t see it. Those types of ripples and waves are often the most dangerous. They create an under tow that can drown not only us, but those around us as well.

Do you recognize that there are no victimless sins? When you disobey God it has affects, even if you don’t see them, they are there. What sin are you trying to keep hidden?

But, with all the negative consequences, we also see something amazing if we look hard at the verses. Here we see the first glimpse of God’s grace. We see the first mention of our savior, Jesus Christ, and the work that He will do to crush the serpent’s head. We see the first sacrifice that God made on our behalf, one that transferred our earned death onto another creature.

We see something interesting in that first sacrifice. It was only a covering. Think of it as the life preserver or lifeboat that God released for us. We aren’t out of the water, but we also weren’t immediately pulled under to drown.

But compare that to the work of Christ. Jesus became man. He tied a rope around His waist (tying Himself to His Father in heaven – we see him tighten those knots every time He prayed). He jumped down from the deck and stretched out His arms (on the cross) to grab ahold of us. Then, using his own strength, He lifted us back into the boat. It’s like those rescue missions at sea, all we can do is reach for Him, submit and hold on.

Where the first sacrifice was a covering, Jesus’ sacrifice brought us back into a state of righteousness with God, back into unity and communion with Him, back onto the boat. He didn’t just save us from the deep, but he brought us back into His family.

So, if we are once again “back in the family” and we have been made righteous, why do we still feel the consequences of sin and see it all around us? Think about those images of birds being rescued from an oil spill in the ocean. That is us. God’s work of transforming us starts on the inside. He places the Holy Spirit in us and begins cleaning the gunk of swimming in sin from our heart, then he works outward. On the outside, we are still dripping the pollution of sin. Because we still live on this earth, we are still all wet. But like the ship is on the water not of the water, we are on this earth, and no longer of this earth. Jesus said His kingdom is not of this earth and we are subjects of His kingdom. See, one day, either when we pass from this earth or when Jesus returns, we will be completely transformed. This filthy flesh will be replaced and made completely clean, inside and out. We will live in a new heaven and new earth free of sin where there is no serpent (he’ll be spending eternity in a firey pit), no pain, no sorrow, none of the things that sin brought into this world. We will once again be fully transformed back into walking in the garden with God and it will be good.

BSF Genesis: Week 2, Lecture

We established at our beginning of the study of Genesis that the bible is God’s Word put in place as the means that God reveals Himself to us so that we can have a right relationship with Him, one of love, respect, worship and praise, comfort, peace and joy, eternally.

One of the things I thought about this week, that our teaching leader mentioned in his lecture, was the point that the development of my relationship with God is different than developing any other relationship on this earth. Normally, when we are entering into a new relationship, whether work, friend, neighbor, romantic, or casual, there is an gradual revealing that occurs as each party learns about the other and each party opens up to tell about themselves. But with God, He already knows everything there is to know about us and He has put everything about Him down in writing. The depth of my relationship with God is directly tied to my dedication in increasing my knowledge of Him and moving closer to His unmoving rock of salvation.

In Genesis 1, we see this. Last week we looked at this chapter and focused on better understanding “who” God is. This week our focus shifts to “what” God did: He created everything.

So, again, let’s start at the beginning where God is in the beginning. God’s first action into his new creation is to speak. He said let there be light and there was light. We could camp out right here and discuss the awesome power of God’s word. We could talk about this intrinsic and everlasting light that goes on like a ray coming from the Trinity to shine for ever more. And, with the richness of Genesis, if you are ever struggling for something to ponder and pray, pick any one verse in Genesis 1 and use it to see God’s glory and power.

God first divides the waters below and above and then He gathers the sea. I love this visual image of how God’s voice could stretch out like arms across a table and draw in the waters of the sea to make dry ground. And then God brings life to the planet.

He brings vegetation, plants, trees, to grow and bear fruit, each according to their kind. And it was good.

He then speaks the sun, moon and stars into existence. These are the vessels that hold the light that He created on day 1.

When I think of all of this, it reminds me of how parents-to-be prepare the nursery and their home for an expectant baby to arrive. They paint the room, they prepare the furniture and bedding, they even put in a night light. How much more so our heavenly Father, and the moon is a pretty amazing nightlight!

