Quiet Times Search

• Negatives - ingratitude
• Positives - gratitude

MLK - as bad as slavery was - there a slavery that last for eternity

2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus might become sin for us

As existence of righteousness does not ensure we receive it

Satan tries everything to help us miss this opportunity

Jews after saw their failures in the past - created many regulations so they would not sin

• Not the content of their character
• Basis of conformity to rules
• Majored in the minors and minored in the majors

Religion that is performance based is doomed

• what must we do to please God
• Condemn others outwardly
• Condemn ourselves inwardly
• Everything becomes a matter of right and wrong
• Hearts focused if we have done enough and have done it right

• Fear - only for a while
• Christian fellowship - until other's disappointments and failures
• Ambition - until our disappointments and failures

• Hospital worker = God's minister to the medical professionals
• Factory worker = sweating it out for the Lord
• Programming = designing and mental stress for the Lord

An emotional response (along with fear) that succeed at undermining our love for God

A result of an uncard-for emotional wound

Matthew 18:15-17 - can resolve most issues
Sometimes we are just called on to forgive
Not forgiving is like allowing a physical cut become infected

Examples

• Esau wept bitteryly when he failed to receive the blessing - Genesis 27:34
• Israelites incrediblity harsh and treatment from the Eyptians - Exodus 1:14
• Naomi changed her name to Mara, meaning "bitterness" (losted husband and sons) - Ruth 1:21
• Hannah wept "in bitterness of soul" because of her infertility - 1 Samuel 1:10
• David's men because of the loss of their children - 1 Samuel 30:6
• Job while not understanding the discipline of God - Job 7:11
• Missing the grace of God cause bitter root - Hebrews 12:15
• Envy becomes bitterness - James 3:14

Bitterness will actively oppose any attempt to restore our love for God

Bitter or better - a channel of curses or blessings

Disciples need Jesus' example to overcome the pain of the cross

Jesus wants us to have his attitude toward suffering

• What form do we expect our Christian suffering to take?
• Are we looking for a Christianity that does not involve suffering?

Bible command us to get rid of all bitterness
Two ways to overcome bittereness:

• Forgive - Ephesians 4:32
• Trusting God is at work in all things for our good - Romans 8:28

• The good news that Jesus is the Christ - Acts 5:42
  
• Proclaimed the Christ there - Acts 8:5
• Jesus is the Christ - Acts 9:22
• "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ" - Acts 17:3
• Testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ - Acts 18:1-5

• Who can be against us? No one
• Who will bring any charge against us? No one
• Who is he that condemns? No One

• Spirit's circumcision of my heart - Romans 2:29
• God pours his love into my heart via the Spirit - Romans 5:1-5
• God's Spirit lives in me - 1 Corinthians 3:16
• Holy Spirit within me cries out to God - Galatians 4:6
• Credit for all wisdom and revelation goes to the Spirit - Ephesians 1:17
• He himself testifies to us that he lives within us - 1 John 4:23

When does seeking really start?

Romans 3:11 - there is no one that seeks God
John 6:44 - No one can come to me unless the Father draws him

Studying the Bible is simply allowing ourselves to be sought by God

If it was our own effort - baptism may seem like the end of the quest

We need to active learners

When we were young, we understood obligation  - "I gotta go to school"
After high school, we may go to college and narrow our focus of learning and become passive learners

• We listen to the voice of our experience as the final authority
• We learn mostly from our mistakes
• We learn when we are forced to out of control - crisis, illness, death

Treasures are for those who will continue to seek forever; not for those who want tips and tricks for being "effective"

If there were ever a moment to be a passive learner, it would be when you walk with Jesus

Luke 11:1-13 - where would we be if the disciples had not asked about praying to the Father? - not know how to address the Father

We need to take responsibilty to get deep and ask questions

• Practice until our character is different - Hebrews 5:14
• Patience if did not get it right for ___ time
  
• Trust God that this change is for our own good - Romans 8:28

• Deny self daily
• Repentance - when we don't respond to God's grace - God will find a way to help us to repent
  
  • Through kindness - Romans 2:4
  • Through discipline - Hebrews 12:5-11
• Persevering though suffering - James 1:2-4

• Too focused on positional goals in the church
• Excel at work or school - not working for the Lord but working for self - Colossians 3:23
• Too much pressure for a child to succeed - Train a child in the way he should go - Proverbs 22:6
• Allowing secondary motivation become the primary motivation

Can easily become sentimental when talking about salvation:

• Family, people you are emotionally connected with
• Thinking about people in remote parts of the world
  • It would be cruel to share the gospel with someone who hadn't heard it and was saved
  • Like not throwing a life jacket because you think they will be alright
• Religous people - would you be willing to stand before God with - infant baptism or non-disciple life?

