What Jesus Asked: Do you love me?

Jn 21:1-19 Do you love me?
Mt 26:31-35, 69-75 Peter betrays Jesus.
Jn 21:3 After denying/failing Jesus, Peter runs back to what he knows best - fishing. However, they caught nothing - it did not bring him any peace or comfort.
v5 Jesus asks us - Do you have anything to show for your own efforts?
v9-12 Jesus gave then a beautiful invitation: he didn't need their fish, to start the fire, or anything - just wanted them to hang out with him.
v15-17 Peter, do you love me? More than anything? Do you really love me? (3 denials, 3 chances for redemption) Jesus often takes our greatest failures and uses them for our good and his glory.
When we fail, run to Jesus. He will forgive and restore us, and use our failures.

What Jesus Asked: Has no one condemned you?

John 8:2-11
Rom 8:1 no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Now or in eternal life.
Self-condemnation:
1. We are set free from self-condemnation when we are reminded that we are no longer under the law but grace. Rom 3:19-20, 5:8; Heb 10:17; Phil 2:12b. Our failures point us back to our need for a Savior, and can be used to strengthen our salvation.
2. We are set free from self-condemnation when we stop seeking the approval of men and rest in the approval we already have in Christ. Gal 1:10.
3. We are set free from self-condemnation when we put down our own stones. What we are filled with (hopefully God's grace) will overflow onto those around us. Gal 6:1
Go and sin no more. Jesus was giving her permission and power to give up sin, freedom to resist Satan and his accusations, Phil 4:4.

What Jesus Asked: Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Mt 6:24-34
My top worries: Mom and dad, Greg's health, not spending time with God, lack of discipline, insurance, weight and health
v24 you can't serve two masters - v25 "Therefore"
God loves us so much, we do not need to worry. Worry changes nothing, it doesn't help us in any way. When I worry, it's like I don't know Jesus as my Lord and savior.
Seek His kingdom FIRST, and trust him to take care of you. When his kingdom is our priority we will experience peace from God.
Heb 11; Acts 20:22-24

What Jesus Asked: Which of these do you think was a neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37 the parable of the good Samaritan
This is a story about salvation that started with the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" It's a matter of the heart - what do you love? Is it Jesus, or your own life, self, or stuff? We cannot do anything to inherit eternal life,  it was already done for us by Jesus. He lived a perfect life and went to the cross to pay the debt for our sins. Place your faith in Jesus.
Because of the love of Jesus, we are called to be good neighbors.
1. Being a good neighbor is costly. v34-35
2. Being a good neighbor can be risky and even dangerous.
3. Being a good neighbor will inconvenience you. (timing)
4. Being a good neighbor requires action, not just words. Jas 2:14-17, 1 Jn 3:16-18
5. Being a good neighbor means someone will take advantage of you.
6. Being a good neighbor will sometimes make you uncomfortable. v33 a Samaritan - looked down upon by the Jews, they hated each other. Had pity - meant he felt it in his gut, incredible love and compassion. Same word used in the story of the prodigal son when the father saw the son and ran to him.

What Jesus Asked: Why are you so afraid?

Mk 4:35-41
1. Jesus in your boat is no exemption from storms. v37
2. Jesus allows storms to drive us to him. v38, Jas 1:2-3
3. Jesus can handle any storm. v39-40, What do we have that Jesus can't handle?
4. We have a choice to respond in fear or faith. v40, Jesus equated fear with lack of faith in him. The reality is that he is with us through the storm.
5. There's a good kind of fear. v41, a healthy fear of God. Worship Him with awe, fear, and reverence.

