1. small group discussion [Judges 10:1-5]
For those who missed, as you know we've been doing a small group discussion on verses from the book Pastor Ray preached from. This week was Judges 10:1-5, two complete stories in those 5 verses. Each week we take the passage and answer one of the gospel storytelling questions:
- what did you like about the story?
- what did you not like about the story?
- what does the story tell you about man?
- what does it tell you about God?
- what are you going to do with it?
- who are you going to go tell now?
Tola and Jair. The question was "what are you
going to do with this?" Tola and Jair served 23/22 years respectively.
Tola did his work, up in the mountains, died and was buried. Jair had 30 sons,
30 towns named after him that still are there today. So what are you going to
do about it? Seek a name, serve whether you have no name and no one
remembers?
Go read Gen 50:24-25
Ex 13:19
Joshua 24:32
And ask the question, how did those bones get there? Who carried those bones around for 40 years and during the conquest of Canaan?
here's the afterWORD:
Now read Heb 11:22. Joseph was accounted for his faith to say "take my bones with you." Jesus said, "he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." What kind of faith does it take to serve in the shadow, to do the labor and toil? And what kind of faith does it take to serve the faith of others?
2. Nehemiah 5-6. We walked through the two passages and found that Nehemiah was an amazing leader, but so much moreso he was a tremendous example of following.
a. he "consulted with himself" (sought deeply what the right thing to do was, evidence God had endowed Him with the Spirit for this task)
b. he made a "covenant with the people" and entered a faithful relationship
c. he "continued the work" always dedicated wholly in fear of God to the burden for the people the Lord had given him
d. he interpreted "counsel with prayer" and sought the Lord's character in what others outside and inside told him, even testing the prophets against the Word of God to find them false.
3. afterWORD
When Nehemiah spoke to the leaders and the priests about financially enslaving their own people, who he was trying to buy out of slavery said, "shall I now by our brethren from you?!" And "they had nothing to say." Romans 3:10-18 makes an inescapable case that no one seeks after God. Rom 3:19 says the Law is so comprehensive, complete in exposing our guild, it leaves us utterly indefensible, and it stops our mouths (Rom 3:19)
Nehemiah could have take the governor's portion but chose not to be a burden to the people God had given him a burden to serve. Put in context of Tola, Jair, and Nehemiah, look back at Romans 3:1-9. Whether you claim tradition, upbringing, position, or name, they do not offer you righteousness in God. Rather, as we serve we must remember "we are no better than they" and that the burden we have for others should be Christ-centered, aimed at showing them God's glory and righteousness--not our own. So whether we have rights or not, a name or not, we can't make God famous or more righteous or more glorified by our righteousness (ours is but filthy rags). Rather
a. our transparency and passion for "truth" can show God's glory in His work in us through faith (v4)
b. our transparency in failure can show God's righteousness in contrast, even His righteous judgment (v5-6), for we cannot earn anything of ourselves
c. our pursuit of holiness for the joy of His glory shown through us or even in spite of us is our only hope when under attack of slander of the enemy and lies of the false brethren (v7-9)
d. including ourselves in "for all have sinned" gives us the only hope of showing the exceeding glory of God in that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (v10-23)
Conclusion.
Lord, fill us with a burden for others constrained only by a fear of You. Fuel the burden with a pursuit of your glory, in context of, through admission of, because of, in spite of, and regardless of our sin. That all might believe and repent and give You the glory You alone are due.
Go read Gen 50:24-25
Ex 13:19
Joshua 24:32
And ask the question, how did those bones get there? Who carried those bones around for 40 years and during the conquest of Canaan?
here's the afterWORD:
Now read Heb 11:22. Joseph was accounted for his faith to say "take my bones with you." Jesus said, "he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." What kind of faith does it take to serve in the shadow, to do the labor and toil? And what kind of faith does it take to serve the faith of others?
2. Nehemiah 5-6. We walked through the two passages and found that Nehemiah was an amazing leader, but so much moreso he was a tremendous example of following.
a. he "consulted with himself" (sought deeply what the right thing to do was, evidence God had endowed Him with the Spirit for this task)
b. he made a "covenant with the people" and entered a faithful relationship
c. he "continued the work" always dedicated wholly in fear of God to the burden for the people the Lord had given him
d. he interpreted "counsel with prayer" and sought the Lord's character in what others outside and inside told him, even testing the prophets against the Word of God to find them false.
3. afterWORD
When Nehemiah spoke to the leaders and the priests about financially enslaving their own people, who he was trying to buy out of slavery said, "shall I now by our brethren from you?!" And "they had nothing to say." Romans 3:10-18 makes an inescapable case that no one seeks after God. Rom 3:19 says the Law is so comprehensive, complete in exposing our guild, it leaves us utterly indefensible, and it stops our mouths (Rom 3:19)
Nehemiah could have take the governor's portion but chose not to be a burden to the people God had given him a burden to serve. Put in context of Tola, Jair, and Nehemiah, look back at Romans 3:1-9. Whether you claim tradition, upbringing, position, or name, they do not offer you righteousness in God. Rather, as we serve we must remember "we are no better than they" and that the burden we have for others should be Christ-centered, aimed at showing them God's glory and righteousness--not our own. So whether we have rights or not, a name or not, we can't make God famous or more righteous or more glorified by our righteousness (ours is but filthy rags). Rather
a. our transparency and passion for "truth" can show God's glory in His work in us through faith (v4)
b. our transparency in failure can show God's righteousness in contrast, even His righteous judgment (v5-6), for we cannot earn anything of ourselves
c. our pursuit of holiness for the joy of His glory shown through us or even in spite of us is our only hope when under attack of slander of the enemy and lies of the false brethren (v7-9)
d. including ourselves in "for all have sinned" gives us the only hope of showing the exceeding glory of God in that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (v10-23)
Conclusion.
Lord, fill us with a burden for others constrained only by a fear of You. Fuel the burden with a pursuit of your glory, in context of, through admission of, because of, in spite of, and regardless of our sin. That all might believe and repent and give You the glory You alone are due.
