Bro Bill Sunday School 4/17/11

Bro Bill Sunday School 4/17/11

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

We know that when a sinner repents of his sin; God forgives him.  When we turn our hearts to Him, God not only forgives us but makes a change in our heart so that we are able to serve Him.  

Verse 3: The thought of the lesson is the thought of being washed by God in our lives.  The best I can explain it is: In this part of the country where we have the real cold weather and the ground freezes, in the process of time the frost causes the rocks to come to the surface in a field where we’d already picked up the rocks.  

This same concept works in our lives.  In the process of time things surface that we didn’t realize was there before.  This happened to me the other day, I was working in the school yard and something came up and I thought, “That is not the right attitude.”  I pulled the yard machine over and prayed, “Lord wash me of this.”  Things happen and the enemy will try to get an attitude to start festering.  

There are times when the messages come forth or saints exhort and it shows you a need that you were unaware of before.  We are forever being washed by the word of God.  

Verse 2:  Just because we need refined doesn’t mean that we are not saved.  I’m not making excuse for sin.  (Religious people take up a profession and no change takes place; they’re still following their same worldly habits.  They are not saved.  Something hasn’t come clear in their repentance.)  

God has great things for the church and we want to be prepared and refined.  We want to be in a place where God can use any of us.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

A bride, the church of God is the bride of Christ.  There is a lot of preparation that takes place before a wedding.  It takes effort to prepare.  We’re working to prepare to be acceptable before God.  There are things that cannot be found in our vessels and us be acceptable before God.

A minister brought out “You don’t worry about what so and so is doing.  Don’t worry about them.  How are you doing?  How close are you to God?”  When things pop up in life and the enemy would like you to get your eyes on someone else then say,” I’m going to take care of myself.”

People leave God because of what someone else did.  Those excuses are going to be pretty flimsy at the judgment.  You stand beside a martyr talked of in Fox’s Book of Martyrs and you are going to be judged just as he is.  There is no reason to leave God.

There are times that I pray for myself; I pray for others too, yet I pray for myself.  I want to make it.

A bride may try to have every hair in place and her complexion looking just right.  How much more important it is for us as the body of Christ to try to get all the spiritual wrinkles out so that we are ready for His coming.

Prepare means in the Strong’s Concordance, prepare and make ready (from reference 2092 which means adjusted).

Adjust means to bring to a more satisfactory state, to bring parts to a better relative position, to adapt or conform one’s self.

When we’re in such a way that we are clashing, then we need to adjust our self.  We’ve already given up our self and we are not our own, our rights are gone.  It is not about you or me anymore, it is about you adjusting to God and to what He wants.  Sometimes for the sake of the Body we need to adjust.

Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Mal 3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

Mal 3:3  And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

Jesus is like refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap that we may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness that our offering may be pleasant to the Lord.  No one likes a stinking offering.  

The refiner will sit and wait for the impurities to come out.  There have been times in my life when the trials will come and go on and on; sometimes there must be a time lapse in order for us to really get purified.  The delay is for a purpose.  It is not because He has left us; it is because He sees the need for us to be purified.

Mal 1:11  For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

God wants a pure offering.

Jer 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

The Word of God, the Bible, is not just a book to read and know the history of the Jewish people.  The Word of God is designed to wash and we are designed that we need washing.  

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The word ‘perfect’ means complete.  God wants us to get to the place where we are what we need to be so that He can use us.

The fire will destroy and the hammer will break down and build up.  God designs to clear the rubbish out and then build.  This is what Nehemiah had to do when they set to build the walls of Jerusalem.

Isa 31:9  And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.

We like judgment and we need judgment.  You can get refined on something and feel like you have everything lined up, but as time goes on there are things that pop up in your daily life and you see that you need refining again.  It is not a one fix that happens for eternity.  

With a child there are behaviors that you allow just because they are a child.  As time goes on, you deal with them on it and they need to let those behaviors go.  If we don’t let go of what God deals with us on in our life it puts us in a position of disobedience.  It is important that we listen and respond when God puts His finger on something.

We go through stages where God will deal with us; maybe God will deal with you on a deeper consecration.  A few years back God worked with me on being a servant.  There are times when you go through times where God shows you that you need help on a certain area and you gain understanding.

Once He deals with us, He expects us to do.  Not just to acknowledge to a certain extent, He wants us to do.  God is working in Zion and Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:9), so we are in the right place for His fire to work on us.

Mat 13:41  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

Mat 13:42  And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 13:43  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Offend means (scandal) a trap-stick, a bent sapling, a snare, an occasion to fall, a stumbling block, a thing that offends.

When the Word of God goes forth it is there to gather out of the kingdom all things that offend.  As the Word of God goes forth it sheds light on certain things in our life.  By us measuring it gathers out the things that offend.  Zion is a furnace.  There is wailing and gnashing of teeth; not everyone likes the furnace.  There will be people that recoil from the fire.  Sometimes it hurts.  

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

The end result is healing and growth.