In your language about the nursery God prepared for us, do your comments express gratefulness or do they convey an attitude of a whiny child complaining about the heat or cold? Do you reach out to your heavenly Father for comfort and joy or are you busy throwing a temper tantrum?

But let’s go a little deeper in looking at some of the days of creation in this chapter. God didn’t just create these things but He actually gave them purpose. Look at vs 11 and 12. God didn’t just make plants, but he made plants to bear seeds and fruit. In 14 and 15 He didn’t just make the lights in the sky, but He made them to be signs to mark sacred times and days and years. In 20-23 He made creatures of the sea and sky and specifically blessed them and commanded them to be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth, each according to its kind. Same for the land animals, each according to its kind.

God created not only objects, but He endowed them with both purpose and order. That word “according” is an interesting one. It reminds me of “a chord”, a musical harmony. When man thinks of nature, particularly its origins, our minds see chaos and battle, survival of the fittest, struggle for life. But in God’s design there is harmony, order and purpose.

In your day, are you striving to find God’s harmony, order and purpose or are you viewing it as a fight, dog-eat-dog battle? How does your approach influence your outcome? If all creation is a harmonious melody that sings praise to Him, are you putting in practice time for the musical every day? As a challenge, look at the ways that God uses animals throughout the scriptures to reveal Himself to mankind (colt for palm sunday, dove, the fish for the multitudes, Jonah’s whale, Balaam’s donkey, just to name a few.) They are more prevalent than we realize when we look for them.

Then, the 6th day. God, the trinity, made man in His image, in His likeness. God made us male and female. He provided for us with food to eat and He gave us purpose and direction, one to preserve and maintain order. He delegated rule to us as only a ruler could do. He gave plants and fruit to us as only the owner of the fields of harvest could do.

Interesting that God gives us two specific tasks. The first shows our kinship with all other living creatures of the earth, to be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth. The second shows our kinship with the Almighty, to subdue the earth and rule over every living creature. And, as we will study in the weeks to come, how we have done pretty good at the first directive, but almost immediately failed in the second when we let the ways of the earth and the temptations present rule over us instead of the other way around.

But, we will also learn that the game isn’t over. Like a reset button in a video game, those of us who have accepted the saving work of Jesus Christ have the ability to start over. When we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and He will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Just like a reset button, we get a “do over” button through confession to God that lets us start executing our order, harmony and purpose all over again. And each time we stumble and fall, His spirit helps move in us and with us, transforming us back into His image and likeness until the day we stand before Him for all eternity in the harmony and unity of heaven.

BSF Genesis: Week 1, Lecture

Genesis Stories In the beginning God created. Let’s spend some time and really look at those 5 words. There is so much that is answered just in this statement. It addresses the when, in the beginning. It addresses the rarity, the beginning not a beginning. What? Created. How? Created, as in out of nothingness from the creator. It answers what existed before the beginning, God.

Actually, this is the key word, God. Everything else in these first few words of the bible, fittingly, centers around and flows from this word. In our lesson today we are going to focus on the first few verses of the bible and see what they tell us about, “Who is God?” As we understand from our discussion last week, the entire bible is God’s design to reveal Himself to man, so it shouldn’t be surprising that there is so much of that message packed into this first chapter.

As an aside, this language of God packaging the revelation of Himself into these words and pages for us to unpack it is such a great metaphor and parallel to the gift that it is.

First, let’s look at the fact of God as creator. For God to have created, He had to be before the beginning. He was not created or formed. For those of us who grew up in the church, this is familiar, but to any other religion it is an unfathomable concept. The greeks believed the earth and heavens and their gods were formed “out of chaos”. The Egyptians believed the gods and earth were formed from the waters and the sun. Baal worshippers believed there was a battle between the god Baal and the god Yam and the land of the earth is made up of the dismembered parts of Yam, gross, right? Many people of our generation believe everything was some accident flowing out of the power of “the Universe”. Not so different than the people of the apostle Paul’s day who built a temple to worship “the unnamed god.” And, as in Paul’s day, we Christians actually know the name of the one and only God.

