Big Idea - Freedom: What Happens in Vegas
Notes
Transcript
What stood out to me?
Why did it stand out to me?
How can I apply it?
Engaging Questions
Small Group questions
[Have them write on a piece of paper what they expect from the person that they end up with one day]
How many days a week do you want them to read their bible (is one day okay?)
How many days do you want them to set aside time to prayer - not quick chat but to really spend time with God (2-3 days a week)?
How often do you want them to come to church (1 day a week, 3 days but no special events, etc)
Do you want them to be involved in ministry or are you okay if they are just attending?
Do you expect them to be able to help you raise kids who know what they believe and why?
[Show Slide from last week and recap]
Romans 4:17 ESV
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Rev 13:8
and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
We all have the freedom to choose God or not
Me
I remember going to Mississippi, to visit my grandmothers house. She was sanctified. That’s what they called those who went to Apostolic churches in the south. People saw those churches as the places to go when you were super serious about God. At her house we either watched the news or nothing. It was Gospel music or nothing. And she didn’t have internet either. And she lived in a small town. So, with no tv shows and no internet you were either talking to Jesus or yourself. Let’s just say that I was a lot more spiritual when I left Grandma’s house each year.
My Grandmother simply drew a line in the sand and stood firm… It was not my line but I submitted to it.
When I was involved in ministry in St. Louis the pastor there expected the men to be clean shaven. I really struggled with this bc for one he let me have a 5 o’clock shadow for like 6 months before you didn’t anymore.. One time while driving God began to deal with me about this [share the story about facial hair preferences and me not getting to draw the line and how it was a matter of pride].
My pastor had drawn a line in the sand and he held firm
I witness other guy friends of mine who said that since it wasn’t a heaven or hell issue then they wouldn’t shave so they by default would not get involved in ministry. We needed their involvement. Our church wasn’t as strong without them living out their purpose in God’s kingdom. But they couldn’t get over another man’s (their pastor) drew line. I served on the pastoral team there and as I served in ministry I realized that there are so many things that you have to push through spiritually, mentally and emotionally as you walk with God and serve others in His kingdom. And if these guys couldn’t get past facial hair then they would never submit when it was something much harder.. The biblical standards are much higher and harder.. things like tithing, abstinence, turning the other cheek, loving your enemies, finding a place to serve and not just attend the local church..
These guys could talk about their personal freedom and they were right.. but they missed the point. They were so focused on the church’s standards that they never questioned their own. They didn’t have their own personal covenant. We are all in covenant if we have been born again, but I mean they didn’t think about what personal standards they would have to protect their walk with God.
They thought about their relationships with God as it related to heaven and hell. Ladies… what if you marry a man who only wants to do the bear minimum.. he’s out all day and never spends any time with you and only comes home at night to rest his head. Your always last in his life.. he’s not cheating on you, he’s just not cherishing you.. he’s doing enough to not get divorced but not enough to really honor the relationship. That’s how these young men where thinking about God. Is it necessary for Heaven and if not why do it. They would have honored God by submitting to leadership, but they didn’t want to yet one day they would expect a wife to submit to them even though they didn’t posses the same quality.
Holiness standards and protecting the holy
Holiness standards always confused me as a term
The barn and the fence
Back to doing enough for heaven vs seeking to glorify a God who loves distinction between men and women, who loves it when people seek more and more of him
God draw a line in my level of understanding one day
Random aside on being 18 and God asking me if I had a daughter how I dress her…
Pants… or skirts.. keep in mind that I didn’t grow up in this faith so I wasn’t raised by parents who could help understand these things.. God and I had long convos about stuff I’m an analytical thinker by nature. And on this occasion, I gave him an honest answer (share it) and then God gave me an honest reply…
What weighed on me from that was the conviction that what I knew or didn’t know would influence another soul. That my ignorance would have an impact. We disciple others based on what we knew and what we don’t know.
It was what import motivated me to go to Urshan to learn more about what I believed bc rather it’s ministry in this context at church or in the home I need to know these things for myself and to share them with others that I lead and serve. Quick commercial for Urshan: That have an apostolic studies certificate that I would encourage people to prayerfully consider since it really helps you to understand for yourself what you believe to better share it with others and we called to be disciples who make disciples.
We
RQ: Have you ever had a friend ask you what you believe or even harder.. why you believe that.
Q What are some of the harder questions that you have been asked? (wait for an answer.. and what did you tell them?)
What are some things that you still question?
[Show the Recap slide from a few weeks back again]
Talk about the covenant and ask them about questions that they have regarding it?
I wondered about movie theaters and shorts and facial hair.. for men bc
We all have stories of things that we’ve done that we are ashamed of.. standards protect
We all have moments that we wish that
I remember a young man about 20-25 years old asking Pastor Brent about what we believe when it comes to doctrine. And Pastor gave him some books to study it for himself and this guy complained that instead of giving him an easy “I can later just quote my pastor answer” Pastor expected him to study it for himself.
God
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
Read excerpt from the book on pg 45
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
How many of you feel like you grew up in a house where this took place? Where you were taught diligently by your parents about God and his ways? About what you believe and why? How many got the “because those are the rules in my house?” Did that help you understand anything? There is some scripture for that when Joshua says as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. One day you might find yourself saying the exact same thing to your kids. But, my point is was it really helpful for your spiritual understanding?
