Quiet Times Search

• Albums of pictures - when God poured out his love
• Printed memorabilia
• Special events - birthdays, weddings, graduations, baptisms

• My days are swifter that a weaver's shuttle - Job 7:6
• My days are swifter than a runner - Job 9:25
  
• Man born of woman is of few days - Job 14:1

• Handle it ourselves
• Turn to God superficially; mentioning thing to God
• Turn to God - pouring out our hearts

• Get in the habit of telling God how you feel
• Be in a private place
• Take a period of time away
• Allow yourself to cry - frustration, sorrow, or joy

• He was washed the feet of his betrayer
• His disciples did not suspect Judas because of Jesus' perfect love for him
• He healed the leper with a word
• Fell asleep during a ragging storm from serving the people
• Went out of his way to encourage the disciples that would in a few hours later betray him
• Despite Peter's denial, Jesus left him the keys to the kingdom
• He promised heaven the thief that moments earlier was abusing him

• Even when there was a large crows of disciples - Luke 6:17
• Even when the is a entire town gathered - John 4:2

• For the strength to live this way
• For the trust needed to believe
• For the supplies necessary to meet every need
• For the godliness to live as the Bible directs

Conciseness

Mark 2:27-28 - Direct statement, only a few words.

Boldness

Mark 3:1-6 - Exposed the evil intentions of their hearts

Anger

• Gave His would–be accusers every opportunity to see for themselves their error
• When they did not respond, Jesus became angry and deeply distressed.
• He expressed anger on the spot
• Some tried to stuff anger

Reinvestment of Dividends

Mark 5:18-20

• Jesus didn’t surround himself with people who owed him a great amount of debt.
• We viewed their gratitude to him to channeled to help others
• Few people are grateful for the Lord when He work powerfully, yet fewer accept their obligation to proclaim.

Tenderness

Mark 5:21-34

• The women was afraid that she had done an evil thing in touching Jesus’ clothes
• She had suffered from the effective treatments that the doctors had given her.
• Greek word for healed = saved.
• He didn’t babble but told the woman what she needed to hear.

Retreats

Mark 9:30-32

• Sometimes the only way we can truly give ourselves to the few is by making ourselves unavailable to the many.
• Retreats are a change in routine to ponder perspective to help in our personal growth.

Openness

• Jesus was very open with his disciples about difficult challenges and troubles that lay ahead for him.
• Through his openness, Jesus led the way for his disciples to be open with each other.
• Hiding produces shallow relationships and weak bonding – leads to dissolution of the group
• Few are open with troubles to someone who has never been open to them.

A Champion

Mark 12:35-37

• Winning isn’t everything but for the man or woman who desires to make an impact, it is extremely important
• Few people rush to associate themselves with a loser.
• Fight fair and do your best.
• Second-place finishers are all but ignored in the championship celebration

Reprobation

Mark 12:38-44

• He knew that he had gained the upper hand.
• Yet he also knew that popular opinion would turn.

• Leaving behind words that stir people’s hearts from generation to generation is one mark of a man or woman of impact
• Examples JFK, MLK, Abraham Lincoln

• He was completely composed and did not react to the false accusations of his accusers.
• He did not retaliate.
• He was ready to die
• One angel was reported to kill 185,000
• Jesus refused to summon them.
  

• A life of impact is the ability to make good come from a bad situation.
• Roman soldier – few hours of watching Jesus on the cross became a believer.

1. No battle to fight
   
2. No swords and castles
3. Without a great battle in which a man live and die - fierce part goes underground

• We do not know how to initiate boys into men
• We are not sure we really want to

• slavery stopped
• Nazis were stopped
• Who gave up their seats on the Titanic?

• Thought of Jesus as a Messianic Champion
• Thought Jesus would reveal himself in a fierce battle
• “You are the Christ!”
• All the right data
  • Witness the transfiguration – built shelters for Moses, Jesus, and Elijah – Jesus said Peter didn’t know what he was saying
  • Night of the betrayal – Peter said bring it on, he held on hope that 12 leagues of angels would come; drawn his sword to the guard
  • Peter joined the other disciples in Jerusalem – with “one mind” in prayer and purpose

1. How does the church represent the “destination of repentance”?
2. How did the early church help sinners to repent? How did it safeguard true repentance from compromise?
3. How did the walls of the early church stand steadfast against the assaults of the world?
4. What does it mean to be of “one mind” with your brothers and sisters?
5. How were early Christians both non-conformists and conformists?
6. Why has church discipline gotten a “bad rap”? Is it warranted?
7. Why do so few churches practice the Biblical mandates to discipline its members?
8. How can a church best practice church discipline?
9. Have you ever been disciplined by your church? Did God’s plan lead you to repentance – why or why not?
10. Over 85% of the Biblical references to repentance address groups rather than individuals. Thus, how can you help your fellowship - at various levels – repent?
11. How can you spark repentance – even revival – in your church and in your community? Are you willing to walk its path of selfless commitment?