We know from the very first words that God is singular. There weren’t multiple gods, just the one. We know that creation occurred by God’s plan and by His action. We know that creation was both instantaneous and completed over time. There was nothing, then there was the heavens and the earth. But it wasn’t a finished work. The earth was without form. God continued His work for 6 days.

People often talk about leaving a legacy. Parents talk about the legacy of their children. Sports teams and athletes talk about the legacy of championships and records. But a legacy is something we make, something that remains that is bigger that tells something about the best that we are. In that same way, all creation is God’s legacy. Not that He has left it behind, but that it is a completed work by His will and effort that He made and which tells something about who He is. All of His created work is good.

When you look at a new day, do you see the good that God created or do you have a hard time seeing past the “stuff” of the day, your tasks and chores? Do you ask God each day to show you the good He has planned for you today? Are you under estimating God’s power and what He can accomplish in a single day?

Was God alone in creation? Yes and no. We can draw a lot of analogies to try to understand the concept of the trinity, but there is nothing in the physical world that is the exact same as this heavenly host. We know from John 1 that Jesus (the word) was in the beginning, that He was in God and that He was God and He was with God. So both the Father and the Son, together and unique were not only at the creation but created. Colossians 1 tells us that all things were created by Jesus and created for Jesus. This tells us that before anything existed God already knew that His creation would choose sin over Him and that He, Jesus, would need to become lower than even the angels and become a human in the creation to save and redeem it, buying it back for Himself. And from Hebrews 1 we learn that creation was not just set into motion and abandoned but that it is continuously being sustained by the word of Jesus. All things were made through Jesus, all things were created by Jesus, all things are sustained by Jesus. The emphasis in these different sections is not only on God and Jesus’ presence in the trinity, but on the word “All”. If all was created by and for Christ, that is a very broad stroke of the brush. That means no mistakes, no throw aways, no do overs, no trash. What a challenge to our thinking. Does my compassion extend to all? Do I see the potential for salvation of all or are there some that I have written off before they have taken their last breath? According to the word and revelation of who God is, my acceptance that some are meant to be saved and some not is faulty. All are meant to be saved, but some will choose not to – I pray that someone’s choice to not accept the gift not be influenced by anything I do or fail to do with the power of the spirit in me.

Which brings us to the third part of the trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The spirit of God is often described as the breath of God and/or the wind in that you see the influence and impact of the Spirit even though you do not see the invisible nature of the spirit. This is a good reminder to the skeptical doubters of this world who deny the presence of God because “they want to see God with their own eyes… they want proof.” Can they see the wind? No, but you can see the outcome of the wind and the power that it holds. Few question that the wind exists based on these results.

In God’s work of creation, the Holy Spirit is at the forefront in the creation of life. It is this pouring out that is the critical leap, the spark that cannot be fathomed without the divine, going from inanimate to alive.

But we know the Holy Spirit to be much larger and deeper than this. The Holy Spirit of God is the creator of physical life and the source, the giver, of spiritual life. When we humans turned from God in disobedience and sin (something I am guilty of daily, so I can’t get too mad at Adam and Eve), we stepped out of the design of being “in” God’s image that was His original design and creation. But Jesus paid the price to buy us back, to redeem us, through His sacrifice of death and through His power to defeat death in the resurrection. When we accept this gift of salvation, the separation from God is removed and the holy spirit indwells in us transforming us back into the image of God.

When you wake each morning, do you push the presence of the Holy Spirit to the back of your being so that you can “focus on stuff”? Do you seek and use the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your life? If you have accepted the gift of salvation, then, in you right this very second, is the full power of the Holy Spirit of God, the exact same power that defeated death. With that power, what can’t you do?

The “in” of God is a critical component of not only who God is but what He desires. He is “in” as the unity of the Father is in the son and the son is in the Father and the Spirit is united in the Trinity and God seeks for us to be rejoined into that unity, that image, by Him and with Him We are not designed simply to be by or with God, but to be cradled in His arms.

