Musings of a Young Preacher: 2014

Hello readers and listeners! As some of you know, my wife and I have the privilege of hosting a home group Bible study at our home every Tuesday evening. I am now going to make these lessons available here on "Musings" for the benefit of those that are absent, or for those that have prior obligations on Tuesdays but would still like to hear these lessons.

Tonight we continued our series entitled "Life and Lessons of Jesus Christ." We are actually in Session Two, which is all about 'Preparation For Ministry.' It is in depth teaching on the events preceding the start of Christ's earthly ministry, including his baptism by John, and his encounter with satan in the wilderness. I am happy to bring you Lesson 2.5 of Preparation For Ministry, which examines how Jesus overcame the third temptation of satan with good old fashioned WISDOM. If we are going to prepared for ministry, we must allow the wilderness and God's Spirit to teach us wisdom. My apologies for beginning these broadcasts in mid-series (if you need any of the handouts from previous lessons, feel free to ask and I can get you copies so you can catch up!)

I am attaching a copy of the handout from tonight's lesson so you can follow along - for those of you that did attend tonight's meeting I have actually added an additional scripture (which will be emboldened so you know which one it is) to the section on knowing when to keep the ol' pizza trap shut, which (and I'm sure any preacher reading this will understand where I am coming from here) I am kicking myself for skipping over during the actual teaching.

Wisdom! It is not God's will for you to do things to yourself or others, though you may have scriptural precedent, that could do more harm instead of good - to hear the audio please click the link below! Below the link are the handout notes, plus one additional scripture, feel free to follow along - we welcome comments and questions, thank you for reading and listening, I hope this is a blessing to you all.

Click here to listen: http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=4989

-LIFE AND LESSONS OF CHRIST-SESSION 2: PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY –

LESSON 2.5 “The Wilderness Test - WISDOM”

Main Text: Luke 4:9-13, Proverbs 4:7 – JAMES 3:17

KEY THEMS: WORD, WORSHIP, WISDOM – PREPARATION FOR REAL MINISTRY

Note on James 3:17: wisdom always incorporates humility and mercy in its judgments; looks beyond the letter of the law, into the heart of the law. (weightier matters of the law) – (Matthew 23:23, Isaiah 28:10-13, II Tim 2:15)

Without wisdom, the word + worship tends to produce Phariseeism. (Matthew 5:18)

-Dr Carson surgery story-

V9-11 – 3^rd temptation: using scripture, or your identity, as a license for reckless behavior, to act foolishly or fool heartedly with scripture as a licence (out of context scripture) Romans 6:1-2;

V9 – what a dumb idea. (the devil is full of dumb ideas)

V.12- DEFENSE #3 – WISDOM

-Psalm 111:10 – “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” – “God is not mocked…” Galatians 6:6

Examples: Woman caught in the act of adultery: John 8:2-11 (note wisdom vs Phariseeism) – grace not a license for sin OR the maltreatment of sinners;

-Wisdom is often demonstrated as a filter of mercy and humility for the passing through of light and truth, and holiness, and justice, and righteousness.

-WISDOM: Sometimes you need to shut your big pizza trap. James 1:19-26; PROVERBS 11:12-13

-moving from mere knowledge to wisdom in spiritual and scriptural matters, such as prayer and fasting (see Matthew 6)

-Suffer the little children, and consider the weaker brother (Matthew 19:14; Romans 14:3)

-Those that seek to be wise, will open to be taught by anyone, be they children or a weak brother – the foolish will heap teachers, having itching ears…(II Tim 4:3)

-the mark of spiritual maturity is not knowledge, but wisdom (see “tools of the trade”)

Greetings readers! I am pleased to share with you a message that God and Pastor Holley gave me the honor of preaching at Life Tabernacle recently. We have all gone through times of loss in life where it seems the joy and peace we once had has been suddenly, and sometimes violently stolen away by life situations. It is my hope and prayer that this message will encourage you to do as David did and pursue the recovery of what you've lost - just click on the link below to listen, and my notes from the sermon are posted below so you can follow along - God bless...

http://apostoliclive.com/play_audio.php?audio=4724

Text: I Samuel 30:1-8

“And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.”

