Notes for 4/16 Bible Study

Thought you might like to see what we are studying in our small group-

Saturday Night Bible Study April 16, 2011

Mat 6:19 Do not treasure up for you treasures on the earth, where moth and rust cause to perish, and where thieves dig through and steal.

Mat 6:20 But treasure up for you treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust cause to perish, and where thieves do not dig through and steal.

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Mat 6:22 The lamp of the body is the eye. Then if your eye is sound, all your body is light.

Mat 6:23 But if your eye is evil, all your body is dark. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Mat 6:24 No one is able to serve two lords; for either he will hate the one, and he will love the other; or he will cleave to the one, and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and wealth.

Mat 6:25 Because of this, I say to you, Do not be anxious for your soul, what you eat and what you drink, nor for your body, what you put on. Is not the soul more than the food and the body than the clothing?

Mat 6:26 Observe the birds of the heaven, that they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor do they gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Do you not rather excel them?

Mat 6:27 But who of you by being anxious is able to add one cubit onto his stature?

Mat 6:28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They do not labor nor do they spin,

Mat 6:29 but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these.

Mat 6:30 If God so enrobes the grass of the field (which is today, and is thrown into a furnace tomorrow) will He not much rather you, little-faiths?

Mat 6:31 Then do not be anxious, saying, What may we eat? Or, what may we drink? Or, what may clothe us?

Mat 6:32 For after all these things the nations seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Mat 6:34 Then do not be anxious for tomorrow. For the morrow will be anxious of itself. Sufficient to each day is its own trouble.

Questions:

1. In v 21, what does Jesus mean by “your treasure”? If your heart is in heaven what does that mean and how does this manifest itself in our life here?
2. Is v 25 one of the promises of God, in terms of what He will provide for us? How can we reconcile this with believers who may starve to death in third world countries? How do these three verses relate-

• Mat 4:4 But answering, He said, It has been written: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every Word going out of the mouth of God." Deut. 8:3
  Deu 8:3 And He has humbled you, and caused you to hunger, and caused you to eat the manna, which you had not known, and your fathers had not known, in order to cause you to know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of Jehovah.
• Mat 8:20 And Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere He may lay His head.

3. In v 34, how should this verse manifest itself in our lives? What does it imply both about our priorities, as well as our perspective? What do these verse add?

• Mat 5:36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black”
• Jas 4:13 Come now, those saying, Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and we will spend one year there, and we will trade and will make a profit,

Jas 4:14 who do not know of the morrow. For what is your life? For it is a mist, which for a little while appears, and then disappears.

Jas 4:15 Instead of you saying, If the Lord wills, even we will live, and we will do this or that;

Jas 4:16 but now you boast in your presumptions. All such boasting is evil.

4. In v 33- what does this promise mean-”all these thing shall be added”? What does it mean to “ seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”?

Prayer

"This the true man of prayer knows well, and he who was not the true man of prayer learned perhaps precisely this by praying.... In proportion as he because more and more earnest in prayer, he had less and less to say, and in the end he became quite silent. He became silent--indeed, what is if possible still more expressly the opposite of speaking, he became a hearer. He had supposed that to pray is to speak; he learnt that to pray is not merely to be silent but to hear. And so it is; to pray is not to hear oneself speak, but it is to be silent, and to remain silent, to wait, until the man who prays hears God.... Not as though prayer always began with silence (which we have seen is not the case), but when prayer has really become prayer it has become silence. Seek first God's kingdom--that means, Pray! ...
That thou in silence mightest forget thyself, what thy name is, thine own name, the renowned name, the pitiful name, the insignificant name, for the sake of praying in silence to God, "Hallowed be Thy name!" That thou in silence mightest forget thyself, thy plans, the great, the all-comprehensive plans, or the petty plans regarding thy life and its future, for the sake of praying in silence to God, "Thy kingdom come!" That thou in silence mightest forget thy will, thy self-will, for the sake of praying in silence to God, "Thy will be done!" Yea, if thou couldst learn from the lilies and the birds to become perfectly silent before God, what might not the Gospel help thee to accomplish, then nothing would be impossible for thee!" -Kierkegaard

Disclaimer

One can only echo the words of the early house church theologian and martyr Balthaser :

If I have taught only truth, why abuse me? If error, any man may set me in the right way with the spiritual Word. As man I may very well err, but will be no heretic.

A few thought on Proper Doctrine

Calvinism is not anti-missionary: Rather, it gives the biblical foundation for missions (John 6:37; 17:20,21; 2 Tim. 2:10; Isa. 55:11; 2 Pet. 3:9,15).
Calvinism does not destroy the responsibility of man. Men are responsible for whatever light they have, be it conscience (Rom. 2:15), nature (Rom. 1:19,20), written law (Rom. 2:17-27), or the gospel (Mark 16:15,16). Man's inability to do righteousness no more frees him from responsibility than does Satan's inability to do righteousness.
Calvinism does not make God unjust. His blessing of a great number of unworthy sinners with salvation is no injustice to the rest of the unworthy sinners. If a governor pardons one convict, is it injustice to the rest (1 Thess. 5:9)?
Calvinism does not discourage convicted sinners, but welcomes them to Christ. "Let him that is athirst come" (Rev. 17:17). The God who convicts is the God who saves. The God who saves is the God who has elected men unto salvation. He is the same God who invites.
Calvinism does not discourage prayer. To the contrary, it drives us to God, for He it is who alone can save. True prayer is the Spirit's prompting, and thus will be in harmony with God's will (Rom. 8:26).

