Sister Teri Sunday School 8/5/12

Sister Teri Sunday School 8/5/12

2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God’s plan is for us to have everything made new.  This is our experience if we are saved.  Old things are passed away.  When we become reconciled to God the plan is that we no longer live for ourselves but are yielded fully to Him. 

It seems that God is burdening His people.  There has been a silence and an apathy in the world for quite a while.  People don’t recognize their need to be saved.  The enemy has been pressing us to be silent for quite a while.  Some are persecuted for just speaking the truth. 

To speak the truth may put us into the position of suffering some things, not just a loss of a friend, but maybe some financial losses.  We need to speak the truth anyway.  The more that we are silent the more that the enemy will get his message out and undermine the message of God.

We have a message to get out.  The ‘terms of peace’ with God is total surrender.  This happens when we get saved.  We must make a total surrender of our sins and our own way.  We are ready to turn from our way and turn to God and walk in His way. 

This is the reason that some don’t get saved.  They come with a sorrow over certain sin, just for this one or this other and for help for a difficult situation or because there are blessings that come from repenting.  If they come without a total surrender then they will not get the goods.

After we are justified then there is another total surrender, “I need to have my whole life on the altar.”  We give God a blank calendar.  Where are we going to go today, who are we going to speak to today.  The job of an ambassador is to go and speak to others on behalf of your king. 

Our job as ambassadors of Christ meshes with the time that we spend in our lives in this world and our employment in the world.  Our job as ambassadors for Christ doesn’t have a set time period daily.  It is 24 hours a day.  When what He wants us to do crosses what we planned to do we need to cross out the one and fill its position with what God wants us to do.

We need to surrender day by day and moment by moment.  We surrender every day to God and then when the moments come when God wants us to do something then we need to have the moments surrendered.  There are many blessings that come from total surrender to God; we need to let the world know this. 

We cannot make this way easy for people, the blessings are great, but we need to let them know the ‘terms of peace’ with God is total surrender.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

This is a spiritual battle so we need this spiritual armor. 

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

There is a preparation involved for us to be a witness.  We need to be in this word and be preparing.

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

God’s armor will accomplish what He has prepared it for.

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

We need to be praying in the Spirit so He can help us know how to pray and what to pray for.  Pray for each other that God will help us and help us know what to speak.

Our sufficiency is of God.  It is not our own.  We need to be yielded fully to God.

Act 28:31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

No matter what we might face, let’s not let man silence us.  Let’s be bold in the way that God would have us to be.

Christ is the theme of ministry:

Philip:

Act 8:35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Act 9:20  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

2Co 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

We don’t preach our own opinions.

As teachers:

 Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

He is with us and what God has talked to us about we can share with others.

2Ti 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

2Ti 2:25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

We see some Christians publishing hateful stuff.  We don’t’ do this.  Sin is sin but people are souls that need help from God.  Some sin gets the focus and every one rallies about that but all sin is wrong.

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

We will suffer some persecution.  Our purpose is to make it to heaven and take as many with us as we can.  We have an eternal goal.

Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

When the Spirit is within us and we are fully surrendered He gives kus power to speak the word of gOd.  Lets

Act 4:13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

We don’t have to be educated and learned.  In God’s hand, we can be unlearned, speaking what He’d have us to speak, living the life.  If we are fully yielded to God and living that life, there will be a recognition on the part of those that see us that will witness to more than we can say.

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1Co 2:3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

July 17th

The miracle of belief

My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words. 1 Cor. 2:1-5.

Paul was a scholar and an orator of the first rank; he is not speaking out of abject humility, but saying that he would veil the power of God if, when he preached the gospel, he impressed people with his “excellency of speech.” Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the efficacy of Redemption, not by impressiveness of speech, not by wooing and winning, but by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of the Redemption comes through the preaching of the Gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher. The real fasting of the preacher is not from food, but rather from eloquence, from impressiveness and exquisite diction, from everything that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God—“as though God did beseech you by us.” He is there to present the Gospel of God, not human ideals. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get anywhere near Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the Gospel will end in making me a traitor to Jesus; I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.

“I, if be lifted up . . ., will draw all men unto Me.”

^[1]

When we go out, we need to not go out with the idea of impressing people with our knowledge or diction simply and clearly speaking the Word.  There is a freedom in this; we can just be ourselves.  We don’t have to be impressive.

Let’s just carry this gospel out as simply and clearly as we can.  If Christ be lift up, He will draw all men to Himself.

Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Rev 15:5  And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

We want to make His judgments manifest.  As an ambassador, take them out and reveal them to the lost.  We want the truth of God manifest in our lives and offered to them so that People can see the glory of God.

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

It is not just the Spirit’s job; it is also our Job to say come.  To be a faithful ambassador.

Search me O God and know my heart today
Try me o savior know my thoughts I pray
See if there be some wicked way in me
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free

I praise thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin
I …
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame
Grant my desire to magnify thy name

Lord take my life and make it wholly thine,
…
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride
I now surrender …

Oh Holy Ghost revival comes from thee
Send a revival start the work in me
Thy word declares thou wilt supply our need
For blessing now I humbly plead.

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^[1]Chambers, Oswald: My Utmost for His Highest : Selections for the Year. Grand Rapids, MI : Discovery House Publishers, 1993, c1935, S. July 17