Sister Teri Sunday School 5/17/15

Sister Teri Sunday School 5/17/15

The burden of these Sunday school lessons is that we would live Coram Deo: in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and to the glory of God.

God has a purpose and is working everything that happens on this earth towards that purpose, whether it be a good thing or a bad thing.  When we question why a good God would allow bad things to happen we are looking for His remote purpose. 

Sometimes bad things happen as a result of going the wrong way.  There is a law of sowing and reaping.  Sometimes He will work things that seem bad to get us to turn from our own way to His. 

When a person is not right with God and has a religious profession, they must leave their false religious profession and own that they are lost.  They need to recognize that there is a spiritual need there. 

What appears bad in our mind, God uses to bring us to His ultimate purpose: union with Him and fellowship in every way.

Because God is good and has a good intent He is working good things in our life for His praise and His glory.  He is working it to bring us to Him.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Php 2:16  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

The spirit of God will work in our heart to desire to do His will and His good pleasure.  When God is working things that don’t seem good, realize that God is working it for good and do things without murmuring and disputing.  Rather than struggling and resisting, we need to ask “What are you trying to work in me?” 

If we struggle and resist, we can handle things wrong and behave in the flesh which will not work to the glory of God and will not cause us to shine as His light, His grace shining through us in this present and evil world.

Hold forth the Word of life to others.

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

From before creation it was predetermined in God’s mind that He would have a holy people.  Every one of us was predestinated in God’s mind to be saved.  He gave us a choice and because of His choice we don’t always go the way that He predestined it to be.  The choice is ours.

It is by His grace and His power working in us that we have forgiveness of sin, redemption, and adoption.  It is all His grace.  Any wisdom and prudence we have is by His grace and His power.  He has made known to us.

His purpose is that we would all be gathered into one to Him, in complete fellowship with Him.  It is all for His glory and all by His strength and His working in us.  Everything about our salvation, working for God, and success in living Holy is by His glory and design.  All glory to Him.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Tribulation that is not good, in our minds, is for our good.  It works patience, experience, hope, and makes not ashamed.  When love works in us, then it works through us, and then out to others. 

Psa 145:1  David's Psalm of praise. I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

Psa 145:2  Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Psa 145:3  Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Psa 145:4  One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

Psa 145:5  I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

Psa 145:6  And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

Psa 145:7  They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Psa 145:10  All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.

Psa 145:11  They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

Psa 145:12  To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

Psa 145:13  Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

Psa 145:14  The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

Psa 145:15  The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

Psa 145:16  Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Psa 145:17  The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Psa 145:18  The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Psa 145:19  He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Psa 145:20  The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

Psa 145:21  My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

We are His works.  The saved and the unsaved are His works.  His great mercy is toward His works. 

Php 1:12  But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

Php 1:13  So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

Php 1:14  And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul realized that even though he had suffered all that he had suffered, God furthered the gospel and worked it in a greater way than He would have otherwise.  How otherwise could God have reached the Palace? 

This also encouraged others to proclaim the truth no matter what happened and to know that God was working.  It is an encouragement even today.

Looking through the mirror, we need to judge the current situations by the light of the remote purpose.  We don’t have all the information so may not know what the end is.  We are still looking in a dark mirror because we don’t know the full purpose.  We need just the light to know that God will work it for good. 

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The then face to face may be interpreted, “In heaven.”  But some of it is just when we get through the trial, have met face to face with God, and see His purpose.  When we get to the other end, we can look back and see, “Oh that is what God was working.” 

As we share our experiences of what God does for us that encourages us, we encourage one another.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God will work good through bad situations even for those that are not serving Him.  But we know that because we love God are the called to His purpose and have sought and submitted ourselves to His purpose that He will work everything for His good.

Psa 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Sometimes God doesn’t show us what is coming because we are not able to bear it.  We would be overwhelmed.  God gives us grace and light for the day and for the moment.  God reveals things by His spirit when we need it and in a way that we will understand.

Joh 16:19  Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

Joh 16:20  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Joh 16:21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Joh 16:22  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

When Jesus was crucified it seemed all their hopes and confidence in Him was destroyed.  Even though He had told them what was coming, they didn’t comprehend. 

Because He had told them, the Spirit of God was able to bring it back to their memory, “He told you He would die and rise again.”  That gave them confidence. 

He had given them some understanding before and then reminded them afterwards.  He was working all things for the good.

Psa 138:3  In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

Psa 138:7  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

Psa 138:8  The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Perfect means to bring to a completion and to an end.  It is not just bring it to an end and getting through it.  When we know that God is working it for His purpose then we know the perfecting is more than just getting through it.  It means that the intended goal is reached and the desired purpose is accomplished. 

When we go through difficulties then think, “What is the desired end for this?”  And let God work through it so that we get the good out of it.  If we don’t get the good out of it, then God will bring something else to us so that we come to the desired end.

Past: In the past when I cried unto you, you answered and strengthened me in my soul.

Present: in this present situation you will revive me and bring me through.

Future: the Lord will perfect… it is talking about God’s purpose in the whole thing. 

To trust in a good purpose of God is the very essence of godly faith.  Our world, its operation, and its goal is not an accident.  This is my Father’s world and everything that is happening is for His goal and His purpose.

God works for our perfecting. 

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Heb 12:9  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

Heb 12:10  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Heb 12:12  Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

Heb 12:13  And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Those that have submitted themselves to the correction, submitted their will to God, and allowed Him to work through it, whatever it is that God is correcting us for and working in us, make straight paths and let the work be done otherwise the lame will be turned out of the way.  Let it be healed.

It is ok to ask, “Why?”  When we desire to know the purpose of God in this and what He is working, it is ok to ask, “Why?” 

Job had no control of His situation.  He asked why.  He knew that God was good and he yielded his own will to God knowing that He had a good purpose for it all.  He patiently endured and saw the end of his confidence, “When He has tried me I shall come forth as gold.”

We have often, when we are going through deep distresses, gone to Job.  “When He has tried me I shall come forth as gold.”

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

We are able to receive much more comfort and help from a person that has gone through the situation that we are going through.  If someone has never been there, they can at most say, “We are praying for you.”  If they have never been there they may be as Job’s comforters and instead criticize.

When Jesus died on the cross, he didn’t deserve to die, but He suffered for our benefit.

Sometimes we suffer because we respond too hastily and emotionally.  We can suffer for a wrong decision that is made under those circumstances. 

Sometimes we suffer for the bad decision of others.  What our kids do will affect us.  Sometimes we suffer just because of life.

God will work to reveal the glory of God.

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Isa 43:4  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Isa 43:5  Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Isa 43:6  I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

God created us for His glory.