A Life Changing Lesson
Notes
Transcript
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Opening
Opening
Interview:
IceBreaker: Trivia
Interview:
1. Name three Israelite kings.
Divide the young group into pairs. Ask them to take three minutes to interview each other. Each interviewer must find three interesting facts about their partner. Then have them present these facts to the group.
1. (Saul, David, Solomon)
1. If you could travel to any place, where would it be?
2. Who built the ark?
2. If you could have any super power, what would it be?
1. (Noah)
3. When is your birthday?
4. What is your favorite dessert?
3. Where did Jesus grow up?
1. (Nazareth)
5. Would you rather be able to be the best at any sport, or be able to never forget anything you studied?
4. Who lived in Ur and moved to a country he did not know?
I have some trivia I want you to talk about in your groups. See how good you are at figuring some of this stuff out:
Introduction
Introduction
1. (Abraham)
5. What happened first? Murder of Abel or the great flood?
• In 1900, the average human life span was 50 years. What is it today?
(Almost 80)
• The average lifespan of a male in the 400s in England was how much?
(30 years)
• The average eyelash lives how long?
(150 days)
• In a 72 year lifetime, how many times does the human heart beat?
(2.5 billionish)
• Between the ages of 30 and 70, your nose and ears can grow by as much as half an inch. True or False?
(T—cartilage doesn’t stop growing)
1. (Murder of Abel)
Okay, so other than growing bigger ears and losing eyelashes, what are we supposed to do with the 75 years that we live?
What are we supposed to do with the 2.5 billion beats of our heart? Today we’re going to study some verses that talk about time and our lives. Let’s get after it.
Think:
1. What are some of the goals of your life?
2. What do you want to be when you grow up?
6. What was the name of the blind beggar at the gate of Jericho?
1. (Bartimaeus)
Lesson
Lesson
7. Was Goliath a Philistine or an Egyptian?
Turn in your Bibles to . As we read this, I want you to note each mention of time or reference to life.
Read
1. (Philistine)
Proposition: Two men learn one lesson that changes their life.
8. What was Jacob’s brother called?
1. (Esau)
Outline
Outline
I. First man: 13,14,16
I. First man: 13,14,16
9. What happened first? The exodus of Egypt or the „fall of Jericho”?
1. (Exodus)
a. Verse thirteen is a man who has his life planned out.
i. He knows where he plans on going
10. How many years of famine did Joseph prophesise to the Pharaohs?
ii. He knows how long he has
1. (seven)
iii. He knows what he will make.
11. Which books come before and after the gospel according to Luke?
1. (The gospels according to Mark and John)
b. But then what is the reality?
i. Can you know where you are going tomorrow?
12. What was Jacob’s youngest son called?
ii. Can you know how long you will live?
1. (Benjamin)
13. Where do we first hear about a shepherd?
iii. Can you know how much money you’re going to make?
1. (Abel, 1. Moses 4,2)
c. How come we can’t know the future?
i. Because of verse 14
14. Who said: „How long will you waver between two opinions?”
ii. Life is a vapor
1. (Elijah on Mount Carmel)
d. Application:
15. Which two birds did Noah send out of the ark as messengers?
i. Our lives are so uncertain, look at how quickly your life can change.
1. (Raven and dove)
16. Who said: „I myself, and my house, want to serve the Lord!”?
ii. One of the biggest regrets of older people, is that they never did anything that will live on when they are gone.
iii. You can’t determine what the future holds, but you can do something that will last for eternity.
1. (Joshua)
17. Which commander had leprosy?
II. The Second man
II. The Second man
a. He plans to life life according to what the Lord says
1. (Naemann)
18. Which towns were destroyed by fire and brimstone?
i. If God’s plan includes this, then fine.
1. Things like,
1. (Sodom and Gomorrah)
a. What friends I have.
19. Name three of Jesus’ disciples whose names begin with „J”.
1. (Jacob, John and Judas)
b. What places I go.
20. How many people were saved on the ark?
c. Who I date
1. (8)
d. What sports I play
21. Who had a coat made of camel hair and ate locusts and wild honey?
2. Whatever God wants is best
1. (John the Baptist)
Think:
1. What does James tell us about tomorrow?
(We don’t know what will happen.)
