Bible Study

Isaiah 49:10

    [10] they shall not hunger or thirst,

        neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,

    for he who has pity on them will lead them,

        and by springs of water will guide them.

Revelation 7:16-17

    [16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

        the sun shall not strike them,

        nor any scorching heat. 

    [17] For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

        and he will guide them to springs of living water,

    and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

John 7:38

[38] Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

John 6:58

[58] This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Are You Blind to the Suffering Around You?

PRAY OVER THIS

“‘So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?’ And he said, ‘He who showed mercy on him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

Luke 10:34-37

 

PONDER THIS

The English word compassion comes from two words, com, meaning with, and passion, which means to feel deeply. A person who has compassion sees people through the eyes of Christ. Compassion means with suffering, with feeling. The problem with so many of us is we just don’t see. We just don’t look! We’re so busy. We pay no attention. The suffering are all around us. Thank God that Jesus, the Good Samaritan, saw him.

A long time ago, back when they allowed smoking in airports, I was waiting for a flight. I needed to study so I spread out all my papers. After a while I felt the effect of people smoking around me, so I went to another gate to get a smoke-free space. After I got settled in a man followed me, took out a pack of cigarettes, and lit up. The old Adrian wanted to rise up, but Jesus said, “Down, boy.” As I was considering moving somewhere else, he said, “Don’t move, don’t move. I’ll put it out. Aren’t you Adrian Rogers? I need to talk to somebody. I need help. I’m hurting.” And I thought to myself, “Adrian, how blind you could’ve been that day. How obnoxious you could’ve been if you would have let your old nature take over.” I’m glad God overruled the old Adrian for a moment and let the new man come through because the suffering are all around us; they’re hurting, and they need help.

Who do you know that is hurting and needs help?

Have you ever felt God’s nudging toward compassion for someone else? What was that like?

PRACTICE THIS

Think about a time someone had compassion for you. Thank that person for being an example of Christ to you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Church Growth God’s Way

It is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. (Romans 9:8)

Picture the Old Testament Abraham as a pastor. The Lord says, “I will bless you and prosper your ministry.” But the church is barren and bears no children.

What does Abraham do? He begins to despair of supernatural intervention. He is getting old. His wife remains barren. So he decides to bring about God’s promised son without supernatural intervention. He has sex with Hagar his wife’s handmaid (Genesis 16:4). However, the result is not a “child of the promise,” but a “child of the flesh,” Ishmael.

God stuns Abraham by saying, “I will give you a son by her [your wife Sarah]” (Genesis 17:16). So Abraham cries out to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” (Genesis 17:18). He wants the work of his own natural, human effort to be the fulfillment of God’s promise. But God says, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son” (Genesis 17:19).

But Sarah is 90 years old. She has been barren all her life, and she has already passed through menopause (Genesis 18:11). Abraham is 100. The only hope for a child of promise is stunning, supernatural intervention.

That is what it means to be a “child of the promise” — to be born “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). The only children that count for children of God in this world are supernaturally begotten children of promise. In Galatians 4:28 Paul says, “You [Christians], like Isaac, are children of promise.” You are “born according to the Spirit,” not according to the flesh (Galatians 4:29).

Think of Abraham as a pastor again. His church is not growing the way he believes God promised. He is weary of waiting for supernatural intervention. He turns to the “Hagar” of mere human devices, and decides he can “attract people” without the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.

However, it will not be a church of Isaacs, but Ishmaelites — children of the flesh, not children of God. God save us from this kind of fatal success. By all means work. But always look to the Lord for the decisive, supernatural work. “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31).

John Piper 

Bible Study

Galatians 4:22

[22] For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.

Galatians 4:28-29

[28] Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. [29] But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

Hebrews 11:11-14

[11] By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

Genesis 17:16-22

[16] I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” [17] Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” [18] And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” [19] God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. [20] As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. [21] But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

[22] When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

How Should We Treat Our Enemies?

PRAY OVER THIS

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” Matthew 5:44-46

 

PONDER THIS

We are a peculiar people. As Christians, we are children of light. But the world is full of children of darkness. We live by the Spirit; they live in sin. We live by faith; they live by sight. We understand them; they do not understand us. So, what should you do when you’re persecuted? Surprisingly, Jesus said to release love to those who persecute us.

And this love is not mere sympathy; it means doing good. Notice Jesus said God makes it “rain on the just and the unjust.” Don’t say, “Well, I’m going to treat some people nicely because they’re good people, and other people wrongly because they persecute me.” Be like God and love them! Aren’t you glad God loves sinners? Where would we be if He didn’t love us? These people are blind. They don’t have life. They don’t understand. As a matter of fact, the Bible says in the Last Days those that kill us will think they do “God’s service.” (See John 16:2.) They are blind and need love; we need to treat them as God has treated us.

How do you stand out from the culture around you?

How do you typically treat people when they hurt you?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask a friend to tell you honestly how you react when people hurt you. Consider what it would look like to release love instead.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Six Things It Means to Be in Christ Jesus

[God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. (2 Timothy 1:9)

Being “in Christ Jesus” is a stupendous reality. It is breathtaking to be united to Christ. Bound to Christ.

If you are “in Christ” listen to what it means for you:

In Christ Jesus you were given grace before the world was created. Second Timothy 1:9, “He gave us grace in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

In Christ Jesus you were chosen by God before creation. Ephesians 1:4, “[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world.”

In Christ Jesus you are loved by God with an inseparable love. Romans 8:38–39, “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In Christ Jesus you were redeemed and forgiven for all your sins. Ephesians 1:7, “In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.”

In Christ Jesus you are justified before God and the righteousness of God in Christ is imputed to you. Second Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake [God] made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In Christ Jesus you have become a new creation and a son of God. Second Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Galatians 3:26, “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

I pray that you will never grow weary of exploring and exulting in the inexhaustible privilege of being “in Christ Jesus.”

John Piper 

Bible Study

Titus 3:4-7

[4] But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, [6] whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7] so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Ephesians 1:4-10

[4] even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. [7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, [8] which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight [9] making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ [10] as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Romans 16:25-27

[25] Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages [26] but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—[27] to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Romans 8:28-31

[28] And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

[31] What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?