Replacing a leader

Hey teens! Have you given anymore thought to the lesson from Wednesday night?

This summary of the importance of the lesson to your life was given in the teacher's information/commentary.

IMPLICATIONS:
Whether or not they knew it in Acts 1, the apostles’ role was to lay the foundation for the Church. They seemed to understand that good leadership was crucial; Peter’s quotation of Psalm 109:8 supports this. The apostles prayed for guidance and then trusted in the Lord to answer their question. How can you teach your students to follow the apostles’ example in decision-making? How can you stress the importance of church leadership?

God is infinitely concerned with us as individuals, and the Bible explains the value of each person. At the same time, God is concerned about the Church—all believers joined together in one eternal fellowship. Ephesians 4:11–13 discusses the various roles of those who
make up the Church. The goal of these various roles, Paul wrote, is to build up the Church “until we all reach unity in the faith.” How do leaders and others in your church help to unify it? What is your role? How do you prepare your students to play a fruitful role in the global Church?

This passage shows God’s concern for the integrity of the early Church’s testimony—the Church’s united witness to the glory of God and His mighty acts in Jesus Christ. The apostles served as caretakers of Jesus’ message. As the Church grew and became stronger, however, the role of apostle was not so central. While there are no apostles today, their role appears to have been extended through the ministry of evangelists and pastors (Eph. 4:11). The Church has other leaders as well. What types
of leaders does your church have? How does your church select them? What roles belong to all Christians, and what roles apply only to certain leaders?

Interact with some of the questions or agrre/disagree with one or more of the statements that are made. Leave your impressions of the lesson or of Acts 1 and the activity of the disciples as they waited for the Spirit.

So waddyathinkinbout Acts 1? :)
Pastor Mike

Will of God -- Maintaining the God Focus

Whenever God directs me to "coincidental"voices saying the same thing, I like to stop and take notice. This morning as I picked up my book, Contemprary Christian, I came to this section

"If God had a prupose for the lives of his people, and if his purpose is discoverable, then nothing could be more important than for us to discern and do it." p. 128

Hey that sounds a lot like the stuff that we talked about last night! John Stott gives these 5 words to remind us how we ought to seek God's will:

1. yield (to whatever God wants)
2. pray (asking God for input)
3. talk (to others around you)
4. think (no you do not need to throw reason out the window!)
5. wait (don't make a snap decision if it is unclear)

I think those are pretty succinct and helpful. As you consider the willof God for your life, especially this summer, apply these principles to the process. Remember that God is the one that must take the initiative in these discussions. Be ready for Him to answer!

Seeking the specific will for my life too,

Pastor Mike

Does God Use Unsaved/Evil People to Do His Will?

Before you answer, you should consider the example of Joseph's brothers (Gen 37:12-36 + Gen. 50:15-21), the example of Pharaoh (Ex. 14:1-31), or Job's friends (Job 42:1-16).

I believe the answer is yes. I believe that He even uses their own character to set them up to accomplish exactly what He wants.

1. Is there a difference between doing God's will and accomplishing God's plan?


2. Do we have to be willing participants to get the badge of honor/crown of glory for accomplishment of the battle plan?


3. Are you willingly pursuing God's will for your life and facing roadblocks?

Remember that God intends it for your good and is working it together for His ends. His ways are indeed higher than ours and He has the better perspective on the way that things are!

Pursuing the plan,
Pastor Mike

An Application Suggestion for Genesis 27

As I concluded a week of Writing Conference, I was reflecting on the original intentions of this blog -- to think about how this narrative might be applied to us.

We have had some conversation regarding the issues of God's plan and whether or not we are really in control of anything, including our choices. I beleive that most have found that this discussion is far from "definite" and that Scripture talks about both a free will and divine sovereignty. Therefore, take heart, it is not "clear and apparent". But that ought not to be a cop-out or keep us from studying Scripture and dialoguing.

Now, I believe that the discussion of sovereignty and God's plan for each person, including Jacob, Esau, Rebekkah, and Isaac, is warranted from this passage. It is part of this story. But I believe that there is a bigger application.

Here is my attempt at an application of mine own.

"I will not resort to trickery, deceit or manipulation to help God accomplish His will."

"I will wait patiently, even in the face of overwhelming odds, for God to direct my paths and bring blessings on me."