Body Armor: Ephesians 6:17b

Ephesians 6:17b Sword of the Spirit
The first offensive weapon
Validity of the scriptures (CAMP)
Consistency - 66 books written by 40 different authors, etc. Still the scripture is consistent. 2 Tim 3:16-17
Archaeology - no finding has ever disproved the Bible.
Manuscript evidence - most copies of the original work New testament 5,600 Greek copies, plus Latin, etc.
Prophecy - 2500 prophecies in scripture, over 2000 have already been fulfilled, many by Christ.
Scripture is the Sword of the Spirit, a double edged sword. Mt 4:1-11, Jesus answered Satan with scripture each time.
Soldiers trained daily with their swords, so they were ready when the battle came.
The Word of God - the word used means specific verses (memorize verses)

Body Armor: Ephesians 6:17

Ephesians 6:17 The helmet of salvation

Three phases of salvation:
1. Justification - Jesus makes us just (right with God) so we can be in a right relationship with God.
2. Sanctification - We are being saved every day, being made more like Jesus. This often comes through trial and pain.
3. Glorification - In heaven we will be like Christ.

A helmet protects your head and your mind. Satan's greatest area of attack is in our minds. We need daily understanding of who Jesus is and our salvation to protect our minds.

Ways that Satan attacks our minds:
1. Doubt: of salvation Eph 1:11-12, of God's goodness, love and faithfulness
2. Discouragement/depression:
3. Temptation: 1 Cor 10:13
4. Exhaustion: Ps 46:10

Phil 2:12-18 ? Phil 4?
2 Cor 3:4-5 ?
Rom 12

The helmet of salvation reminds us of our future. 1 Thess 5:8

Body Armor: Ephesians 6:15

James 1:1-4
Ephesians 6:15 ...and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Be ready, because Satan is coming to try and attack you. Roman soldiers' shoes were strapped on tightly and had spikes on the bottom so that they could dig in and withstand the attack.
Peace - calm and tranquility in the midst of turmoil. This is the opposite of anxiety and worry.
1. Peace of God/Peace of Salvation: Genuine peace starts with the knowledge of our sin and salvation. Ephesians 2:1, 4-5, 8-9, 14, 17-18. Jesus came to bring peace with God. Rom 5:1
2. Peace of provision: God will provide for those who have been saved. Mt 6:25-33, Eccl 2:4-11
3. Peace of protection: If you are saved, rejoice, pray and give thanks to God that He protects us and gives us peace that passes all understanding. Phil 4:4-7
God gives us strength to choose peace every day. Jn 14:25-27

Body Armor: Ephesians 6:14b

Ephesians 6:14b ...the breastplate of righteousness...
Breastplate - a chest protector that would protect your vital organs.
Righteousness - doing the right thing according to God's Word, my response to God's truth. Righteousness is not self-righteousness: to follow all of God's rules on your own (legalism). Phil 3:3-9
1. Positional righteousness: (imputed righteousness): the righteousness of Christ - his sinless life traded for my sinful life, placed upon me because of the Lord's love for me. 2 Cor 5:21. Good sees us as perfect through Jesus. Rom 3:20-22.
2. Practical righteousness: the appropriation of the righteousness of Christ (sanctification). 2 Cor 5:17, 1 Jn 3:10, 1 Tim 6:11. The breastplate of righteousness protects our heart, living this out protects us from Satan. Prov 4:23 Guard your heart!
Spend time in the Word. James 1:22-24, don't stay the same if you see sin in your life.

Body Armor: Ephesians 6:14a

Ephesians 6:14a "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist."
Jn 8:44 Satan is the father of lies. His greatest lie is "there is no thing as absolute truth."
Lies:
Secularism - to make everything worldly
Humanism - I can do it on my own, I don't need God
Relativism - what's relative to you is not relative to me
Religious pluralism - believing that 2 or more religions are true
Religion within Christianity - counterfeit gospels within Christianity

Truth - the self expression of God. Jn 17:17 sanctified through the word, Jn 1:14 the word became flesh (Jesus).
The "belt" was the centerpiece of the Romans' armor, it held everything in place.
Stand firm with the proper armor! Eph 4:14

Body Armor: Ephesians 6:10-13

Ephesians 6:10-13
1. Our strength is in the Lord. v10. We are called to live a life worthy of the Lord, but can only do this through His strength.  Phil 4:13.
2. We have a real enemy! v10. Our enemy is Satan - v12. Struggle- almost like a fight to the death. Satan has no good intentions for those who follow Christ. Jn 8:44. v11 - Satan is a schemer and deceiver. He studies us and knows all about us, knows where we are weak and exactly where to attack. We have to be prepared by putting in the armor of God. Satan most often operates in the area of "almost right."
3. Our response is not to be fear, but readiness! (v11, 13 Put on the armor!)
4. Stand firm!! v13-14. Stand your ground with your armor of God. You are standing in His strength, with His protection. 2 Kings 6:8-17.

