Quiet Times Search

• One on who be independent choose not to / he emptied himself and became a slave - Philippians 2
• We are do be devoted to one another - philostorgos = like family - Romans 12:10

• who brings into his circle of friends - John 15:13-15
• who adopts us into his family - Hebrews 2:11
• who vows he will never leave or forsake us - Hebrews 13:5

1. Ignore the problem
2. Gossip about it to other
3. Blast a person with the truth

• Parables offers an opportunity to slip a message past the defenses and filters
• Kingdom parables
  • Parable of the Sower
    • watch out for Satan, he will try to rob you of the true and understanding of the kingdom
    • church needs to honest with how worldly cares (wealth, etc)
  • Parable of the Weeds
• Repentance parables
  • Parable of the Lost Sheep
  • Parable of the Lost Coin
  • Prodical Son
    • Vivid picture of meanoia (when he came to his senses)
    • Data did not change, his thinking did
    • Younger son objectivity saw where he was with his father
    • Reoriented heart returns a reoriented life
    • Proves his repentance by his deeds

1. How can you make the same journey as David – from repulsive to repentant?
2. How does repentance differ between the lost turning to God and the saved re-turning to Him? How is it the same?
3. How do qualify for God’s love and grace (see page 201)?
4. If you have not yet repented, why are you without excuse before God?
5. What will specifically change in your life when you proclaim, “Jesus is Lord!”?
6. If you have repented, have you also been forgiven of your sins – if not, what are you waiting for (see Acts 22:16)?
7. What can make post-baptismal repentance more difficult than your initial repentance?
8. What role does shame play in obstructing your repentance?
9. What is fellowship in the light vs. fellowship in the darkness? Which have you most often experienced in your church?
10. Finally, to the “confused”: take time to consider and answer the questions on pages 207 and 208. How can you thwart Satan’s attempts to undermine your path to true repentance?
11. Who can you encourage today with the good news of your repentance?
12. Who can you reach for Jesus by “telling how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5: 19)?

• Supreme obedience was interpreted as an expression of love.
• “If you love me, you will keep my commands.”
• It was the way Jesus lived.
  • Food is to do the will who sent me – John 4:34
  • Not as I will but as you will – John 5:30
  • Gave His life for a ransom of many – Mark 10:45
  • To seek and save what was lost – Mark 15:31

• When Jesus spoke about obedience, they had the ultimate example in front of them.
• Jesus found joy in doing the work of His Father
  • He expected nothing from His disciples – Luke 17:6-10, 8:21, Mark 3:35; Matthew 12:50
• Development of character is by living and seeing it each day. (Father teaches and expects them to be like him)
• Jesus knew what they were up against
  • Half-hearted evangelism = not effective
  • Required absolute obedience to the Master’s will, with a complete abandonment of their own
• We are engaged in a spiritual war – no missing around with God’s commands
• A day we are indifferent with to our responsibility = day lost to the cause of Christ
• Lack of zeal in church is a lack of obedience
• The need of the hour is not despair but action.

1 Kings 19:1

• Travels 150 miles to get way from Jezebel
  • It is amazing how far we get away
• Lost gratitude
• God doesn't give up
  • He sends angels
• How to get back our spiritual compassion?
  • Go back!
  • Don't run from your fear
  • Don't just go through the motions
  • We are to face ourselves

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

2 Corinthians 7:2-13

• Challenges are need
• They produce more reliance and faith in God

Renew Your Spiritual Passion for the Lost

Mark 5:6-11

• Jesus saw their pain and their lostness
  • Broken marriages
  • Cannot control their children
• We need to get into their lives
• The will open up with your help

Christianity is not an invitation to become a moral person or a program to get us into a reforming society

Christianity begins with an invitation to desire

What do you want me to do for you? - Luke 18:41
Jesus continually took people into their hearts - to their deepest desires

What does Jesus choose to talk about with the women at the well?
Her immorality? No
He speaks to her about thirst - John 4:10
Lets talk about your heart's thirst since the life you've chosen isn't working

All you who are thirsty, come to the waters - Isaiah 55:1-2
Message had gotten lost by the time Jesus' showed up
Jew of the day were practicing soul-killing, lifeless religion of duty and obligation

No wonder Jesus was feared. He came along and started appealing to desire

To the lost - Jesus spoke of finding your way
To the weary - Jesus speaks of rest

Again and again Jesus took them back to their desires
Ask and it will be given to you - Matthew 7:7

What is it that you want? - Would have fallen on deaf ear if his message was unrelateable

• Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
• Tree of Life

Does Christianity condemn desire? Like the Puritans

It is not a matter of desire is good or not - it is what we do with it
Christianity recognizes that desire has gone mad within us but not seeking to fix the problem by killing our desire

Something has gone wrong
God gives us commands for our own good
The point is not the law but joy

Faith on its way to maturity moves from duty to delight
If the goal is to move from delight to duty, we are going backwards and regressing

Prodigal son
Younger son desire get him into trouble
Father's desire for the lost boy is deep
He is grateful just to have his son home again
Older brother lived his entire life under duty and obligation - dealt with his sinful nature by killing desire
THose who kill desire are not the ones who experience God's embrace

Most of us have lost something:
• Losing wallet - not a good thing
  • Feels good to find it.
God's desire is to "find" what is lost - YOU!
 