BSF Genesis: Week 0 – Lecture

What is Mr. C? (btw: Mr. C is my co-leader this year). He is a man. He is a BSF leader. He is a father. He is a follower of Christ. All of these are true, but they don’t paint a very clear or complete portrait of Mr C. To really get to know him, you would want a lot more information. You would want to go all the way back to his childhood, to the very beginning. You would want to know stories about his friendships and about the times and people who hurt him or let him down. You would want to have some genealogy about his family, like what they did, how they lived, what they felt and believed. You might want to hear songs that he liked, poetry. You might want to hear his own words.

You see, that is what the bible is. You can say it is a book or collection of books, because it is. You could say it contains laws and direction. But it is so much more. The bible is the way that God has chosen to reveal himself to mankind. It is the actual inspired word of God, told through the writing of humans, because that is how we can commune with God. As God is eternal, so is His word. It is stories about God, just as we would tell stories to learn about anyone else. It is a tale of joy and a tale of sadness. It is a book of poetry, history, prophecy, parable, law and above all, it is a book of grace. It is a book with amazing joy, sadness and then redemption fulfilled at great cost.

The bible is God’s word. God didn’t recite it word for word, but don’t mistake that they are His words. In spirit He guided and inspired the authors to record, without error, these words so that we can become closer to God. The written word is on the same level or authority as if God had spoken it (in a loud booming God voice) to you or me directly. It deserves the same reverence, not in a lock it in a glass case and worship the ink and page, but in a way that requires our time and attention and effort to commune with. The bible contains the knowledge we need to walk the path we are to take in our lives. You can call it an instruction manual, a light, but most importantly, it is a gift.

God desires to commune and communicate with His people. Did you realize that christianity is the only world religion that doesn’t have a “divine” language? You don’t have to speak hebrew to read about God. You don’t have to read ancient arabic. The bible has been translated into over 2,530 different languages – almost every written language in the word so that every person can read, study and get to know the word of God and thus, know God.

How are you showing respect for the word of God in your daily life? How are you showing just how thankful you are that God chose to let us get to know Him, that he cared that much? Are you hungy and thirsty for the word? Me, too!

Not only is this God’s word, but it is also how God reveals His divine purpose and plan. So, since there is a master plan for how everything and everybody and all time is going to be and work and do, wouldn’t you want to know about it? You see, God isn’t just a creator and builder, who designed and created everything, put it in motion and then just sat back and let it go. He is a God of action. That is one of the reasons we pray. God is alive and listening. He is active and moving. He wants us to see Him, understand Him and, in reflection, understand His plan for our lives.

It is said that God’s main purpose is to glorify Himself. Sometimes this is mis-understood and people think God needs us to tell Him how great He is. Like we have something that God needs. But it doesn’t mean that. Think of it this way, a lightbulb’s main purpose is to show how bright it shines. Glory is what God is, just as light is what a lightbulb is – OK, on a much bigger scale, but you get the point.

Do you believe that God has a purpose and a plan? Do you believe that He has a will? Do you believe that the God who created everything, knows everything, knows every blade of grass, every molecule, a God who is alive and active and listening and participating and communing… Do you believe He just might have a thought or two in the fashion of a plan for your life? Do ya’ think, then, that it might be a good idea to read and study the book where He wrote that down? Just saying!

We start our study this year in the same book that God chose to start, Genesis, a book of beginnings. Genesis tells us about the beginning of everything: at a universally large scale, as in, the universe, and on a subatomic scale as in the time that he spoke mass and matter into being (the heavens and the earth). God could have chosen to reveal all kinds of details about timelines, and specifics about the way that He created, but He chooses to tell us the story in the matter that means the most to us, in a very human and personal way. He spoke. He saw. These are human actions and God wants to reveal Himself to us in the language we all can see and speak. Genesis tells about how we began with God and how we were given choice and made the wrong one (sound familiar to your own life?) Genesis tells about things like rebellion, judgment, justice and, right from the very start, it begins the promise of redemption and reconciliation. God tells us about Himself through the stories and interactions of His friends and the people He calls family, His peeps (as in they will be my people and I will be their God).