Ephesians 6:1-4

Ephesians 6:1-4
The best thing our kids can see from us:
1. Our love of Jesus
2. Our love of our spouse

Ephesians 6:4 We are called to:
1. Lovingly lead with controlled authority
2. Actively lead with humility
3. Purposely lead with training and instruction in the Lord. One way to correct our children is to correct the example we are setting for them.

Ephesians 4:25-32

Ephesians 4:25-32
If Jesus has changed our lives, we will not continue in our old sinful patterns. Here are some things that are not characteristic of our new self:
- Lying v25, Jn 8:44, we need to be truthful
- Sinful anger v26-27, we need to deal with our anger, do not hold on to it or it will give the devil a foothold in our lives.
- Stealing v28, do honest work and share with others.
- Unwholesome talk v29, we need to be in control of our tongues. Speak in a way that is helpful, beneficial, life giving, and appropriate. Jas 3:1-12.
- Do not grieve the Holy Spirit v30
v32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgive one another.

Ephesians 4:17-24

Ephesians 4:17-24 Do not live as someone who is far from God. Put off the old self and live as someone who has been made new in Christ.
v 17-19 People who are far from God are not thinking correctly, they are darkened in their understanding, ignorant of the truth, and separated from God. They become calloused and give themselves over to sin. What we do best apart from God is sin. All we need to do to see this in action is to watch the news. We must realize that we are all one step away from ending up on the news, and not one of us would want our life decisions shown on the big screen.
v 20-24 We need good Godly teaching to learn about Christ. Our old self is a liar, trying to deceive us and tempt us into sin. We need to put off the old self. Rom 7:21-25, Gal 5:16-17. Which one will win-the old self or new self? It's the one you feed the most. We should put on the new self, created to be like God. 2 Cor 5:17. This is not just a "better" version of ourselves, for there is nothing good in us. It's God's version of us, which is better by far. We are not bad people trying to be good. We are dead people made alive in Christ, who want to be more like Jesus.

Ephesians 4:1-12

Ephesians 4:1-12
v4-6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." These are the basics of our faith. Jn 14:6
v7-12 We were all given spiritual gifts to use for God. Descended - came to earth.  Captives - those who had been captive to sin.
v12 Spiritual gifts, Rom 12:6-8. We all need to use our gifts - to serve the church.

Ephesians 4:1-6

Eph 4:1-6: Unity in the church
v1 "urge" to come alongside, a passionate plea. Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Your practical living should match your spiritual condition.
v2 be humble (attitude that says I'm not more important than you, how can I serve you? Phil 2:1-4), gentle (strength under the control of God, maturity), patient (with respect to each other, having a wide soul so you can deal with those around you, patience is hard), love (bear with each other in love 1 Pet 4:8).
v4 make every effort (do your best, a determined effort)

This Changes Everything: The Death of Death

Rom 6:9-11 Christ defeated death and sin.
1 Cor 15:50-58
1 Cor 15:13-19 - if the resurrection is not true, what we do is in vain.
v50-58 We will be given immortal, imperishable bodies. 1 Thess 4:13-18
Christ is a first fruit - the first to have victory over death forever. We are the harvest. Rev 21:4
v57 Thanks be to God! We have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
v58 Labor for the Lord is never in vain.

This Changes Everything: Resurrection Power

I am not the main character of God's Word.  It's not all about me, it's about God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus is the only one who lived up to the law.
Phil 3:4-14 When Paul met Jesus, he pretty much threw all of his own accomplishments away because they were worthless. As long as Paul had breath, he would strain toward what is ahead and fulfill his calling.
2 Cor 5:18 God gave us the ministry of reconciliation, to help others know Christ and be reconciled to God. Give everything we have to fulfill our calling.