• Problem: We are separated from God by sin

Jesus came to...

Save the lost

Luke 19:10

• Uses people to save others
• Many people to save some:
  • Do not know they are lost
  • Are confused
  • Misguided
  • Are not interested
  • Are looking
• Despite the what phase we are in we are still lost.
• No excuses 
  • Those who have issues are not really searching
    • "What about those hypocrites?"
    • "I am too busy"
    • "I will but...."

Acknowledge the Father

 John 14:9

• To relate
• Some think God doesn't care
  • How can God allow all these shootings?
    • Isrealites were saying the same thing in the dessert
• Jesus = God with us
• If Jesus was standing next to you how would you act differently?

Do not lose heart, fix our eyes on what is unseen - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

We are losing heart, all of us, daily

Someone was trying to shutdown Paul during his ministry - 2 Corinthians 11:23-27
He was looking at what he could not see

Life is an illustion - there is a way of looking at life and be able to live from the heart no matter what
How? By seeing with the eyes of the heart - Ephesians 1:18

Jesus spoke in parables to our hearts:

• A sower went out to sow some seed
• A man fell into the hands of robbers
• Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one
• There were ten virgins with ten lamps

Jesus spoke in a way that will get past all intellectual defenses
Civil War: Fought between 1861 to 1865 vs stories of the lives lost during that time

When you tell a story, you speak to the heart

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life - Proverbs 4:23

Tin man had once been a real man

• Wicked witch cause the man injury
• One by one the man replaced his limbs with artificial ones
• Seems like an advantage at first - Witch can not hurt him
• Lost his heart in the process

After a series of blows, his humanity was reduced to efficiency
He did not even notice

If we can disable or deaden your heart, then we have effectively foiled the plan of God
Plan of creating a world where love reigns
By taking your heart out, the enemy takes you out

The heart is central
The need to even to be remined of this show how far we have fallen from the life we were meant to have

The heart is addressed in the Bible more than any other topic

Love the Lord your God with all your heart - Deuteronomy 6:5
Man looks at the outward appearance, Lord looks at the heart - 1 Samuel 16:7
Where your teasure is, there your heart will be also - Luke 12:34

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart - Proverbs 3:5
These people honor me from their lips but their hearts are far from me - Matthew 15:8
The Lord weighs the heart - Proverbs 21:2

The heart can be:

• Trouble, wounded, pierced, grieved, even broken
• Cheerful, glad, merry, joyful, rejoicing
• Whole or divided
• Wise or foolish
• Steadfast, true, upright, stout, valiant
• Frightened, faint, cowardly
• Wandering, forgetful, dull, stubborn, proud, hardened

The heart can be unpredictable but it is central to our being

The heart answers a lot of questions:

• Why did my relationship fail? One or both don't have to heart to make it work
• Why are some many struggling with depression and discouragement? They have lost heart
• Why can I not break free from our addiction? We gave our heart away and need to get it back

• Little Red Riding Hood - wolf
• Dorthy - Wicked Witch of the West
• Neo - powerful agents

Jesus focused on a search for the Lost and so they could be Found

The Lost Coin - vital to the woman's survival
The Lost Sheep - represented a significant part of his livelihood
The Lost Son - wayward son who mattered greatly to his father

Each one - Something of great value was missing, something that really mattered

It also make Jesus so upset the religious leaders were discussing who matters to God who does not

When we realize how much God cares about people, we helps us to care for them too

It is worth the effort - what is missing was important enough to warrant an all-out search

Retrievals results in rejoicing

The woman found the coin and threw a party
The shepherd retrieved the sheep and threw a party
The son came home and the father threw the biggest party of all

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents - Luke 15:10

• In context, Paul was specifically warning against those who deny the resurrection of Jesus
• In other situations, we need to make sure we are the one whose influence is prevailing
• Should be on the offense rather than defense
• Take captive of every thought and make it obedient to Christ - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

• He made us
• We matter to God
• He wants to have a relationship with us
• We rebelled against God
• Our sins separate us from Him
• Attempts to reach Him fall short - Romans 3:23
• Our sins desire death - Romans 6:23
• There is much trouble apart from God - people need to understand their lostness
• Christ died so we have relationship restored - 1 Peter 3:18