At some point in your life you will ask the question: How did I get here? It may be at a time of incredible high, where you want to reflect on all the blessings. It may be at a terrible low point. It may be at a time that you just feel last or lonely or one where you are thankful and joyful. Here is what I can tell you. I know where the answer to that question is. It is right here, in these words. You see, everything we need to know about how we got here, physically, mentally, metaphysically, chronologically, spiritually, legally, purposefully, economically and redemptively – it is all here. Where should we start? How about: In the beginning God…

Bible Lesson 14: Hebrews 11-13 Lecture

Scripture: Hebrews 11-13

Aim: CATL faith is essential in God’s family

Introduction: Last week we learned about covenants, the old and new, our need for a priest and how Christ serves as our permanent high priest interceding on our behalf with the Father. We learned that a covenant is made between two or more people, like God and mankind. This week we learn about faith. What is really interesting is that faith is a form of covenant. Faith is the foundation of our relationship with God and the demonstration of His relationship with us.

1st division: Hebrews 11: 1-16 Biblical characters model faith.

Principle: Faithful followers stand as pillars to build on

Illustration: Every home land has culture, norms, traditions, laws and practices. (Talk briefly about some different cultures, driving on different sides of the road, etc.)

Application: Have you justified something based on comparison to your neighbors? If so, is that comparison to your current neighbors or the ones who will be down the block from you in heaven, like Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham? Are you conforming to earthly culture or do you look forward to your heavenly home?

2nd division: Hebrews 11:17-12:29 Faith is like a muscle – it needs work to remain strong

Principle: God provides work and challenge to strengthen our faith

Illustration: I have an issue with my elbow. The range of motion is restricted and I’m going to a physical therapist to help me. She is having me do some challenging and painful exercises, stretching and building back the motion in my joint. I don’t enjoy it, but I understand it is necessary. God works the same way in our lives. If we weren’t tested, if we didn’t face resistance we would grow weak.

Application: Are you actively participating in God’s exercise and training plan for you? Do you seek out God’s spiritual therapy or do you try to avoid it? What are you doing that is outside of your comfort zone?

3rd division: Hebrews 13 True faith is demonstrated not just discussed

Principle: Faith is the character of a christian

Illustration: There was a man in a small town who was “the bravest man in town”. He wore a t-shirt with that slogan on it. He had a sign in his yard. It was on his business cards. He rode on the back of a convertible in the annual parade. Then one day some robbers came to town and the man was found hiding behind a group of children. Faith is the same way – the true nature is evident in our actions in difficult times, not in how much we talk about it in easy times.

Application: Are you a hypocrite or poser? Do you live one life at church and a different life at school or work? Do you wear your faith on your sleeve, chest, around your neck, on the back of your car or is it something people clearly see in times of trouble and need?

Conclusion: Chapter 13 sums it all up – what it means to be part of God’s family: It starts with love, ends with grace and at the center of it all is the sacrifice Christ made for me so I can be his brother.

Bible Lesson 11: Hebrews 2:5-4:13 Lecture

Hebrews 2:5-4:13

Aim: Jesus became man to rescue mankind

Introduction: Picture a family run campground, run by a Father and Son team. Now the son, who helped build the campground would have every right to sit in His office and send out memos to the counselors and campers. But He knows that to really train the counselors, it would be best if He didn’t just tell them, but showed them. Jesus did exactly that, and so much more. Last week we learned about how Jesus was above all, higher than the angels, King, creator, sustainer of all things, an exact representation of God. And this week we learn how He became fully man, not only to teach us – but to save us.

Division 1: Hebrews 2:5-18: Jesus became lower than angels to sit down as king

Principle a: Jesus suffered death to give us life

Illustration: Several years ago I went camping with my son and we slept in the old canvas army tents. Besides the fact that they smelled bad and had spiders, it rained that first night. Now, I know you aren’t supposed to touch a canvas tent in the rain, but, it was just too tempting. Sometimes it was just accidental, brushing against it trying to get out of the way of the times before when I touched it to see what would happen, but soon we had water pouring in.

While we may live in a stinky old tent that we got from our parents who got it from their parents (i.e., our sinful bodies), Jesus offers us a gift of a brand new tent to live with Him.

Application: what are you doing that you know you shouldn’t? Are you holding onto your stinky old ways or do you accept the gift? Are the rains falling in your life now (if not, they will) – what shape is your tent in?

