Be Amazing

 Be Amazing Class 1

Monday, November 23, 2020

9:30 PM

I want to start this class off in Genesis 1 and take a quick glance at the 6 days of creation

Days of creation list

Day 1: Heavens, Earth, Light and Darkness

Day 2: Separated the waters and created the atmosphere the closest heaven

Day 3: Seas, dry ground & plants

Day 4: Sun, moon & stars

Day 5: Birds & sea animals

Day 6: Land animals, Man and Woman

Genesis 1:26 (ESV):

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

In Genesis 1:1-26 God had just created the entire universe, including the perfectly crafted earth we live on. Lastly, God creates man and woman.

Is God’s creation amazing?

If we only had these 26 verses in the Bible would you still say God is Amazing? Yes!!

Likeness means that we share some of God’s characteristics. Of course, God gave us a spirit and that is the source of our likeness to God but along with it he gave us unique characteristics.

Our uniqueness includes the ability to:

Choose (God)

Eph. 1:4 He chose us in Him

1 Peter 2:9 (NASB95)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Jesus chose the 12 Apostles. Luke 6:13

John 15:16 (NASB95)

16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

Choose (man)

Joshua 24:15 (NASB95)

15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Genesis 4:7 (ESV)

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:7 (NASB95)

7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Reason

We have the ability to know right and wrong

Discernment -

Hebrews 5:14 (ESV)

14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. 

Philippians 1:9–11 (ESV)

9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Godliness

Having a mind fixed on God.

Righteousness

Choosing to do what is right. Like Abraham, Daniel, Joseph, Moses, Paul, Mary, Jesus…

Love

Agape Love - Doing what’s in the best interest of others.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 (ESV)

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends…

Be Amazing

Being amazing mostly consists of being selfless, like Christ, and helping others

Get out of your own head and focus on helping others.

This series of classes will be focused on the fact that our amazing God made us to be Amazing. Being amazing is one of characteristics we CAN share with God.

Wasn’t Moses just a lowly shepherd?

Weren’t Daniel and his friends just lowly slaves? (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego)

The worthless Joseph was sold into slavery for 20 shekels of silver?

Is your story worse than Joseph’s here? Were you sold into slavery by your brothers?

No matter what our story God has given all of us the ability to be amazing. God put obstacles in our path to make us stronger and we get to write the ending of our story.

What are some names of Amazing people from history or even still alive today that you know of?

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla… maybe some of you know

What characteristics do amazing people have?

George Wash - Integrity and bravery,

Honest Abe - honesty,

Einstein - brilliant thinker

Leonardo Da Vinci - creativity

Tesla - master of electricity

What about some of the Leaders in the Bible:

For me I like Abraham and Joseph. How about you?

Sometimes the leaders in the Bible seem plastic, like a Barbie doll or something but they are real people just like you and me.

Moses - Meekest Man (Numbers 12:9)

Abraham - Faithfulness

Elijah - boldest Prophet

Job - Patients and Perseverance

Noah - Man of Endurance (it took 120 years to build the ark)

David - Man after God’s own heart

Jesus is Love

The pinnacle of being amazing is Love. Showing it and sharing it. Agape love. Doing what’s in the best interest of others.

Who are your favorite people on earth? Those whom you love and who love you the most.

Let’s look at some verses to help us see why we should be amazing.

Read all of Psalms 139 to the group.

God knows us inside and out. He sewed us together. He knows our past, present and future.

Psalm 139:2–3 (NAS): 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

He knows every word before we speak it.

Psalm 139:5 (NAS): 5 You have enclosed me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

We should be continually comforted by this.

Psalm 139:16 (NAS):16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.

There’s not a single step that we have taken that God has not already stood.

God is taking care of us in the present and is paving the way of our future.

Proverbs 16:9 (NAS): 9 The mind of man plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps.

We should be excited about our future. God is directing our steps in what ever we plan… as long as it is within his will.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

God has given us all certain talents. Some more than others. But it is absolutely critical that we use them.

Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14–31 (ESV): 14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

If we have the ability, God given ability, and opportunity then we have responsibility to do the good work.

Ability + Opportunity = Responsibility

James 4:17 (ESV): 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

God expects us to do the good works that he sets before us. We have to be involved and do our part.

James 2:18–26 (ESV): 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Prerequisites to being Amazing.

Priority #1 Get and Be In Christ (make this a lesson)

Priority #2 Get the Sin out of your life.

Priority #3 Continue to grow.

Ephesians 4:17–24 (ESV): 17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

 Ignorance is not bliss. It’s a recipe for your destruction.

Hosea 4:6 (NAS): 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge,

I also will reject you from being My priest.

Since you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

The opposite of Ignorant is Knowledgable.

Apply your energy to learning about Christ and His word.

Work to purify yourself.

Kung Fu = energy over time.

Kung Fu is required to become good at anything.

Master martial artists spend a life time mastering their body and their craft.

But us Christians must spend our lives mastering our relationship with Christ and His Word.

Staying connected to God like Jesus did while he was here on earth.

2 Peter 1:5–11 (ESV): 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

… Since you have a love for God and are growing

 1Colossians 1:9–12 (ESV): 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Get our walk right so we can walk in a manner worthy of God bearing fruit in every good work.

1 Peter 4:1–2 (ESV): 4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Jeremiah 29:11–13 (ESV): 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

If you don’t know who Nick Vujicic is already after you see his video … you’ll never forget him.

He is amazing.