• Should be titled "Jesus, the seeker of Zacchaeus"
• Introduction starts with Jesus calling out Zachhaeus
• How did he know him? Jesus was present when God gave him life - John 1:3
• The crowd was less than delighted
  • They enjoyed the fruit of Jesus' miracles
  • Failed to grasp his love

• Enjoying the fellowship
• Benefiting from counseling
• Learning how to change bad habits

• Intense temptation by Satan - vs1-3
• First sermon
• First personal challenge with the faithless
• First attempt on his life
• First spiritual and physical healing of the wounded

• to be created
• to be born or produced
• to come into existence

• Must be committed to obeying all his words - John 8:31
• Must have his heart - Galatians 2:20
• We love that he loves
  • God - Matthew 22:37
  • Our brothers - John 13:34-35
  • The lost - Matthew 9:13
  • The kingdom - Matthew 6:33

• v4 - new life
• v7 - freed from sin
• v11 - dead to sin but alive in Christ

• Blood of Jesus
• Word of our testimony - Revelation 12:11

• Every person is either in the darkness or the light. This study will show us that outside of Jesus we are all in the darkness.

• What is the consequence of sin? Sin hurts others, hurts ourselves, but ultimately sin hurts and separates us from God.
• God is light. As long as the wall of sin remains, we are in the darkness.
• In order to have a relationship with God, the barrier of sin must come down.

• We will come back to other ideas in this text later, but focus on v23. Who has sinned?
• Use illustrations to show that some are better than others, but all sin and fall short.
  
• Examples: Swimming to Hawaii, graph showing piles of sin.
  
• Who is more lost? There is no “good person” who is without sin.

• Sin is not simply wrong actions, but a problem of the heart.
  
• Who is responsible for our sin? Despite genetics, parenting, peer pressure and socio-economic conditions, we are responsible for our own sin, which comes from our own hearts and makes us unclean.
  
• What is the consequence of being unclean before God?
  
• Discuss the sins Jesus talks about here.

• 2 Timothy 1:7 - The Holy Spirit
• 2 Corinthians 3:12 - Hope
• Romans 1:16, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 - Conviction

• Pride – being afraid of what others think
• Small convictions – not seeing people as lost
• Selfishness – not caring about the lost
• Faithlessness – doubting that the harvest is great

• Question: What do you think the heart of what Jesus is saying in these scriptures?
• Question: Biblically speaking, because someone goes to church  does that make them a Christian? Are they a Christian because they are a good person? What if they know a lot about the Bible, does that make them a Christian?
• That means you are saying that the majority of people in the world are lost. How does that make you feel?
• Make God feel said but God has a plan for them - 1 Timothy 2:1-6

• v22 - The miracles Jesus did proves he was God's son
• v23 - He died on the cross for your sin
• v24 - God raised him from the dead
  

• Confess with your mouth (acknowledging God and everyone around you that you nor anything else will be the Lord of your life,expect Jesus)
• It is not the confession that justifies you, it is your heart that God is looking at.

• v6:1 - He has an awesome vision of the awesome God.
• v6:5 - “Woe to me!”
  • Isaiah saw God in all his glory
  • He realized his own lostness
  • He realized the lostness of everyone else.
• v6:6-7 - Experiencing God’s forgiveness transforms our lives
• v6:8 - Then and only then are we ready to go and spread God’s word

• Luke 2:49 - "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?
• John 6:38 - For I have come down from heaven

• John 3:17  - God sent his son to save the world through him.
• Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
• Matthew 9:13 - I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners
• 1 Timothy 1:15 - Jesus came into the world to save sinners
• 1 John 3:5 - He appeared so that he might take away our sins

• Mark 10:21 - Go, sell everything you have and come follow me
• Luke 13:34 - How often I have longed to gather your children together
• Luke 19:41 - As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.

• John 9:4 - As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me
• John 4:34 - For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God,
• Luke 19:10 - For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
• Mark 1:38-39 - I can preach there also. That is why I have come

• 2 Corinthians 5:20 - We are therefore Christ's ambassadors,
• Timothy 2:6-7 - Pointed out those who have wandered away
• John 17:18 - As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

• Romans 1:14-16 - Was eager to preach the gospel
  
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 - Preached the ministry of reconciliation

• Matthew 28:19 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations
• John 20:21 - As the Father has sent me, I am sending you

• Mark 16:15-16 - Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation
• If this is not our purpose, then there is not reason for us to exist after baptism. If as disciples of Christ, we have no purpose, then God ought to take us to Heaven directly from the baptistery.