2. What does James teach us about life?
(It is a mist, it evaporates quickly.)
3. How would you sum up what James says in these verses?
(Life goes by quickly, the wise focus on living lives that please God.)
22. Who said to whom: „A person sees what is in front of his eyes but God sees the heart”?
Okay, let’s focus in on verse 17. James tells us that life is about more than growing eyelashes.
4. What does verse 17 say our lives should be about?
1. (God to Samuel)
(Doing good.)
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
That’s a strong statement, but James isn’t the lone voice in the Scriptures on this point. We’re going to look at some other passages that talk about the same thing.)
23. What is quoted in ,?
Application
Application
Read
1. (I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me).
Read
Think:
1. What does this passage tell us about our lives?
2. What should we do or avoid?
24. Which type of animal did Balaam ride?
Read
Think:
1. What does this passage tell us about our lives?
2. What should we do or avoid?
1. (A donkey)
Read
Think:
1. What does this passage tell us about our lives?
25. What type of tree did Zaccariah climb?
(We will have to give an account for the way we lived.)
2. What should we do or avoid?
(We really are here to do good! Keep in mind what James says: our lives are short. To do good in a short time is a high calling.)
3. How much good for others do you do?
4. What do you spend your time doing?
Conclusion
Conclusion
1. (Mulberry-fig tree)
Illustration
We’re going to finish up a little differently today. Instead of praying or thinking or anything like that, we’re going to do something.
I want you to think about something that you can do for someone else before you leave the church doors today and then actually do it. Maybe it is:
• The story is told about the father of a vacationing family who came across a large sign that read, “Road Closed. Do Not Enter.” The man proceeded around the sign because he was confident it would save them time. His wife was resistant to the adventure, but there was no turning back for this persistent road warrior. After a few miles of successful navigation, he began to boast about his gift of discernment. His proud smile was quickly replaced with humble sweat when the road led to a washed-out bridge. He turned the car around and retraced his tracks to the main road. When they arrived at the original warning sign he was greeted by large letters on the back of the sign “Welcome back, stupid!”
• Cleaning up the trash in the sanctuary between services
• Sitting by someone who looks lonely
• Finding and encouraging 3 people who have helped you through the years
• ROUGH LANDING
• After a particularly long and bumpy flight the crew was tired. This was even made more apparent by the rough landing. This particular airline had a policy that the pilot must stand by the door as the people exited to thank them for flying with the airline. The pilot was dreading this because of the landing but he stood faithfully by. Surprisingly enough the people filed off and none said a word. Then came the last passenger, an elderly lady walking with a cane. As she got up to the captain she said, “Can I ask a question?”
CLOSING PRAYER (3 minutes)
CLOSING PRAYER (3 minutes)
• “Sure,” answered the captain.
• “Did we land or were we shot down?”
I. :1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
A. James is talking about all the kinds of strife and fighting we go through, whether it’s an “inner conflict”, or a conflict we have with another person.
1. lusts – hedone (“hedonism”) – desires for pleasure
II. :2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war,
A. lust – epithumeo – to have a desire for, long for, to desire; covet; of those who seek things forbidden
B. ye kill – phoneuo – to kill, slay, murder; to commit murder. It might not be that church people actually “murder” each other, but some of the things come awfully close.
C. Lesson- Lust leads to conflict
1. You see this in the world. War boils down to one thing: Somebody is lusting for something they can’t have. There have been odd wars through the years: “The War of the Whiskers”, “The War of the Oaken Bucket”, and “The War of Jenkins’ Ear”.
2. Sometimes the “lust” is for power and position in the church. I end up butting heads with other people in the church. It happened with Jesus’ disciples:
a) ( KJV) And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? {34} But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
3. Sometimes the conflict is in me. I want something I shouldn’t have. I fight with myself over the issues.
4. When you find tension between yourself and another person, or tension inside of you, do you know what kind of “lust” is involved?