His way, His timing, for His glory

Thanks for being active in this conversation.
Let me know what you think,
Pastor Mike

God Knows

As we consider the story of Jacob stealing the blessing from his brother (Gen 27), we have come to wrestle with what God had planned for these boys (albeit now 40 years old). God does indeed have a plan that promotes Jacob, changes his name to Israel, and continues to build a family of children that he will love to call "HIS OWN PEOPLE". This rascal, who chooses to follow his mother's scheme despite the dangers of discovery, will eventually, by the providence and sovereignty of God, become the father of the nation of Israel. The people that come from his loins will be called by his new name, Israel, not his old supplanter name. I believe that this is significant.

God chose, by His own pre-knowledge and forethought to bring this conniving, rebellious trickster to supplant the older "heir apparent" and turn the whole system on its head. This boy from a troubled, dysfunctional family will become part of the triad of "great-grandfathers" of promise and covenant. (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)

His father, Isaac, who tried to undermine God's intention chose to violate God's stated will. He still gets into the greats! Also a lying, weak husband/leader (Isaac) also gets used by God to perpetuate greatness and grace.

Are you still with me? God knows what is happening. He is not surprised, unsettled, confused, off-his-game, etc. His omniscience and sovereignty meld into his grace and merct perfectly and without flaw.

These events of Gen 27 are "seen" by God before man was created. There is no space-time constraints on God's knowledge. He knew exactly the junk that Esau was packing. So while he may have been operating correctly for once in his life (obeying Dad) he was still probably wrong because he goes so that he might gain the blessing at least above his brother. (notice the whining and tantrum that follows his realization that the blessing is not going to come to him as he had planned).

God knew Gen 28 before it was written. God knew Gen 28 before it happened. God knew that Gen 27 was going to happen and that Gen 33 would come out of this Gen 27 situation. God knew that Gen 34 would happen as a natural consequences of Israel's/Jacob's lifestyles and rebellious choice against God's best for him. Jacob missed out on a lot of good stuff and had to deal with the baggage for the rest of his life. God knew that this decision point -- do I follow my mom's manipulation plan -- would affect the rest of Jacob's life. Yet He allowed it. Yet He sovereignly controlled every aspect of this ruse, including the fact that the trick worked. (How else do you explain the fact that tying goat hair on your arms and wearing your brother's clothes would actually succeed.)

Personal application time:

• God knows my junk and He still loves me
• God knows the trouble that I will get myself into and how it will trash the rest of my life
• God knows that my heart is tender towards Him and has responded in faith to Him
• God knows how many more times I will blow it
• God knows how I will atempt to hide it
• God knows how to expose it
• God knows how I will respond to discipline
• God knows my junk and He still loves me
  
  Simple enough for even a 3rd grader,
  Mike

Manipulation of God

One of the points of the lesson was:

"You cannot change God"

Here are some more discussion questions for you to interact with:

1. Do you believe that this is a true statement? Why or why not?


2. Do you believe that this point can be made from this text/narrative?


3. What "theology proper", or understanding of God's character and interaction with men, does this statement summarize? Why is this theology so important to your life?


4. When you read this statement, can you think about any other persons in Scripture that tried to manipulate God? How did that work for them?


5. How does this theological statement influence the way that you pray to God? Doesn't "prayer change things"? Doesn't the Bible promise "ask whatever you will in my name and it will be done unto you"?


6. When we have a "serious head-on collision" with God and He doesn't change, what must be the outcome of such an encounter? What is the result of the "gravy meeting the road"?


7. How is the faith of each of the characters affected as a result of this narrative? How do they come out of this encounter with God? Where is God, by the way, in this whole exchange? Why doesn't He step in and make a statement of truth and exposure/censure?

This is a great story. It reveals some real tendencies of our hearts. We could just as easily been in the place of any of these characters. God has not changed since this story really happened or since it was recorded for us. What can we learn from this careful study of Scripture?

It would be easier for me just to preach at you for 45 minutes and I would get it and you might even understand my two main points. But by digging into the story yourself and thinking hard about what is REALLY going on here (below the surface facts) you will know this story. I am also convinced that as you place your hard work into understanding this portion of God's Word that he will give you an opportunity to see the principle in your life or in the life of someone around you. This passage will give you an opportuity to minister, to someone, the words of life.

Thanks for thinking outside of the Sunday School answers,
Pastor Mike