THE STORY CLASS NOTES 07.13 **NOTE: Todays class had a guest teacher** >before viewing the video, think about yourself in Middle School; what were you into, what styles did you wear, what music did you like, who were the biggest influences in your life -how does Samuel feel about the leaders of the Israelites requesting a king so that they could be like all other nations? -Samuel PRAYED TO GOD -he took it personally, but their action was against God not Samuel -how does God feel about their request? -God was heartbroken, the Israelites were rejecting HIM as their King -He told Samuel to warn the Israelites that even with an earthly king, they and their king must STILL follow His commands and decrees -God may be allowing a change in the Lower Story, BUT He is NOT allowing a change to His ultimate plan/ending -God did not like the Israelites plan because GOD SETS HIS PEOPLE ASIDE TO BE DIFFERENT! HEY, THIS INCLUDES YOU! >yes, we are studying a story of the Israelites and of Gods history, but what is the Bible for us? THE BIBLE IS GODS TESTIMONY AND INSTRUCTION FOR HOW WE ARE TO BE! -the best way for people to see God is for He Himself to be their King - no layers of management/no priests (with the tearing of the temple veil after Jesus crucifixion) between God and His people -God honors our free will, He warns the Israelites that their decision for an earthly king will be difficult, but God is going to let them try >HOW OFTEN HAVE WE BEEN HERE? -SOME SCHOLARS SAY THIS IS NOT GODS PERFECT WILL, BUT HIS PERMISSIBLE WILL - BE WISE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!! -God, thru Samuel told Saul to destroy ALL of the Amalekites - their king, their women and children, their animals - everything -but Saul allowed the king to live and kept all of the best, most choice animals -when Samuel caught him, Saul RATIONALIZED that he was going to use those best animals as sacrifices to God >WHEN GOD TELLS YOU TO DO SOMETHING - DO IT HIS WAY! >YOU CANNOT RATIONALIZE WITH GOD - HE SEES YOU - EVERYTHING YOU DO - AND HE IS NOT MAN, HE SEES YOUR HEART! -Saul has now distorted God before the Israelites -Sauls actions are now affecting Gods Upper Story plan and that is NOT going to happen -now that Gods Upper Story plan is being affected, God WILL intervene and WILL make a change *GOD CALLS CHRISTIANS TO LIVE DISTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES. WE ARE TO BE CHALLENGED BY JESUS CHRIST, THAT ALTHOUGH WE LIVE IN THE WORLD, WE ARE NOT TO BE OF IT! *WE ARE CALLED TO REPRESENT CHRIST TO OTHERS BY THE WAY WE LIVE! *MR. FRAZEE SAID: YOU MAY BE THE ONLY BIBLE OTHER PEOPLE EVER READ! >HE SAID THAT WE CANNOTT COME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY AS HOLY ROLLERS AND THEN BE MEAN - TO THE WORLD AND SOMETIMES, TO EACH OTHER IN THESE VERY WALLS! *GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, HE IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE LIKE JESUS CHRIST! >Most of you, I have been in a study with, you know me, when I was new everyone warned me about how scary the Book of Revelation was. No! The Book of James is terrifying! I stood up and gave testimony in Church to this a couple of years ago. So what if we read and study, WE ARE CALLED TO DO! It is in the DOING, the BEING like Christ. You cannot call yourself a Christian and say youre saved and do nothing with it. Jesus said He would separate the sheep from the goats. Most of us in here took Jeremys Discipleship Class and he gave us some excellent examples to disciple. It isnt hard - you walk out the door of your house, you walk out the door of this building AND YOU BE NICE! You be nice to other people. You say please and thank you, you hold a door or you help someone. Christians get SO upset when they hear that Christianity is falling off or has a bad reputation. Well guess what?! Christians are the reason for this! We are to blame! How can anyone tell us from the rest of the world if we are acting just like them, if not worse?! I think its fair to say that we all have seen The Passion of The Christ. We all walked out of the theater just weeping for the brutal beating and crucifixion of Jesus - the beating that was rightfully ours - FOR OUR SINS - and after our weeping, what did we do? We went right back to being mean and doing nothing. I cant help but think, Jesus