SN - notes from 12/4/10
LOVE - TRUTH
AWARENESS - ACTION
a 4 part SN study
awareness
Like love and truth, the awareness process began with God through : creation, revelation, invitation, incarnation, and explanation.
A. creation -
Through creation, we become aware that God is omnipotent, original, creative, ingenious, social, loving, and eternal.
Bismarck, speaking with Andrew White, our ambassador to Germany, said of immortality: “I do not doubt it, even for a moment. This life is too sad, too incomplete, to satisfy our highest aspirations and desires. It is meant to be a struggle to ennoble us. Can the struggle be in vain? I think not. Final perfection, I believe in, a perfection which God has in store for us.”
—C. E. Macartney
B. revelation -
God used prophets, visions, and/or angels throughout history to bring awareness to coming calamity (Noah, Joseph, Daniel, Jonah, Jeremiah); the need for perseverance through dark times
(Elijah and Elisha), and the coming Messiah (numerous prophets, Gabriel, and J the B), etc.
C. invitation
The ministry of the Holy Spirit brings awareness to sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 15:5-7)
D. incarnation
The birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus generated and generates much awareness to so many things:
Through His life we become aware that God is:
1. OMNIPOTENT
Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth
2. TRUTH
John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
3. LOVE
Romans 8:35-37 KJV - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
4. SELF-EXISTENT
John 5:26 - For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
5. IMMUTABLE
Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
6. OMNISCIENCE
John 21:17 - He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee…
7. ETERNAL
Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
8. GOOD
John 10:11 - I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
9. GRACIOUS
2 Corinthians 8:9 - For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
John 1:17 - For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ
10. HOLY
Hebrews 7:26 - For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
11. PATIENT
1 Timothy 1:16 - Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
12. JUST
2 Timothy 4:8 - Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
13. SINLESS
Hebrews 4:15-16 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
14. FAITHFUL
Revelation 19:11 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Through His teaching we see that God is:
1. Concerned with bringing awareness to the true purpose of His incarnation.
2. Concerned with bringing awareness to false teaching
3. Concerned with bringing awareness to overlooked people groups (women, children, widows, the hungry, the sinful, the poor)
4. Concerned with bringing awareness to the Kingdom of God (while we wait for it, what we do for it).
5. Concerned with bringing awareness to the enemy
E. explanation
Through the life of Jesus (the 4 gospels) and the apostle’s writings (along with Luke and Mark), we gain more awareness in terms of:
1. recognizing false teaching
Luk 11:44 - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
2. eschatology (and holiness)
Luke 12:46 - “the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
3. missional living and evangelism
1 Cor. 15:54 - Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
4. spiritual maturity
Rom. 13:11 - And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
5. Communion
1 Cor. 11:28 - But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup
6. eternal security
Rom 11:2-4 - God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying”LORD, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek
my life”?
But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
7. church discipline
1Cr 5:6 - Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
8. sanctification
2Cr 13:5 - Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
9. perseverance
1Cr 9:24 - Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
10. orthoproxy -
2Cr 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
11. social justice
James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that our awareness is in proportion to our relationship with Jesus - He initiates, we respond by through awareness and action (12/18/10 study)!!!