D. Illustration
1. The other day I was pulling some weeds and as I grabbed a clump of weeds, I grabbed a stick that had some thorns on it. One of the thorns broke off after having embedded itself in my thumb. It was very, very small. I tried getting it out with a pair of tweezers, but I couldn’t. Boy did it hurt. Every time I put pressure on it by picking something up, it really hurt. As the day went by, my thumb got a little bit swollen and it still hurt. Finally I had to use an x-acto knife to dig the thing out before my thumb started to heal.
E. When we have tension and strife, we need to deal with the lust involved. If you deal with the lust, you’ll find the tension disappear.
III. :2 yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
A. ye ask – aiteo – to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require
B. Lesson: Learn to ask.
1. Part of the tension that comes in our life comes because we don’t have certain things we’re supposed to have. And one of the reasons we don’t have some of those things is simply because we haven’t asked for them.
2. Some things God gives to us unconditionally. We call that grace. We didn’t ask. He just gives.
3. But some things require a request from us.
C. Illustration: Mr. Jones Goes To Heaven
1. There’s a little fable about a Mr. Jones who dies and goes to heaven. Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour. Amid the splendor of golden streets, beautiful mansions, and choirs of angels that Peter shows him, Mr. Jones notices an odd-looking building. He thinks it looks like an enormous warehouse-it has no windows and only one door. But when he asks to see inside, Peter hesitates. “You really don’t want to see what’s in there,” he tells the new arrival. “Why would there be any secrets in heaven?” Jones wonders. “What incredible surprise could be waiting for me in there?” When the official tour is over he’s still wondering, so he asks again to see inside the structure. Finally Peter relents. When the apostle opens the door, Mr. Jones almost knocks him over in his haste to enter. It turns out that the enormous building is filled with row after row of shelves, floor to ceiling, each stacked neatly with white boxes tied in red ribbons. “These boxes all have names on them,” Mr. Jones muses aloud. Then turning to Peter he asks, “Do I have one?” “Yes, you do.” Peter tries to guide Mr. Jones back outside. “Frankly,” Peter says, “if I were you....” But Mr. Jones is already dashing toward the “J” aisle to find his box. Peter follows, shaking his head. He catches up with Mr. Jones just as he is slipping the red ribbon off his box and popping the lid. Looking inside, Jones has a moment of instant recognition and lets out a deep sigh like the ones Peter has heard so many times before. Because there in Mr. Jones’s white box are all the blessings that God wanted to give to him while he was on earth ... but Mr. Jones had never asked.
2. “Ask,” promised Jesus, “and it will be given to you” (). “You do not have because you do not ask,” said James (). Even though there is no limit to God’s goodness, if you didn’t ask Him for a blessing yesterday you didn’t get all that you were supposed to have. That’s the catch-if you don’t ask for His blessing, you forfeit those that come to you only when you ask. In the same way that a father is honored to have a child beg for his blessing, your Father is delighted to respond generously when His blessing is what you covet most.
IV. :3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
A. amiss – kakos – miserable; improperly, wrongly
B. lusts – hedone – pleasure; desires for pleasure
C. Lesson: Ask for the right reasons
1. Another reason we don’t have certain things is because we are asking for the wrong reasons.
2. One of the keys to learning to pray correctly is learning to check your motives in your request.
a) Prayer is not about getting our will done in heaven, it’s about getting God’s will done on earth.
b) I wonder if it isn’t possible to even be praying for something that looks so spiritually correct, but down deep my motives aren’t in the right place.
V. :4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
A. adulterers – moichos – an adulterer; metaph. one who is faithless toward God, ungodly
B. James is talking to the church in spiritual terms. As believers, we are in a type of marriage with God, a love relationship. When we get too “friendly” with the ways of the world, it’s like we’re committing spiritual adultery.
C. What is the “world”?
1. ( KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {16} For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
2. The “world” is that system of “stuff” that Satan uses to tempt us to sin. It’s not the people, it’s the “stuff”. It can involve things that tempt us through bad thoughts. It can involve things that tempt us because they “look good”. It can be just having a lot of “things”, lots of “stuff” that makes us feel puffed up.