Principle b: God didn’t lower the bar, Jesus lifted us up on His shoulders

Illustration: I’m not perfect. No one is perfect. Have you ever said that? I have. But it is wrong – Jesus was perfect while fully a man. The only way to stand in the presence of God is to be completely without sin – otherwise you would be undone by the conviction of your sin. We don’t get into God’s presence by being better than others, we get there by being perfect – God didn’t lower that requirement – he didn’t lower the bar – but he did raise the floor by allowing us to stand on the one who was without sin and step over the bar without any work of our own.

Application: Are you trying to be good to be better than others or to obey God? What are you trying to earn that has been given as a gift? Do you recognize the perfect son of man?

Division 2: Hebrews 3:1 – 4:11 Jesus/Moses – faithful servants, but Jesus is supreme

Principle: Faith and obedience have always been the requirements to enjoy God’s promised rest

Illustration: One of the things to watch for when camping is where you pitch your tent. It is tempting to pitch it down next to a river. Water and food are handy, its comfortable, sure there are the mosquitoes and bugs, but such is life, right?. But when rains come it is important to be on higher ground. God brought his people out of the slavery of Egypt, but they refused to move their tents – they fought him, they ignored him, they disobeyed. His desire for them was that they would heed his warning , they were creating their own storm of disobedience and they were not safe – but they refused. As a result, they died, drowning forever in their own stubbornness. We are warned to listen and not be deceived by sin, to put our obedience in God and do not follow the example the Jews did with Moses.

Application: The storms of life and temptation are coming – are you listening to the warnings or fighting them? Do you learn from the stories in the bible or relive them? What part of your life do you need to submit to obedience to God?

Division 3: Hebrews: 4:12-13 The word of God is alive and active, cutting, judging and saving

(These 2 verses are the memory verses for the kids this week and one we would all be wise to commit to memory!)

The word of God is alive (not history, not dead, not just words – it has life)

The word of God is active – not passive, not waiting, not absent – active

The word of God cuts ( I sure felt this one throughout this week’s study – meditating on the living word, encouraging others every day, honoring the sabbath day of rest, living like someone given new life, obeying)

He is the judge – there will be an account taken for the time I am given on this earth

There is nothing hidden, period. If that doesn’t strike fear into you, then you are truly in denial – imagine every action, thought, glance, deception, lie you every made, exposed for all to see.

And, most amazing of all – through all of those facts – Jesus became like me to die for me to pay the price to save me from the very judgment that I deserve. When you think about it, it makes no logical sense – why would the creator of everything, knowing everything do this for me? There are only two things to say:

1. John 3:16 answers that question in one of the only places in the bible that it gives us a “why” in regard to God’s behavior – “for God so loved the world” – it was love

2. The only thing that could possibly make less logical sense than what God did would be to reject the gift that He has provided – to reject His love rather than sharing it back to Him and to others.

Luke 8:18 says “Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.” When we think about our response to God’s love we can see how this becomes not only understandable, but the only thing fair and true. Fill your hearts with God’s love and share it, protect it, cherish it, encourage others, grow in closeness with Him and He will pour out more and more love to you. But if you take the love of God only for your own gain, complaining, disobeying, continuing to sin, trying to use God and His church only to better your own life, then that life that you think you have will not last – nothing is hidden, not even our hearts.

Conclusion:

I find it interesting that the Apostle Paul was a tent maker.

The storms are coming – how about a new tent? If anyone’s in Christ, he is a new creation. While you are at it, why don’t you just go ahead and pitch your tent right inside God’s house?

Division 1: Hebrews 2: 10-18: Jesus became man to raise us up to be his brothers

BSF Acts: Bible Lesson 9 – Acts 15: Lecture

Acts 15

Aim: Salvation (justification) comes from faith through grace alone and cannot be earned either by adherence or works

Introduction: You can’t afford the gift you are receiving. When I look around the room of children’s leaders in our class I am surrounded by business owners, executives, doctors, the chief legal counsel for a multimillion dollar company, accountants, law enforcement officers. Frankly the bill rate of the people I sit with for three hours every Saturday morning would be astounding. Yet, the gift of time is freely given in love, not only for the children and other men in the group, but more importantly for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do not lessen the gift that you are being provided by even imagining that you could pay for it. You simply can’t afford it! There is no level or adherence to the law that could even provide a fraction of the cost that Christ paid in dying on that cross and to imply that it could is insulting to our master. (OK, this’ll preach!)