• Luke 18:11 - Prayer: I thank you that I am not like other men
• Philippians 3:19 - Their god is their stomach
• 2 Timothy 3:2 - People will be lovers of themselves

• 2 Timothy 3:4 - Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
• Proverbs 21:17 - He who loves pleasure will become poor
• 1 Timothy 5:6 - But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead

• Galatians 5:16 - Live by the Spirit and not our sinful desires
• Ephesians 4:19 - Lost all sensitivity

1. Cain’s pride led to him killing his brother Abel
2. King Saul’s pride led to him attempting to kill David
3. David lost his son Absalom to pride as Absalom attempted to overthrow David
4. Hitler, Sadam, on and on (even to the extent of pride leading to the shake up in God’s modern day kingdom)

• This is a very descriptive word (like a peacock strutting his feathers)
• The proud person puts on the mistaken belief that he is better than he is

• Not so funny then
• The proud man does not submit to God thus becomes God’s enemy

Proverbs 18:9 - One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys

A three (3) toed sloth is one of the ugliest creatures in the world.

• It spends most of its time hanging from a tree
• It’s as slow as molasses in winter (ultimate example of laziness)

The sluggard is the spiritual three (3) toed sloth. The Bible has nothing good to say about the sloth.

Laziness comes in little spurts.

• Little amounts of unproductiveness
• Spurts of lost time adds up to a lot of lost time (time that can never be regained)

Proverbs 26:14 - As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed

A sluggard has a difficult time getting out of bed, and loves the snooze button. It caters (snooze button) to those that can’t begin the day on time.

Proverbs 26:15 - The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth

Here is another picturesque description of the sluggard. His is so lazy that he needs someone to spoon him his meal. This description should warn us of how disgusting laziness is to God.

Proverbs 26:16 - The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly

One of the saddest things about a sluggard is that most of the time he doesn’t even realize how lazy he really is.

• He looks at his unproductive day and actually believes he had no control over his lack of productivity.
• He blames it on other things (parent’s, kids, spouse, work, weather, health, etc.)

• 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 - Paul felt more grace so he worked even harder
• Ephesians 2:8-10 - God has given us good works to do in response to His grace

• Hebrews 10:26-31 - When we deliberately keep on sinning and insult the amazing gift of grace
• Jonah 2:1-8 - Our lack of repentance can keep God’s grace from our lives

1. How were you starving and without hope like the 4 lepers before being baptized?
2. How is the kingdom of God like an unlimited feast?
3. How does verse 9 apply to being a disciple? Do you have the same attitude?

1. Do you feel like Paul does about the lost?
2. Who does God send to preach?
3. Will everyone accept the good news? Why?
4. Why is it important to preach no matter what response you receive?

1. What does it mean to be a royal priesthood?
2. What message should you be sharing?
3. Are you really declaring God's praises or just giving out an invitation?

1. How can you tell if you're living for yourself or living for Jesus?
2. What does it mean to be Christ's ambassador?
3. Would Jesus be pleased with the way you present him?
4. What does it mean to APPEAL to and IMPLORE people?
5. What attitude should you have toward the lost?

1. Why was Paul distressed?
2. What are some sights around your city that should distress you?
3. Where did Paul share his faith?
4. Why did Paul begin his message by commending the Athenians for being very religious?
5. What does this teach you about preaching Paul's message?

• Do not focus on who you are not. Focus on who Christ is.
• What must you abandon in your life so that Christ can shine through you more?
• Express your gratitude to God for his Son who has changed your life.

• Which will you choose in this year?
• What are three things that you most feel the need to change in your life?
• How will you take the first step in each of these three?

• What is your attitude towards those who have fallen away from God?
• When was the last time you reached out to someone who has stopped being a part of the fellowship?

• He who was rich, became poor - 2 Corinthians 8:9
• And became sin for us - 2 Corinthians 5:21
• He is able to sympathize with us
• He was tempted in every way - Hebrews 4:15-16
• He got down and washed the disciples feet - John 13:1-5

Some feel distant from him because of our sin but God is desperately looking for us - Luke 15:8

• He runs through the fields
• He crawls on his knees to pick us up
• He throws open his arms to forgive
• He carries us home in his arms

Arms of comfort

At Lazarus' death, the angels tenderly bring him to God - Luke 16:19-22

A child who is not regularly cuddled is deeply damaged

As a mother conforms her child, so I will comfort you - Isaiah 66:13

Sometimes we doubt and ours lives are frantic and full of activities and without the peace of God
God promises to take hold of the hands of kings - Isaiah 45:1
...and his people - Isaiah 42:6

Mary and Martha - Martha was too busy with the details of life to spend time with Jesus - Luke 10
She missed the peace that passes understanding
Time in prayer is time when we can quiet our anxious soul

Be still my soul and know that I am God - Psalms 46:10
God will give us rest - Matthew 11:28

• They saw a immoral Samaritan woman, Jesus saw a lady who could change the city - John 4
• They saw a demon-possessed Legion, Jesus saw a man who could change ten cites - Mark 5
• They saw a impetuous pebble, Jesus called him the Rock - Matthew 16:18

God saw us for who we really were and yet treasures us like jewels in his hand.