Bible Study

1 Corinthians 1:18

[18] For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Mark 8:38

[38] For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

2 Corinthians 2:15-16

[15] For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, [16] to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

1 Corinthians 1:23-24

[23] but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, [24] but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

The Two Great Abilities

“Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”

ROMANS 1:13-15

 

PONDER THIS

Paul was flexible to the missionary opportunity. He said, “I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.” May I tell you what it takes to have the missionary heart? It’s not speaking ability, not intellectual ability, not physical or financial ability, not personality. If you have those things, well and good. Use them for Christ. But the two great abilities that are needed are these: dependability and availability.

Could you say with the Apostle Paul, “I am ready to live as a Christian should live? I am ready to pray. I am ready to give. I am ready to go. I am ready to die, if need be”? Many of us instead say, “I can’t go.” We give excuses. But no cause should take precedence over the call of God on your life.

Are you a lawyer today? Your law practice is not more important than the call of God on your life. Are you a doctor today? Your medicine is not more important than the call of God on your life. God may have you where you are right now for a reason, but if God were to reach in and break up your plans, are you flexible? Are you willing to change course because you’re surrendered to Him?

What are some ways we can prepare ourselves to listen to God when He calls?

When has God called you to do something unexpected? How did you react? How did you seek to trust Him through it?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask God where He is leading you right now and spend time listening for His direction.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Authentic vs. Phony Faith

Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)

The question before us all is: Are we included in the “many” whose sins Christ bore? And will we be saved at his second coming?

The answer of Hebrews 9:28 is, “Yes,” if we are “eagerly waiting for him.” We can know that our sins are taken away and that we will be safe in the judgment, if we trust Christ in such a way that it makes us eager for his coming.

There is a phony faith that claims to believe in Christ, but is only a fire insurance policy. Phony faith “believes” only to escape hell. It has no real desire for Christ. In fact, it would prefer if he did not come, so that we can have as much of this world’s pleasures as possible. This shows that a heart is not with Christ, but with the world.

So, the issue for us is: Do we eagerly long for the coming of Christ? Or do we want him to stay away, while our love affair with the world runs its course? That is the question that tests the authenticity of faith.

Let us be like the Corinthians as we “wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7), and like the Philippians whose “citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

That’s the issue for us. Do we love his appearing? Or do we love the world and hope that his appearing will not interrupt our plans? Eternity hangs on this question.

John Piper 

Bible Study

Isaiah 53:12

    [12] 

    Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

        and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

    because he poured out his soul to death

        and was numbered with the transgressors;

    yet he bore the sin of many,

        and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Revelation 5:9-10

[9] And they sang a new song, saying, 

    “Worthy are you to take the scroll

        and to open its seals,

    for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

        from every tribe and language and people and nation, 

    [10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

        and they shall reign on the earth.”

1 Peter 2:24

[24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Titus 2:13

[13] waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

The Quest in Every Heart

“Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’”

ACTS 9:4-5

 

PONDER THIS

Jesus appeared to Saul, a proud pharisee on the road to Damascus. There was a bright light. The Lord spoke and Saul asked, “Who are you?” Saul was a man who seemed so confident. Outwardly he was confident, but inwardly he had a hunger to know God. All the answers and ways of religion and philosophy had not satisfied.

I’ve traveled around the world, and I’ve met a lot of people. They come from different backgrounds. But every person you’ll ever meet has the same heartache. It’s sin. Every person you’ll ever meet has the same hunger—it’s God. Every person is on a quest for God. Paul was on that quest and finally listened to the Lord’s voice that convicted him and changed his life forever.

Who around you is dissatisfied with life? How can you point that person to Christ?

How has Christ met the hunger you felt before coming to know Him?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray for those around you who are unsatisfied to become satisfied in Christ.

 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Strength to Wait with Patience

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. (Colossians 1:11)

“Strengthened” is the right word. The apostle Paul prayed for the church at Colossae, that they would be “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience” (Colossians 1:11). Patience is the evidence of an inner strength.

Impatient people are weak, and therefore dependent on external supports — like schedules that go just right and circumstances that support their fragile hearts. Their outbursts of oaths and threats and harsh criticisms of the culprits who crossed their plans do not sound weak. But that noise is all a camouflage of weakness. Patience demands tremendous inner strength.

For the Christian, this strength comes from God. That is why Paul is praying for the Colossians. He is asking God to empower them for the patient endurance that the Christian life requires. But when he says that the strength of patience is “according to [God’s] glorious might” he doesn’t just mean that it takes divine power to make a person patient. He means that faith in this “glorious might” is the channel through which the power for patience comes.

Patience is indeed a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), but the Holy Spirit empowers (with all his fruit) through “hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:5). Therefore Paul is praying that God would connect us with the “glorious might” that empowers patience. And that connection is faith.

John Piper 

Bible Study

Psalm 18:31-32

    [31] For who is God, but the LORD?

        And who is a rock, except our God?—

    [32] the God who equipped me with strength

        and made my way blameless.

Psalm 18:2

    [2] The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

        my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

        my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:46-48

    [46] The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,

        and exalted be the God of my salvation—

    [47] the God who gave me vengeance

        and subdued peoples under me, 

    [48] who rescued me from my enemies;

        yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;

        you delivered me from the man of violence.

Psalm 144:3-4

    [3] O LORD, what is man that you regard him,

        or the son of man that you think of him? 

    [4] Man is like a breath;

        his days are like a passing shadow.