How many feel that you learned enough about your faith from your parents that you could share with confidence the reason’s behind everything that you do as an Apostolic Christian?
Do you wish that your parents had taken the time to really explain it to you? And, be honest how many look back and think about a time where you were struggling with your beliefs and you wish that maybe mom and dad had been able to offer a better answer for your questions then because I said so or go ask Pastor?
Guess what.. Your kids will expect the same thing from you. Are you putting in that work to understand it for yourself. God gives you the freedom to do what ever you want. You can choose Netflix or learning more about what you believe. You can choose entertainment but when life is hard you can’t stand on streaming. Or when someone needs a bible study and it hits you for the first time that your not quite sure how. The truth you don’t have to choose between movies and Jesus. But, you should consider how much time you make for one versus the other.
What is the calling of every Christian?
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Questioning the limits of Freedom as a follower vs Understanding the consequences of Freedom as a leader
Adam and Eve had choices to make
Why can’t I? Vs What does it protect?
Bless by.. or burdened by our choices
Do I take this job, or date this person, or go to this school..
The Church covenant
The dating list… should be used as a mirror… but the personal covenant should be used as a telescope
What kind of standards/spiritual trajectory do you want your friends to have?
I want me friends to believe it’s important to speak the truth out of love if it helps me to see a blind spot in my life or if it helps me to wake up from making foolish or sinful choices..
What kind of standards/spiritual trajectory do you want your future husband/wife to have?
Do you want them to value prayer? Why?
Do you want them to value bible study? Why?
Is it okay if the just value reading the bible but not studying to understand the Bible? Why or Why not?
Do you care if they are involved in the local church?
Do you care about the example they will set for your kids in what it means to follow Jesus?
What kind of standards/spiritual trajectory do you want your future kids to have?
Do you want them to struggle with their self-image? To give into the influence of ungoldy friends and media?
If not how do you guard against it?
What would a personal covenant look like for you? Ask yourself what you want in the person who you spend your life with. Because we tend to be okay having a higher bar for the person who may one day hold our heart. We want them to be truly sold out and committed and all in to prayer, ministry and some really personal standards.. So, this tends to be a good place to start for what we look for.
Normal is the house that you grew up in?
Boundaries… Where do you draw the line
Elder Pastor’s story about the man wanting to hire someone to drive a carriage down the mountain
RQ: You ever draw cross a line in your life that you wish you could take back?
A line in school where you maybe it cost you to fail a class (I’ve been there)? A financial line that cost you to over spend? A line in a relationship that you wish you could undo.. that will make for an awkward convo one day with your future spouse?
You
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.. except that’s not true. The actions may stay in the past but the consequences will walk into your future.
The man that gambles away his families money and later has to explain that to his spouse and the bank when they come for the house
The STD’s that later have to be explained to a future spouse (the girl in my neighborhood)
My talk with a young man who honestly wondering how I would even consider the Christian path in dating and marriage over the opportunity to be with different girls and cross all kinds of lines (What I told him)
Our Vegas
The sexual history that has to be explained to the person that you plan to marry.
Those people in my grandmothers town who viewed the Apostolic church as a place where they are serious about God also respected that commitment. Some of them seemed to even understand that at the heart of those standards was a high standard for how those churches not only saw God but their relationship with Him.
When God ask
Recap Sister Rachel’s message
Everyone has different bait but the sin is the same.
It’s easy for us to see other peoples bait and to feel like its the worse thing
People have different convictions based on what they feel from God and what they know they struggle with so with God honoring wisdom they set limits to honor God with their heart and their eyes and their life.
God calls us into relationship and we are than expected to protect that relationship.. Standards are not holy.. they are to protect that which is holy.. If you value the barn you maintain the fence..
You set standards to protect what you love. It comes from a place of love. Rd on page 39 (story of Marion)
We
Let’s take a look at the sheet that you filled out at the beginning of class. Take a few minutes to look it over.
Consider what you wrote down when it came to what you expect spiritually from the person you end up with one day.
How many days a week do you want them to read their bible (is one day okay?)
How many days do you want them to set aside time to prayer - not quick chat but to really spend time with God (2-3 days a week)?
How often do you want them to come to church (1 day a week, 3 days but no special events, etc)
Do you want them to be involved in ministry or are you okay if they are just attending?
Do you expect them to be able to help you raise kids who know what they believe and why?
This lesson isn’t really about the church covenant. It’s about your own person covenant. Just consider everything that you wrote down.. the things that you look for in another person… do you posses those qualities? Does your list reflect your spiritual life? Remember that if the highest covenant you sign onto in your life is the one you sign to be involved in ministry then you might be missing something spiritually. Let’s be honest that is not as high as the standards that you expect out of the person that you end up with one day. Young men you will care more about makeup and America’s idea of beauty if you have a teenage daughter struggling with self-esteem bc of the world around her. In that moment you’ll wonder why her mirror is the world but you will be responsible for helping her to shift eyes to God so that she can see her real image… so that she can find her reflection and her worth in Christ.. Ladies you expect that you future husband spends time in God’s word and not just ESPN or gaming. You expect some serious things out of the person who may one day hold your heart. What makes you think that God expects anything less out of you or me.