Title: Thou Shalt Recover All or The Revival of Recovery – or something…

I. – The Despair of Loss

Background: -

-Ziklag was given to David by King Achish of the Philistines in 1 Samuel 27 when David was run out of Israel by Saul, it was his own personal city of refuge for him and his family (out in the country because he told Achish he really wasn’t worthy or interested in staying in the royal city of Gath)(kind of a low point for a man that was once anointed to be king to shy away from royalty), and his band of 600 mighty men; located at the southern end of Judah; a military base, a place where many came over from Saul’s Israel and sided with David, no doubt a place of regrouping – the Bible says David and his men dwelled in Ziklag for a year and four months prior to following incident…

From I Samuel 29, David was ready to go fight WITH the Philistines against Saul and Israel.

-Philistines princes convinced King Achish (who had a soft spot in his heart for David, and a great deal of respect) to send him back home to Ziklag (because they didn’t trust David – this is the same David that took out Goliath, single-handedly gained a dowry of 200 Philistine foreskins for Saul’s daughter Michal’s hand in marriage, killed his 10,000s and so forth – who could blame them)

-v1.) – Amelekites (what Saul kept alive) raid Ziklag and burn down the town. It wasn’t much, but hey it was home.

V2.) – women, all, great and small taken captive and carried away

-the frustrations of everyday losses (keys, cell phone, five dollar bill…losing the car in the mall, a certain article of clothing)

- Things you may have lost: focus, passion, joy, financial security,

-see also lost sheep.

-if we’re not careful, we’ll allow satan to convince us that what he stole is rightfully his – (Judges 11)

V4.) weeping until they ran out of tears – when what you’ve lost is so great that it drives you to deep sorrow, anguish, regret (if only I had been home to protect the city, if only, if only…)

V6.) just when things couldn’t get any worse (it didn’t start out that bad for would be king)

-his own king Saul turned on him, became a jealous madman

-Philistines didn’t want him because they couldn’t trust him

-Amelikites sneak attack his last consolation in life and burn down what was left, and took his family away – no Israel, no king, no Philistines, Amelekite problems that could have been prevented had Saul obeyed God, his family, his wives and kids, and his stuff is gone, he doesn’t even have a house to go to because its in ashes

-well, at least I still got this motley crew of 600 mighty men…but when he looked up for some comfort and and some encouragement from his fellow soldiers they all got stones in their hands getting ready to excommunicate the man that nobody wanted-

-it was probably right around this point in time that David was thinking to himself “I don’t want to be anointed anymore…”

-anybody ever been there before?

-we’ve got a promise of recovery from our God! This is the season to get back what you’ve lost…

II. – The Promise (and command of) Recovery (Thou Shalt Recover…)

-Definitions: RECOVER: “1. To get back, regain.

2a. To bring back to a normal position or condition, b. RESCUE

3b. to gain by legal process

5. – To find or IDENTIFY again (speaks to a recovery of lost identity)

6b. – To save from loss and restore usefulness (reclaim)

To obtain a final legal judgment in one’s favor – “now are ye justified” “declared righteous”

-Everyday examples…

- You MUST recover…

-Recovery is a matter of spiritual life and death-

-II Kings 20:1-7

“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,

3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.

4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,

5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.

6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.”

I Kings 1:2-4

-“And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.

3 But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

4 Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.”

-YOU will not recover if you’re leaning on the wrong god. (money, education, you’re intelligence, you’re pedigree – none of that has the ability to get you’re spiritual stuff back…

-for every apostolic that’s too exhausted to pursue, God will send us an Egyptian to help us…

-You can recover, because you’ve got a God that’s in the recovery business.

-Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…”

John 5:9 – “Instantly the man became well and recovered his strength and picked up his bed and walked. But that happened on the Sabbath.”

-recovered strength to walk again

- (Mark 16:18) “lay hands on the sick and they shall RECOVER” (we need to have a pursuit and recovery of the miraculous among the apostolics)

-ex. Christ marches into hell and takes back his keys…

-you can recover, because when there is loss the law of exchange kicks in

-Heaven gained a Bro Millstid this year, there must be an exchange in the earth – seven more churches!

III – The Necessity of Pursuit

-YOU WILL NOT POSSESS WHAT YOU DO NOT PURSUE!!

-you will NOT recover if you do not PURSUE- your stuff is not coming back on its own…you have to pursue!

-It’s easy to lose something when it moves forward and you stay put…(pillar of cloud by day, fire by night – the pillar moves, you move or you get yourself lost… - “led by the spirit”

-definition: to follow after in order to overtake, capture, kill or defeat

-to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish: seek (ask, seek, knock)

-proceed along (keep moving forward)

-CHASE, to go in pursuit of…

HEBREW WORD: radaph – RUN after (usually with hostile intent) – “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force…” chase, put to flight, follow, HUNT

-the frustrations of everyday losses (keys, cell phone, five dollar bill…losing the car in the mall, a certain article of clothing) – you will stop your day in your tracks to find these things…what will you do when you lose something that’s vital and internal, and eternal; what are you willing to do to get it back?

-van story

-You can pursue, because you’ve got a God that is in the business of pursuit…

-According to Luke 19:10 - Jesus “came to seek and to save that which was lost…” (possibly move this to section 2 (a God that is in the recovery business area.) – am I willing to go through a cross to get my stuff back?

-(really feel this part out, don’t kill the message. ) – Saul recovered his vision because 1.) he pursued obedience to God’s word to go into the city and 2.) because Ananias, against his better judgment pursued Saul…

-The established church must pursue ministry connection with the new ones IN SPITE OF THE INHERENT RISK INVOLVED.

-we cannot afford to be territorial; the fact of the matter is, Ananias, when I get through with Saul, he’ll be the one preaching the conferences and planting the churches – and WE HAVE TO BE OK WITH THAT

-It’s not the Sauls I’m worried about, it’s the Judaizers.

-Matthew 6:33 - we must pursue the kingdom and “all these things shall be added” – the kingdom isn’t just people that look like you, dress like you – help me Holy Ghost right here – we will not RECOVER the miraculous until we PURSUE the KINGDOM

-Naaman recovered in II Kings 5 because 1. His king pursued the prophet Elisha, and 2. Because Naaman pursued the river Jordan (obedience)

-HOW DO I PURSUE?!-

1. PREACH TO YOURSELF – “David encouraged himself in the Lord…”

2. PRAISE GOD ANYHOW – “bring me hither the ephod…” “garment of praise”

3. PRAY – PRAY –PRAY – “David inquired of the Lord…”

-If we do not preach, praise, and pray, we will NOT recover what was lost!

-“covet the best gifts” we have to want the spiritual bad enough to go looking for it…

CONLCLUSION – It’s Time To Recover What You’ve Lost

-restore sevenfold…

“And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

-now the enemy has David’s wives, kids, and his stuff; his joy, his peace, his family…

-It’s high time that we cancel hell’s party…crash hell’s party – “the gates of hell shall not prevail…” against a church that is in pursuit of what its lost…

-let me try it again, you need to march into the hell in your life, in your emotions, in your mind, in your relationships, in Jesus’ take back what God gave to you

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

-all joy, all peace, all finances, all ministry, lost loved ones…etc, all passion, all dreams

20 And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.”

Musings of a Young Preacher

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BRIDWELL BIBLE STUDY 4/29/2014

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Thou Shalt Recover All!

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