All have sin and have fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23

Being "broader" than the Bible puts you on the wrong road

God will be the judge and he has given us the basis of his judgement - John 12:48

Extremes:

• We become judgmental and reason like Pharisee; we are policeman, God is the judge
• Lose our conviction religious doesn't equal salvation

• Even though he did not know where he was going
• Even though he was pass age to have kids
• Even though he God said to sacrifice his son
• Abraham reasoned... spiritually

• We can change
• Our children can change
• Our marriages can change
• Our hearts can change
• We just can't give up

God planned:

• Where you would be born
• When you would be born (waiting patiently for Juniper)
• How long you will live
• Who your parents would need to be for you to come the way you came

God was thinking of you even before he made the world, that is why he created the world

God's purpose even took in account sin and human error.

If there was no god, we would all be accidents

The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us - Romans 12:3

The ultimate goal is to give glory to God

God's glory = the expression of his goodness and all his other eternal qualities
Through history, God has revealed his glory
God's glory is best seen in Jesus Christ

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23
I have created them to bring me glory - Isaiah 43:7
Jesus brought glory to God by doing everthing he was told to do by God - John 17:4

1. We bring God glory by worshiping him - Use your body to the glory of God - Romans 6:13
2. We bring God glory by loving other believers - Accept others as Christ accepted you - Romans 15:7
3. We bring God glory by becoming like Christ - We become more and more like him, reflect his glory even more - 2 Corthinians 3:18
4. We bring God glory by serving others our gifts - Do it all with all that God has given you - 1 Peter 4:10-11
5. We bring God glory by telling others about him - Bringing people to Christ through his grace, God receives more and more glory - 2 Corinthians 4:14

Giving glory to God will require us to change our priorities, schedule, relationships, and everything else

• Must be based on the truth (Not Idols)
• John 4:23 - Based on Spirit and Truth

• With ALL of your heart and soul
• God sees the attitudes of the heart
• Biggest distraction in worship is yourself
• Best style of worship is the one that most authentically represents your love

• Be different - think about the meaning
• Be specific - I love you, praise you (why?)
• Make a list of names for God
• Avoid repetition, cliches
• Be sensitive to unbelievers

• Offer your bodies - Romans 12:1
• God says "Give me all you got"
• "I'll be with you in spirit" - Body and spirit can not separate until death
• Real worship costs - cost us of our self-centeredness

• Family name, likeness, privileges,
• Inheritance - since yo are his child, everything he has belongs to you (Galatians 4:7)
• Will be with God forever - 1 Thesslonians 5:10
• Be like Christ - 1 John 3:2
• Freed from all pain, death, and suffering - Revelation 21:4
• Rewarded and reassigned positions of service
• Share in Christ's glory - Romans 8:17

• Honest with who you are - otherwise we are just fooling ourselves - 1 John 1:7-8
• Requires courage and humility
• We only grow by taking risks - being honest is a major risk

• Depending on each other
• Sharing responsibility
• Mutual accountability

• Sharing pain of others (Colossians 3:12)
  
• Meet needs of being understood and the validation of our feelings
• Self-Pity dries up sympathy for others
• Times of crisis, grief, doubt when we need each other the most

• Can't have fellowship without forgiveness
• Bitterness and resentment always destroys fellowship
• Never be asked to forgive someone more than God has forgiven you
• Energy for retaliation or resolution?
• Forgiveness immediate; Trust takes time

• Choose to let go of old ways
• Must change the way we think
• Must put on the "character of Christ by developing new, godly habits

• Truth we need to grow
• Support when we need guidance or when we fail
  
• Environment we need to practice Christ-likeness

God has a purpose behind every problem

God uses problems to draw you closer to himself
Lord is close to the brokenhearted - Psalms 34:18

God had the ability to kept:

• Joesph out of jail
• Daniel out the lion's den
• Paul from being shipwrecked 3 times
• Young Hebrew from being thrown in a furance

... but he didn't

Problem force us to look to God and depend on him
None of your problem could happen without God's permission

Romans 8:28-29 (NLT)

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters.

• "God causes everything" - God is behind everything
• "to work together" - work together as part of God's plan
• "for the good" - the end result is for our hearts to be more like Jesus
• "of those who love God" - those who are obedient
• "according to his purpose"  - the purpose is "become like his Son"

1. We are slow learners - Israelites are a great example of this
2. We have a lot to unlearn (bad habits) - Taking off the old self and putting on the new self - Romans 13:12 

• We can not grow without a humble, teachable attitude

3. Growth is often painful and scary

• There is no growth without change
• There is no change without fear or loss
• There is no loss without pain
• Must let go of old ways in order to experience the new way

4. Habits take time to develop - Practice and devote yourself to growth - 1 Timothy 4:15