Division 1: Acts 15: 1-11 – A dispute over circumcision requires a decision by the church leadership. Peter, Paul and Barnabas testify to the Holy Spirit’s presence in Gentile believers.

Acts 15: 1-2 – P&B sent to Jerusalem to conclude: circumscision required or not

Acts 15 3-4 – P&B to Jerusalem, testify on the way, welcomed by apostles, they give a report.

Acts 15: 5 – Party of the Pharises states their belief: become Jewish to become christian

Acts 15:6 – Apostle and elders meet to consider this question

Acts 15: 7-11 – Peter presents: no distriction between J&G, through grace we are saved.

Principle: The rock stands strong in his testimony: Faith is sufficient

Illustration: I don’t agree. You say yes I say no. How do we resolve it? That was the question facing the new church. When disputes in belief or practice arise, what do we do? Go our own ways? Give in? In these verses we see step one. The dispute is presented to a body of leaders and elders who discuss it and look for the hand of God and the direction He is leading. We see that in the testimony of P, B and Peter. Look – see – There is God!

Applications: Are you watching for God’s hand moving in your life and your church? What disputes do you need to quit harboring and get resolved? Do you rely on your intellect first or do you first look to God?

Division 2: Act 15: 12-21 James states the judgment of the Jerusalem Council

Acts 15: 12-18 James reinforces the works of God by the word of God

Acts 15: 19 James judgment: remove difficulty from Gentile converts to Christ

Acts 15: 20-21 James directs Gentiles to follow the Mosaic laws specifically stated for Jews and Gentiles

Principle: God’s word is the final word

Illustration: In the United States, the Supreme Court is the ultimate decision on the interpretation of laws. If a judge rules against you, you can take it to the next higher court. But if the Suprement Court rules a certain way – it is done. In the same way, God’s word is the final word.

Applications: What do you want to be right or OK that God’s word says is wrong? Do you yield to the authority of the gospel or ignore it? Do the words of the bible hold weight to change your convictions or do you try to change the words to match your desires?

Division 3: 3 witnesses are sent back to testify to Antioch: P&B, S&J and the letter

Acts 15:22-23 – Judas and Silas are picked to go to Antioch with P&B and the letter

Acts 15: 24-29 – The letter: becoming a christian not a burden, but there are suggested restrictions

Acts 15: 30-31 – The letter is delivered and received with gladness

Acts: 15-32-35 – A time of peace, blessing and strengthening continues in Antioch

Principle: The is only one body of Christ on the earth – one church

Illustration: God describes His church on the earth as a body of believers. We can sit around in our big comfy chairs watching college football and our body will rot away. God tells us to do something different. To work. To go. To spread His news. But like any other work, sometimes the work of the body of the church causes strains and they can be painful. But we have the choice when our arm hurts from a strain or injury. I guess we could just lop it off. At least it wouldn’t hurt anymore, right? But we normally don’t do that. We nurse it. We tend to it. We protect it and we help it get stronger. That is the message God has for us as His church as well.

Application: Who among believers have you “lopped off”? What is dividing you from doing God’s work? What is wrong that you need to be bold about and cause it to stop?

Conclusion:

This wasn’t easy for anyone. The Judaisers believed they had scripture behind them. Paul didn’t have a relationship with anyone in Jerusalem – he had only spent 15 days with them. Barnabas did, but he clearly could see both sides of the argument. And the leaders in Jerusalem had never faced a challenge like this before. But they did three very smart things: 1 they looked for God’s direction 2. they stood on the bible 3. they maintained their sights on the ultimate goal – spreading the good news of the gospel.

Bible Lesson 3, Acts 2: Lecture

Acts 2 Aim: Being saved, (accepting Christ and being baptized in the spirit), creates a changed life both in activity and quality.

