Do You Know God - LIFE Groups studies, Beginning Series

7/28/2019 Do You Know God - LIFE Groups studies, Beginning Series

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All quotations are taken from the New American Standard

Version unless otherwise indicated.

2013For republication please contact [email protected]

For more booklets in this series go to

guineafield.blogspot.com

or graceofforesthills.com


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USING THIS BOOKLET

Personal Study

Perhaps you would like to study the Bible for yourself and are

looking for a tool to help you dig deeper into Gods Word.

Let me encourage you to jump right in to this booklet. And

dont feel like you need to get through an entire lesson in

one sittingtake a section at a time if you would like. Or,

perhaps you are a person that likes to go quickly through astudy, you could easily finish this booklet in just two

sittingsPart 1 and then Part 2.

With a riend

Did a friend ask you to study this booklet with him or her?

Im glad you took time out to study the Bible together! This

is one of the kindest concerns a friend can show to you and it

is such an enjoyable experience to study the Bible together.

Let me encourage you to try to do a lesson each week or two

as outlined in the table of contents. It may be helpful to

review what you have covered or survey what you are going

to cover next by looking at the table of contents each time

you move on to the next lesson. That will help you to keepcurrent with the flow of the whole book even if it takes you a

month or two to get through the entire study.

Small Group

Perhaps you are part of a small group that is going through

this booklet lesson by lesson. Try to read and answer thequestions for the week before you meet to study together.

You may want to jot down a couple questions or highlight

things that interest you as you read the text the first time.


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As the group meets you will have the opportunity to share

some of these insights as well as answer some of the group

questions. Try your best to make it to each of the group

meetings so you dont get behind.

In whatever way you use the booklet I pray that the Lord will

bring you to a deeper and more wonderful relationship with

Him. A close relationship with God is the most enjoyable

thing you can experienceand it is why we were made in the

first place!

For His Glory,

Pastor Tim Richmond


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T BLE OF CONTENTS

Question 1 Who is God? (LESSON 1) 1-10What God Does 4-9

He created all things.

He upholds all things.

He is bringing all things to His climax.

What God is Like (LESSON 2) 11-14

God is Holy.

God is Good.

God is Love.

What is Gods Perfect Picture? 15-17

Jesus is the climax of Gods revelation.

Jesus is Gods very essence.

Question 2 Who am I? (LESSON 3) 19-25

You are an image bearer.

You are sinful.

Question 3 Who Needs Rescuing? (LESSON 4) 28-32

Question 4 What is Gods Rescue Plan? 32-37

The Person of the Gospel

The Content of the Gospel

The Gospel Summarized

The Gospel Personalized

Question 5 How Can I be Rescued? (LESSON 5) 40-48

Believe in the Gospel.

Repent of your sin.


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INTRODUCTION

Have you ever purchased a new electronic gadget? Perhaps

you had no knowledge at all about some new technology

your first computer or cell phone, or your first television for

that matter. How do you learn to use it? Well, some just play

with it until, after making enough mistakes, they learn the

right way to use it. Others will take time to read the book that

was designed to help them learn the gadget. Perhaps an

instruction booklet was included in the box in order to walk

you step-by-step through the introductory process.

What if someone ignored the instruction book they were given

and tried to learn how to use their phone by looking at an

instruction manual for a kitchen appliance? They would get

nowhere fast, and they would soon be lost. Why? They are

using the wrong source of information. No matter how long

or hard they search, they will still wind up short of a proper

understanding.

Many people try to understand God by following the wrong

sources. They rely on the source of human experience, world

history, or a contemporary religious smorgasbord. These are

all sources of knowledge and understanding, but they are the

wrong places to go if you want to understand God correctly.

God has given a guide-book to help you understand Him. Itis more of a letter of love than an instruction manual. But the

truth is that He chose to reveal His purposes and truths to us

through a written source, and that source is the Bible.

Do You Know

God?

LESSON 1


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Your understanding of God is of vital importance. We are not

talking about your view on a political theory or a professional

sports team. Rather, this is a topic of eternal significance. The

sad truth is that many people do not consult the right source

when it comes to this extremely important aspect of their lives.

They may consult their roommate, a blog, or a popular book.

Please dont fall into the error of leaving your understanding

of God to a pooled ignorance. Instead, search the Bible

yourself.

God wrote you the Bible to help you understand Him and relate

to Him. This study booklet will help you find different

passages in the Bible where God will speak with you. If you

are just beginning to understand God or are still skeptical as

to whether the God of the Bible exists, then let me encourage

you to read these verses carefully. Let God speak to you

through the source that He has determined to use. As you do,

and as you open your heart to Who He is, your heart will be

warmed, your life will be changed, and you will learn the true

meaning of living life with God. That is my prayer for you as

we study this booklet together.

Before we start, lets clear up one thing. When you think of the

title of this booklet, Knowing God through His Word, you

naturally think of gaining an understanding of God throughthe Bible. However, we are not just talking about a factual

knowledge about God. Dont read this booklet thinking that

it will merely give you the correct answers to a test. This study

is not primarily about book knowledge. Actually, we are

pursuing knowledge of God as a person.