Christ DIED FOR ME. SHOULDNT I NOW LIVE FOR HIM?! SHOULDNT WE MAKE THE LIVES THAT HE GAVE US BACK WORTH SOMETHING?! SOMETHING GOOD?! SHOULDNT WE BE DOING MORE?! DOING BETTER?! I think we should if we call ourselves Christians! WE ARE CALLED TO BE/DO BETTER BY GOD, BY JESUS! -how does Samuels description of the consequences of having an earthly king instead of a heavenly king parallel the actions of those who govern in our modern world today? -a king will take you sons and daughters to become servants, a king will take the best of your flocks for his own and his officials, a king will take the best of your crops for his own and his officials, a king will take 1/10 of your wages >sound familiar? -Gods Upper Story plan is for Him alone to rule as king over His people -in the Lower Story, the people insist on having an earthly king as their ruler -God gives into their request *Do you believe God still allows us to have our way (on occasion) even if it is not His perfect Will for us? -Saul does not follow Gods instructions, which leads to Samuel telling him that he will now lose his throne because God is rejecting him -one of Sauls big mistakes was distorting and misrepresenting God as cruel and greedy rather than showing that He is just and holy *we had a very personal discussion of how we frequently misrepresent the character of God to the world even though we are Christians -peer pressure and immaturity were most often used -peer pressure does not end in Middle School or even High School, peer pressure continues for most of us even now -it is hard to be different -it is hard to be the freak -it is hard to not think that we know better - or that we just simply want to have fun -it is not hard to be the freak, but it is hard to control the mouth! >ah! but what about the consequences? *we had some truly heartfelt confessions of our consequences - some short-lived, some still with us *WHAT CAN WE DO TO REPRESENT GOD TO THE WORLD WITH GREATER CLARITY AND ACCURACY TO THE CHARACTER OF GOD? -Gods desire is to reveal His presence, power and plan to the world and to restore peoples relationship with Him >recall in Genesis when Gods Upper Story was changed by the actions of Adam and Eve in the Lower Story - they rejected His vision by sinning, the Israelites are rejecting His vision be rejecting Him as their king *ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU WHERE YOU ARE CONFORMING TO THE WORLD AND PRAY FOR STRENGTH TO FOLLOW HIS PLAN *PRAY FOR COURAGE TO FOLLOW GODS DIRECTION AND NOT YOUR OWN VERSION OF HIS INSTRUCTIONS *CONFESS WHERE YOU ARE TEMPTED TO IMITATE THE WORLD OR ARE A POOR EXAMPLE - PRAY FOR GODS GRACE AND POWER TO CHANGE. >I KEPT HEARING ROMANS 12:2 IN THIS STUDY: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s Will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. *Insight from Bob: recall Paul in ROMANS 7:19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. If Paul struggled, then I can at least take some comfort that I struggle with this as well. *THIS WEEK, REFLECT ON: -the human capacity to self-deceive and RATIONALIZE YOUR SIN is staggering -reflect on YOUR PATTERN TO RATIONALIZE YOUR SIN -if God convicts you, honestly confess and ask for strength to change -THINK THRU YOUR BEHAVIORS, practices, shopping patterns, clothing choices, language, hobbies - anything you do because someone else does >a recurring post on Facebook is: If it keeps you from getting closer to God, then it needs to go! -IF YOU IDENTIFY SOMETHING AS UNHEALTHY, UNGODLY, OR OFFENSIVE - commit to ending that behavior! >you know when God is convicting you - YOU FEEL IT; you feel that thumping in the inside of your head, you hear that voice - THAT IS GOD, HIS HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTING YOU - listen to it, fix it, make it right READ CH 11 FOR SUNDAY: FROM SHEPHERD TO KING >These are commentaries from the guest teacher - who greatly praises and thanks God for allowing His Holy Spirit to guide them, help them to teach this class and to (hopefully) properly reveal His Character! And for revealing the lesson of this story: You are a Christian, called to be different, to represent God and Christ to the world that do not know Him yet, as well as to those who do. Amen!
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 12:30:20 +0000