I want you to picture the earth in your mind. The entire earth. Got it? Ok, using one hand I want you to make a shape showing me what you picture. (Everyone makes a fist). Look around, notice anyone holding up a flat hand? But even just a few generations ago, everyone would be doing that. But notice how that small revelation changes so many things about how you think about stuff. If someone goes out in a boat, do you worry about them falling off the end of the earth? Do you have spend time thinking about what happens to the sun at night? No. Simple understandings completely change the way we look at things.

Tonight we are going to learn from a very large group of faithful jews who completely had their understanding of things rocked upside down by the truth spoken through a fisherman.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s go back where we left things last week.

(at this point I’ll go back over Acts 1,40 days post resurrection, the final command of Jesus, the ascension, the MIW’s, the obedience to the command, the prayer and bible study that went on while waiting, the selecting of the 12 apostle)

1st division: Acts 2:1-13. As promised by the bible and Christ, the Holy Spirit comes

Principle: The H/S is given to God’s adopted children

Seriously, do we need better illustrations that tongues of fire and speaking in tongues? I plan on pointing out some of the background about pentecost as a Jewish Holy Day, both in terms of the festival of first fruits as well as the day Moses was given the 10 commandments (see my earlier post about pentecost). In studying this, I found it interesting that the emphasis is on the giving of the law as opposed to the receiving of it. It is about the grace of God and His desire to save, over my want and need of salvation. (probalby too deep for level 1, but I’ll work it in because it is so cool). The law through moses was an outside thing – there was the structure of the temple, the sacrifices, all the various offerings and observances. The spirit is an inside thing – no longer are we outsiders, we are adopted children.

Application:

What are you on fire about?
If God gave you the ability to speak in another language that you didn’t know to communicate with people you didn’t know – what would you say?
Are you truly thankful for this gift? Not just focused on receiving it, but understanding the grace with which it is given?

Division 2: Actions 2:14-41

Peter preaches and calls for repentance.

At this point I’m supposed to give a lecture (aka. sermon) about a sermon formulated by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and delivered through the Apostle Peter. I’m taking the safest route and literally reading the sermon he gave.

Principle: Repent and accept Christ

Illustration: I have a nephew named James who is a toddler. When James was an infant, the doctors noticed that his cranium (head bones) were not forming or shaping just right (very common condition called Plagiocephaly), so they gave him this device to wear on his head to help shape things. It basically was like a baby helmet. So, when baby James he would crawl and bump into something or fall backwards, it wouldn’t hurt – he was wearing a helmet. Now he is fine and doesn’t wear it anymore, but he also seems to have absolutely no fear. He will walk right up to the edge of stairs, or a tall drop-off, and just keep going, stepping out into space. The adults watching him, jump to his rescue, but for the rest of us, it is terrifying.

I think this is how it was for Peter and the Apostles. Filled with the H/S, they were compelled to warn those around them, just as adults do with James, of the impending doom. Stop – repent – you are on the wrong path. We need to see that the path we are on is leading to a cliff and we may be only one step away from the ledge. Stop, turn the other way and take Christs hand for guidance to the correct path.

Application:

What paths are you on that take you away from God?
What do you need to stop doing that leads you to sin?
Are you willing to take Christ’s hand and go a different direction?

Division 3: Changed Lives: Acts 2:42-47

Having their eyes opened to the true meaning of the scriptures and the fact that they pointed to Jesus Christ, the gathered Jews cannot look at things the same way any longer. The earth is no longer flat. 3000 immediately accept the gift and the spirit fills them up. They are no longer the same people and they can no longer act the same way. They eat together, they share, they help each other, they tell others and their numbers grow and grow.

Application:

When someone at school or in your neighborhood sees you and your family, the way you act, the way you talk to each other, the way you treat each other and other people. Does it look different? Does it look like something they would want? You can use a million words, but the biggest testimony is in how you act and live as a changed person – as a child of God.

I’m closing with a big prayer: I’m going to pray that God bring a mighty wind of the H/S and light up each of these kids. I’ll ask that He give them 11 ofther friends who, no matter what anyone says, will always stand up together. But even bigger, I am going to pray that God give each of them 3000 people to see the way they live, to hear the words they have to say and who, as a result, see things in a completely new and holy way.

Can I get an amen to that one?!?!?!