Words Of Caution

1. It is not wise to make derogatory remarks about what is in the Bible whether you understand it or not.
2. It is not wise to reject what the Bible teaches on any subject, especially if you have not studied what the Bible has to say about it.
3. It is not wise to make a hobby out of any one doctrine. Although this doctrine is of vital importance, it must not be separated from all Christian truth.
4. It is not wise to reject any doctrine because it has been abused, misused and confused. All the key doctrines have been perverted and abused.
5. It is not wise to try to learn what a Calvinist is from those who are not Calvinists.

A Word Of Warning

Calvin's warning against undue speculation in respect to the lofty doctrine of Predestination can well be applied to all the doctrines of Calvinism:

"Human curiosity renders the discussion of predestination, already somewhat difficult of itself, very confusing and even dangerous. No restraints can hold it back from wandering in forbidden bypaths and thrusting upward to the heights. If allowed, it will leave no secret to God that it will not search out and unravel. If this thought prevails with us, that the Word of the Lord is the sole way that can lead us in our search for all that it is lawful to hold concerning him, and is the sole light to illumine our vision of all that we should see of him, it will readily keep and restrain us from all rashness. For we shall know that the moment we exceed the bounds of the Word, our course is outside the pathway and in darkness, and that there we must repeatedly wander, slip and stumble. Let this, therefore, first of all be before our eyes; to seek any other knowledge of predestination than what the Word of God discloses is not less insane than if one should purpose to walk in a pathless waste (cf. Job 12:24), or to see in darkness. And let us not be ashamed to be ignorant of something in this matter, wherein there is a certain learned ignorance" (Institutes, III. 21. 1-2).

Source

John 17 Support of God's Sovereignty/Predestination

Joh 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,

Joh 17:2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

Joh 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Joh 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

Joh 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Joh 17:6 "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Joh 17:7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.

Joh 17:8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

Joh 17:9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Joh 17:10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

Joh 17:11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

Joh 17:12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Joh 17:13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

Joh 17:14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Joh 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Joh 17:18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Joh 17:19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Joh 17:20 "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

Joh 17:21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Joh 17:22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,

Joh 17:23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Joh 17:24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.

Joh 17:26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

What is the meaning of the word "Church"?

Generally, the term that is translated into the word church is ekklesia. This term means - called out assembly. In the Greek it referred to a lawmaking assembly apart from the civil authority. This is expression is assumed to be fulfilled by the institutional church today. Is this explicitly so? As washed in His blood, redeemed, re-born, followers of Christ, we are the Body of Christ. In scripture, ekklesia- church- always refers to the Body of Christ. This Body is only made up of born-again disciples of Christ. One would have to admit that this description does not apply to all church attenders, or even all church members. The "church" is not a building, a meeting place, a denomination, a 501 (3)c non-profit corporation. It is a group of people. A living, breathing, manifestation of the life of Christ in the world, made of of His people. If one would allow that this is the case then what are the logical implications of that statement. We are commanded to not forsake gathering together. With whom are we to gather together? With the Body of Christ- of course. Does attending a meeting with non- believers fulfill this command? NO. Is church for the saved or unsaved? Given the definition of the church as the Body of Christ- the answer is obvious- the saved. Does this describe your church?? It matters not the rationalization- church is for evangelism, to preach the word so that they might hear and be regenerate, to serve our neighbors, etc. The answer is still- the gathering together is for those that belong to HIM! Can an unsaved person worship God? Again the answer is no. The gospel is foolishness to those that perish. There none righteous- no not one. There are none that seek after [Him]. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Holy, means called out, separate. We are called to be Holy as He is Holy, in the world but not of it. But...but...but...how are we to save sinners??You and the church don't and never will. God saves sinners, in His grace and mercy, not by our best efforts, smooth words, and slick programs. If we cannot correctly identify and differentiate between the church as it is-a man made institution- and the Body of Christ- a holy people sanctified unto Him and His works; how on earth do we expect the world to know the difference? We demonstrate our love of God by obedience to His will, NOT by doing what we think is right in our own minds. If we don't even know how to rightly define church, how will we ever discern what it is that we are supposed to be obedient to?

Truth Seekers Wanted

One the most maturing and difficult times I have had in my walk with God was a time when He led me to make a list of all the things that I thought were true about Him, His Word, and what it meant to be a follower of Christ. God then wanted me to list these beliefs, and categorize them into three classes. First those beliefs that were required or explicitly stated in Scripture, secondly, those beliefs that were based on church tradition, and lastly those beliefs that were a part of my personality- things I wished were true. It was a humbling experience to discover how few of my beliefs were actually stated in Scripture- and therefore definitively true- and all the others that were not. It was a lesson both in humility, and a lesson in grace. God showed me that I needed to test all beliefs/opinions by His Word and measure them to see if they were true. It gave me a measure of my maturity in Christ, i.e. how well I knew the character of God. It also reminded me to be very careful not to ascribe my opinions to God, and to be more diligent in seeking make sure of the truth of my testimony of Him. The lesson in grace I think was even more important. This lesson reminds me during fellowship/discussion, to always be ready to extend grace to a fellow believer who may hold a different opinion than I. It may be a case where one of us has just not grown enough to be ready to know a particular area of truth. God extended me grace when I held some very strong opinions which were in error, I need to do the same. Similarly, any opinion is to be measured by His Word, the totality of Scripture, so that one does not do what is right in one's own eyes, ignoring real truth as revealed by Christ and His Holy Spirit in His Word. God does not change, in Him there is no shadow of turning. His truth does not change, but due to His infinite nature and our finite nature, we will only know in part in this material realm. We grow into the Truth, this is the process of sanctification, being conformed to the image of His Son. As long as any fellowship or discussion is based in a desire to know His truth, Him, and not on defending our opinions- unity will follow. The unity is based on the person hood of God-the very life of Christ in us- not a denominational or doctrinal framework. This is where unity in and of the body of Christ are found.