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    Aug 11, 2013

    Discipleship and It’s Rewards: Part 3

    Series: Disciple Making Disciples

    Keywords: thoughts, secrets, access, roadblocks

    Summary:

    The Lord reveals His innermost thoughts and intimate secrets to his disciples. God has granted them access to a myriad of revelation and guidance through His word. God understands the roadblocks we create along the way and walks with us to conquer them as they slow us in our discovery.

    Detail:

    “If anyone wishes to be counted as my adherent, he must once and for all say farewell to self, decisively accept pain, shame, and persecution for my sake and in my cause – day in, day out – and must then keep on following me as my disciple (student) and must subject himself to my discipline.” (Hendriksen)

    This week’s word is, “access” (introduction, entrance) with connected requirement of “by faith”. (cf. Ephesians 2:18ff; Ephesians 3:12) “because of our faith”… “an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear” (Amplified)

    Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and listens to and heeds my voice and [decides to] open th door, I will come in to him and will eat with him and he will eat with me.” Revelation 3:20.

    [ACCESS]

    Prayer

    1. We have looked at the Gentle Mentor
    2. We have examined the enabling, empowering and encouraging work of the Holy Spirit.
    3. We have faced the question and challenge in our lives__ are we followers or are we disciples of Christ?
    4. This morning, God gives us another “reward” for considering DISCIPLESHIP.

     

    The Lord God Reveals His Innermost Thoughts and Most intimate Secrets to His Disciples!

    Let’s stop a second and consider the process God uses to get here…

     

    First, God Reveals Himself in Creation….

    “That an infinite God would seek to reveal Himself to His creatures (you and me) is reasonable and is essential to God’s fulfilling His purpose in creation. It is only natural that rational beings should attempt to learn something about the creator who made them.” Chafer

    “It is [also] reasonable to expect the Creator will communicate with His creature revealing His purpose and will.”

    Through Creation

    The eternal power and character of God are revealed… “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

    The natural world being a work of God discloses that God is a God of infinite power, wisdom and has designed the physical world for intelligent purposes. (Chafer, 31)

    The heavens declare the glory of God;
        the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
    2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
        night after night they reveal knowledge.
    3 They have no speech, they use no words;
        no sound is heard from them.
    4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
    Psalms 19:1-4

    1. The Glory of God meaning… “that which constitutes the glory and honour of God, His wisdom, power, skill, faithfulness, benevolence, as seen in the starry worlds above us, the silent, but solemn movements by day and by night.”

    The idea is… that these convey to the mind a true impression of the greatness and majesty of God.” (Barnes, 166)

    1. The Works of His Hands meaning… “The idea is that God had made those heavens with His own hands, and that the firmament, thus adorned with sun, and moon, and stars, showed the wisdom and skill with which it was done.” (Barnes, 167)

    “When I consider your heavens,
        the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars,
        which you have set in place,” Psalms 8:3

    1. They Pour Forth Speech meaning… “The idea is that the successive days thus imparts instruction, or convey lessons about God. The word ‘speech’ means properly a word, and then a lesson or that which speech conveys… (Barnes, 168)

     

    1. They Reveal Knowledge meaning… “Knowledge repectign God, Each successive night does this, It is done by the stars in their courses, in their order, their numbers, their ranks, their changes or position, their rising and their setting.”

     

    There are many lessons conveyed to man about the greatness of God by the silent movements of each night and day. Messages of prosperity, protection, dark night of affliction and adversity. Without a word, God speaks!

     

    “The words of the mouth are deep waters,
        but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream” Proverbs18:4

     

    4 Yet their voice [evidence] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world. Psalms 19:4

     

    Second, God Reveals Himself through Jesus Christ…

                    Through Jesus Christ

    1. A.      At an Appointed Time

    “But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law,…” Galatians 4:4

    1. B.      In an Understanding Gesture

    “By becoming a man in the act of incarnation, facts about God which otherwise would have been difficult for man to understand are translated into the limited range of human comprehension.” (Chafer, 32)

    1. C.      In an Unorthodox Demonstration

     

    Christ is not only revealed in power and wisdom, but also the love of God, the goodness of God, His holiness and His grace revealed through Him.

     

    “Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father?” John 14:9

    Thirdly, God Reveals Himself through the Written Word (The Bible)…

                    Through the Written Word.