This Changes Everything: Made Right

Rom 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Justification: Made right. Declared righteous. Not the same as being forgiven (found guilty). I have been tried and found innocent - Not Guilty.
Rom 3:20-25, Isa 53:4-5, Col 2:13-14 Jesus was our substitute, he took our sin and gave us His righteousness.
1. Our righteousness comes from God, not our own efforts. Gal 2:15-16
2. All sin, guilt, and shame is removed! We need to walk in the victory of that! Rom 5:8-9
3. I have peace with God. Rom 5:1
4. I am free to know, love, and enjoy God as my Father! Room 8:1-2, 15

Insights from God's Word By Clive Gray

Jn 4:4-26, 39-41
God is at work in ways we don't even know. We can trust God and be amazed at what he does.
The Samaritan woman was surprised at the encounter, Jesus asking for a drink from her, what he knows about her, and that he knows about her husbands.
She becomes an accidental missionary, v39.
The disciples were surprised that Jesus was talking to her, Jesus was teaching them to spread the gospel to others.
The woman was surprised to be loved, and others were surprised that she was loved.
We need to lean on God completely and let Him work. Good wants me to be at the well, with Him, spending time with Him, and then be surprised at the results.
v26 "I who speak to you, am he. "

"What if..." Prayer

Acts 4:18-34
1. Bold means opening your mouth at some point. We should be talking about Jesus to others. v29
2. There's a difference between being bold and being weird. Don't be weird. :-)
3. Bold is outward focused. Focus on speaking to people who don't know Christ.
4. Bold is God-centered, not self-centered. v32 God-centered prayers bring unity.
5. Bold is bigger than us. v30 Prayer to point to Almighty God.
6. Bold is a prayer that was answered immediately. v31 Pray for God to make us bold.
*Don't settle for only what we can do - be BOLD through God's presence and power.

"What if..." Mission

Living your life on mission everyday.
Lk 14:25-35
-v26 Your relationship with Jesus must come before your relationships with everyone else. Mt 10:37
-v27 Be willing to lay down your life to follow Jesus. Heb 12:1-3. Die to yourself and your desires.
-v33 There is a cost to following Jesus. Count the cost, can you give/do what it takes? You must be willing to give up everything to be a true follower of Jesus.

"What if ...?" Worship

-We are all worshipers - of something. We so often worship the created instead of the creator. We are called to worship God. John 4:23-24
-Worship is a matter of the heart. Mt 15:8, Eccl 5:1-2
1. Be in the Word of God everyday. Have a heart of worship everyday.
2. Pray.
3. Get rest, so you are ready to worship.
4. Be on time to worship.
5. Participate in worship.
6. Worship no matter what your circumstances are. Job 1:21
1 Cor 14:24-25

Do this in remembrance of me: Communion

1 Cor 11:17-34
-The Lord's Supper calls us to unity. v17-19, 1 Cor 10:14-17, 12:12-21
-The Lord's Supper reminds us of what Jesus did - gave his body and blood for us. v23-26
-The Lord's Supper is a proclamation of his death. v26
-The Lord's Supper is a time of anticipation. v26, Jesus is coming back! Rev 19:1-9, the wedding feast of the Lamb.
-The Lord's Supper provides an opportunity for self examination. v27-28

Godly Growth

Luke 2:41-52
-When you lose something important and valuable, you will search long and hard for it. The value of something in your life can be seen by how much you search for it.
-We should not move forward in our lives without Jesus. Jer 29:13-14, Heb 11:6
1. Growing in stature. v45-52
2. Growing in wisdom. Am I wiser than I was a year ago? v47-48, wisdom includes knowing when to listen and ask questions, Prov 1:7, 2 Tim 3:14-17
3. Growing in favor with God and others. One of the ways Jesus grew in favor with God and man was by spending time with and talking about God. The temple was important in the life of Jesus. By following and identifying with the Lord, Jesus found favor with God and man.
4. Growing in understanding.  Jesus grew in understanding of the timing of God. 1 Pet 5:6-7. I need to wait on the Lord and step out in faith. How patient and faithful am I when God's time frame is different than mine.
5. Growing in obedience. v51, Phil 2:7-8, Heb 5:7-8. Surrender and obey.