D. friend – philos – friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well; a friend; an associate; he who associates familiarly with one, a companion
E. Lesson: Don’t be cozy with the world
1. You see an example of this in the life of Lot, Abraham’s nephew.
a) Abraham and Lot decided they needed to part ways because they were both becoming too wealthy to keep their flocks together. Abraham gave Lot the first pick of where to go, and Lot made his choice based on what he saw,
b) ( KJV) And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
c) He did this even though he knew that the people of Sodom were wicked (). At first, he only moved closer to Sodom (), but as you follow the story, he eventually moved right into Sodom.
d) In , the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were invaded by a group of kings from the east. And because Lot was living in Sodom, he and his family were taken captive by these kings and he had to be rescued by uncle Abraham. It was kind of like the Christian who keeps visiting his old drug buddies and one day when the house gets busted, the Christian ends up in jail too.
e) By , God is fed up with Sodom and Gomorrah and is planning on destroying the cities as soon as He can get Lot and his family evacuated. The Lord sends a couple of angels to warn Lot, but they did not have an easy time getting the family out. When Lot went to talk to his sons-in-law:
f) ( KJV) And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
g) They didn’t take him seriously. Why should they? When it came time to leave, Lot was a bit reluctant to leave Sodom, and the angels had to grab him by the hand and force him to go. On the way out of the city, Lot’s wife was turned to a pillar of salt because she looked back, not being able to let go of the world.
2. Lot went through much trouble because he had become a friend of the world.
3. Some of the most miserable people are those who have too much of the Lord to be comfortable in the world, but too much of the world to be comfortable with the Lord.
VI. :5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
A. What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful?
VII. :6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
A. He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble."
B. proud – huperephanos – showing one’s self above others, overtopping, conspicuous above others, pre-eminent; with an overweening estimate of one’s means or merits, despising others or even treating them with contempt, haughty
C. I think that with some people they feel that their “pride” is a necessity. They are afraid of appearing “weak” or “stupid”. They work hard at showing everyone how much better they are. They are constantly at work trying to “sell” you on how much you need them.
D. resisteth – antitassomai (“against” + “ordain or arrange”) – to range in battle against; to oppose one’s self, resist. If your life if filled with pride, you will find that God is actually fighting against you.
E. humble – tapeinos – not rising far from the ground. The last place to be in an earthquake is on top of a tall ladder.
VIII. :7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
A. submit – hupotasso – to arrange under, to subordinate; to subject, put in subjection; to subject one’s self, obey; to submit to one’s control; to yield to one’s admonition or advice; to obey, be subject; A Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader”. In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden”.
B. Whereas God is “arranged against” (resists) those that are proud, we are to “arrange under” His leadership.
C. flee – pheugo – to flee away, seek safety by flight; to escape safely out of danger. I like this idea. The devil is in danger if we resist him when God is on our side. He has to flee for his own safety.
IX. :8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
A. draw nigh – eggizo – to bring near, to join one thing to another; to draw or come near to, to approach. First occurrence is an aorist imperative. Second occurrence is a future indicative. Meaning: We are commanded to draw close to God. When we do, God will definitely draw close to us.
B. Do you want to be close to God? Then simply take a step in His direction. James goes on to explain…
X. :8 Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
A. One of the steps of drawing near to God involves confessing my sin and asking for His cleansing.
B. Jesus Christ died on a cross in order to pay for my forgiveness. He died in my place so I could have my sins paid for.
C. I receive God’s forgiveness when I get to the point where I admit that I’ve been wrong, that I need Him, and that I want to change.
D. ( KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
XI. :9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
A. Drawing near to God happens when I decide to get serious about my sin. James isn’t talking about the Christian not having any fun or joy. He’s talking to the person who has been walking in the ways of the world and indulging themselves with ungodly pleasures. He’s saying that they need to turn around.
XII. :10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
A. Lesson
1. Peace comes from being right with God
2. Humble yourself by coming to Him. Turn from your sin. Let Him cleanse you. Yield to Him.
B. Illustration
1. It had not been a good year for King David. It probably started when he had decided he needed to take a break from work, from doing the business of going to war. That’s when he saw her, and that’s when it happened. Bathsheba next door in a bathtub. He had an affair with her. Then he tried to cover it all up, even having her husband killed to keep things quiet. But God knew. And David was miserable. He had no peace. When God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David, David finally quit fighting God. He admitted that he had sinned. Later, David wrote,
2. Read