    1. It is the Bible that is able to reveal God in more explicit terms than can be observed in the person and work of Christ.
    2. It is the Bible that introduces Jesus Christ to us both as the object of prophesy and the fulfillment of prophesy.
    3. It is the Bible that discloses God’s program for Israel, for the nations and for the church.
    4. It is the Bible that not only presents God as its supreme subject but also unfolds His purposes. It is all-inclusive.
    5. It is the Bible that restates all the facts concerning God which are revealed through nature and gives the only record concerning God’s manifestation in [Jesus] Christ.
    6. It is the Bible that that enlarges the divine revelation into the great detail regarding God the Father, the Son, the Spirit, angels, demons, man, sin, salvation, grace and glory.

    “Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

    “17 So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Amplified

    The Lord God reveals His Innermost Thoughts and Most intimate Secrets to His Disciples!

    HOWEVER!!

    We must take a moment and STOP and read the two verses prior to this well known passage…

    [LISTEN CAREFULLY]

    14 But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned [them],

    15 And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus [through the leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

    When we commit our lives to Christ (make a decision), follow and trust Him not only as Savior but through a faith [trusting and relying] are we gifted with the third REWARD of Discipleship….

    UNDERSTANDING and COMPREHENSION of the Word of God

    Turn to 1 Corinthians 2:10-14

    1. A.      Apart from this work of the Spirit of God, in revealing what Scripture means, there can be no real understanding of the truth as stated in 1 Corinthians 2:10-14.

    For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

    1. B.      The truth of the Word of God need to be revealed to us by the Spirit of God, and we need to be taught by the Spirit of God.

     For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, [b]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.          

    1. C.      The truth of the Word of God CANNOT be comprehended and understood by the natural man, or the natural mind… the mind that is not stayed on Christ, Himself.

    But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

    So yes, there are Roadblocks (Speed-bumps) to Comprehending and Understanding the Bible

    Purpose of a speed-bump is to get our attention and to slowdown and recognize that you are in new territory.

    [LISTEN CAREFULLY]

    1. 1.       Your Spiritual Condition

    Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?

    Is there something in your life that is stopping you from experiencing God?

    1. Let me state a couple facts about God before we go any further…

    -God wants, desires, hopes for, and yearns for an ongoing relationship with you, His child.

    -God’s will is a rich, free, thriving relationship with His children. [THUS] The cancelled debt!!

    “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Col 2:13-14

                    -God does not desire a relationship based on GUILT and DEED.

     

    [Optional]  In his book, Overcoming the Seven Obstacles to Spiritual Growth, author Dwight Carlson believes there are seven obstacles that stand in the way of the Christian… yes even the Disciple. These obstacles prevent us prevent us from experiencing the life, the promised life of John 10:10 “abundant” life He has promised us.

    Dr. Carlson lists:

    1. The Dutiful Christian
    2. The Corporate Christian
    3. The Expert Christian
    4. The Grace-Abuser Christian
    5. The Resistant Christian
    6. The Emotional Christian
    7. The Runt Christian

    Let’s take a brief look at two of them: The Dutiful and the Resistant Christian.

    Question:

    When you use a vending machine of any kind, what are you expectations of it? When it doesn’t respond according to the contract you have with it how do you respond? You push the COKE button and your get a SPRITE. You push the CHOCOLATE button and you get peanuts… interesting correlation between the vending machine and God sometimes… yes?

    This is the plight of the Resistant Christian (Disappointment Based)..

                    -there is expectation

                    -there is the whole idea of control

    -there is resistance… and resistance keep us from releasing… keeps us in the “holding on” stage of our Christian walk, the “I” stage…

    There is also the plight of the Dutiful Christian (Performance Based)

    -there is the need for duty based life, something compels us, drives us, many times from our culture, our childhood, our religion, our competition, our need to WIN!

                    -there is the exhaustion of trying to please a God who doesn’t ask performance form us

                    -there is the [short-lived] exhilaration of “pleasing God”.

                    -In the end, there is ultimate failure!

    Bottom Line…..

    The Lord God reveals his Innermost Thoughts and Most Intimate Secrets to His Disciples!!

    He wants to give and share with you His all in all… He promised it, Will do it!

    God is asking you to recognize that SPEED BUMP you just crossed over…

     

    He has revealed Himself to you:

    -through CREATION

    -through Jesus Christ

    -through the Written Word of God

    He has given you the ability, the gift of COMPREHENSION and UNDERTSANDING (His Intimate and Innermost Thoughts)

    He awaits you….