• Started with only a few men.
• He was not concerned with programs to reach the multitudes but with men whom the multitudes would follow.
• Initial objective was to enlist men who could bear witness to His life and carry on His work.
• Early effort at soul winning had little to no effect on the religious.
• Turned out that the early convert became great leaders of His church.
• Who were they?
  • Common labors
  • No academic degrees
  • From the poor side of Galilee (Judas only exception)

• Bad character traits of His disciples:
  • Impulsive
  • “Unlearned and Ignorant”
  • Their abilities were limited
  • Temperamental
  • Easily offended
  • Often mistaken in their judgment
  • Slow to comprehend spiritual things
  • Had many prejudices.
• Good characteristics traits of His disciples:
  • Teachable
  • Willing to confess their need
  • Hearts were big
  • Sincere yearning for God
  • They were fed up with the hypocrisy of their leaders

• Not the kind of group you would expect to win the world for the Christ.
• Represented an average cross section of the society of their day
• Some already had joined the revival movement of John the Baptist
• Jesus can use anyone who wants to be used.
• Kept the group small enough to be able to work effectively with them.
  • More special than the twelve was the three – Peter, James, John
    • Jairus’ daughter (mark 5:37, Luke 8:51)
    • Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2, Matthew 17:1)
    • Waited Near the Lord when He prayed. (Mark 14:33, Matthew 26:37)
  • Choose twelve – Luke 6:13-17, Mark 3:13-19
  • Others – the 70 (Luke 10:1), Mark and Luke (gospel writers), James, His own brother (1 Cor 15:7)
• Rapidly diminishing priority given to those outside the twelve.
• Staked His whole ministry on them. Everything depended upon their faithfulness.
• Some believe that focusing on a few is favoritism
• Jesus however did not neglect the crowds.
  • Taught them
  • Healed the sick
  • Blessed the children
  • Wept for them
  • He died for them.

• Crowd aroused
  • Wanted to make him King by force - John 6:15
  • All men were clamoring for His attention - John 3:26
  • Pharisees admitted that the world has gone after Him - John 12:19
  • Frequently asked those that recipients of His healing to say nothing to prevent mass demonstrations
  • Own brothers and sisters did not understand him - John 7:2-9

• Little more than 500 after the resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:6
• 120 received baptism at the day of Pentecost - Acts 1:15

• Why not an army?
• He needed leaders to lead the ministry after He left. Not all followers. It takes energy to produce a leader.
• Not trying to impress the crowd but the usher in a Kingdom
• Mass are like helpless sheep wandering aimlessly without a shepherds
• Masses willing to follow anyone that came along with some promise for their welfare
• Jesus was a realist. He knew he could not meet all the needs on His own.

• We are not even keeping with the growing population
• We in an age where more rapid communication is now being seen than ever before
• Must not be frantic to try to change the pattern overnight
• Do like Jesus – start with a few lowly disciples and do as it was done by Jesus
  • Slow, tedious, painful, and probably unnoticed at first
  • Not spiritual “junk-food” revivals
• Which generation are you living for?

• Those who did not go all the way fell by the wayside
  • Can not make excuses - Matthew 8:21-22
  • Greed will try to take us away (Judas) - Mark 14:10
  • Turn loose of the world - Matthew 27:3-10
  • Leave comforts of this world - Matthew 8:19
  • Those who want to turn are not fit to serve - Luke 9:62
  • Must love God above all else - Luke 14
• Few want to pay the price
  • Jesus had only a few followers = Are you going to leave too? …Where shall we go? - John 6:68

• Love is the only way to win the free response of men
• Work of the Holy Spirit
  • Must be born again
  • Christ began His ministry by being baptized - John 3:3-9
  • Made clean through the Word and set apart to God for Holy Service - John 15:3
  • Only the Spirit can carry on the redemptive mission of evangelism
  • Jesus was God in revelation but the Spirit was God in operation
  • Evangelism was not a human undertaking but a divine project.
• With Him they felt that everything was possible
• The superhuman work to which they were called demanded superhuman help.
• Through confession of their deep-seated pride and enmity in utterly surrender of themselves to Christ
• It is not who we are but Who He us that makes the difference
• Only those who followed Jesus all the way came to know the glory of this experience
• Jesus was deliberately investing all He had in these few men so that they could be properly prepared to do His work.
• We cannot give something away which we do not possess ourselves.
• The very ability to give to give away our life in Christ is proof of its possession.

• Are those who have followed us to Christ now leading others to Him?
• Not enough to rescue the perishing but to build them in the faith of Christ.
• Converts go out and make leaders out of the converts not just simply more followers.
• Church should be measured on how many Christians are actively winning souls.
• Lord added to the Church, those who were being saved
• Within a few centuries, the world would have known the hand of the Master
• Shortcuts have failed
  • Adaptations of the principle are always necessary in the light of changing circumstances.
  • Costly principles of leadership development can not undercut
  • We try ceremonies, programs, organizations, and crusades of human ingenuity.
  • We must understand that evangelism is not done by something but by someone
  • God's nature is to get personal. Men reaching other men for Christ.
• Need men who:
  • See His vision
  • Feel His passion
  • Willing to be nothing so that He may be everything

• Giving an explanation will not suffice.
• World must have a demonstration of what to believe – “Follow me, I know the way!”
• We must seek them. We must win them. We must pray for them.
• Practicals
  • Begin with a few
  • Stay together – see us on what they need to become
  • See how the message relates to daily experiences
  • Becomes intimately practical.
• Give them time – they can be with us while we are doing other things
• Arrange special times of:
  • Study the Bible
  • Pray
  • General sharing of deepest burdens and desires
• Expect results from them gradually