When my wife and I had just begun dating we wrote many

letters back and forth. At times we wrote a letter every night,

and that was after eating lunch or dinner together that day!

Why did we do this? Was I just trying to get to know the


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different facts that were true about Sarah so I could get

something from her? Was I studying her in the same way I

studied for my seminary exams? Absolutely not! I took delight

in (and still do) getting to know my wifenot just the facts

about her, but her as a person. This is similar to any healthy

relationship in life, and it is true of your relationship with God.

You must read the Bible as Gods letter to you about Himself.

He is disclosing Who He is in His Word.

So as you begin to know God through His Word, dont just

study and read so you can fill in the blanks or get somethingfrom Him. Realize that God is telling you about Himself

through His WordHe wants you to know Him and to talk to

Him. This booklet will outline how. We will answer five

questions in our study. In Part 1 we will answer the questions

Who is God? and Who am I? In Part 2 of the study we will

answer three questions relating to Gods rescue plan. But

starting here in Part 1, lets begin with our understanding of

God. Who is God?


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QUESTION 1WHO IS GOD?

This is a big question to answer. Many books have been

written on the study of God (Theology) and a comprehensive

answer to the question is not only beyond this booklet but

really beyond any book. Listen to what John tells us about the

earthly life of Jesus in the final verse of his Gospel:

And there are also many other things which Jesus did,

which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even theworld itself would not contain the books that would be

written (John 21:25).

Nevertheless, what we will endeavor to do is to survey some

of the major ideas that God communicates about Himself in

the Bible. We will do this through looking at what He has done

(actions), what He is like (attributes), and finally His perfect

picture.

What God Does (Actions)

We will examine three of God's actions below. He made all

things, upholds all things, and is bringing all things to His

climax.

God Made All Things

The first part of a book is usually key. This is true of the Bible.

In the first verse of the Bible, God tells you something about

Him that is extremely importantHe made everything. Thefirst verse of the Bible states this fact, and many other verses

from the Bible do as well:


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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

(Genesis 1:1)."For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,

the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh

day (Exodus 20:11).

God who created all things (Ephesians 3:9).

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens

and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or

dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been

created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

Here are four very clear statements of God creating the

heavens and the earth, and these are just four of at least fifty

that we could read together. This is something that God

repeatedly recorded for us to learn about HimHe created

everything.

Knowing this about God makes other truths about Him evident

as well. Consider below the truths that flow out of the fact

that God made us.

1. Because God is Creator, He is all-powerful

Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the

earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm!

Nothing is too difficult for You (Jeremiah 32:17).

2. Because God alone is Creator, He alone is God.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD

made the heavens (Psalm 96:5).


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3. Because God is Creator, He is creative.

To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His

lovingkindness is everlasting (Psalm 136:5).

For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they

are and were created (Romans 4:11KJV).

4. Because God created all things, all things belong to Him.

O LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have

made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions (Psalm

104:24).

God Upholds All Things

The Bible teaches that God is not only the Creator of all things

but also the Controller of all things. The passage we read

above which taught that Jesus created all things (Col. 1:16)

goes on to say that, in Him all things hold together. This

concept hold together or consist has reference to all the

parts of an object being held together tightly. If you take a

rubber band off of a deck of cards and then throw the cards

to the floor you will have a mess of cards because the cards

were being held together by the rubber band. This verse is

teaching that Jesus actually holds together all thingevery cell

in your body! This is amazing power! Here are a few other

passages that teach this same truth about God:

For in Him we live and move and exist (Acts 17:38).He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact

imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the

word of his power (Hebrews 1:3ESV).


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According to cell research done by Nobel Prize winning

scientists, the adult human body contains approximately

(but whos counting) 100,000,000,000,000 cells (thats

one hundred thousand billion)!1 And, scientists estimate

there are 50,000,000,000,000,000 (5x1014) atoms in an

average cell.2 That is an incomprehensible number of

small moving parts in your body. And yet, it gets more

complex still. Each atom is made up of different particles

protons and neutrons in the atoms nucleus with electrons

revolving around them. What has baffled scientists is not

just that we cannot understand the complexity of each

particle but how these particles are held together. We

know what happens when the atom is split (Atomic Bomb),

but how do they stay together? Why dont they spin apart

into trillions of particles?

Science is just now proposing theories of how theseparticles work togetherand yet man can only describe

what is happening. The Bible, however, actually tells us

howit works. How is everything held together? They are

upheld by the sustaining power that comes from Gods

speechHe upholds these particles by the word of His

1According to a press release by Nobel Prize, 8 October, 2001:

"The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2001" awarded to

Leland H. Hartwell, Tim Hunt, and Sir Paul Nurse.

2Jay Newman, Physics of the Life Sciences(New York: Springer

Science+Business Media, 2008), p. 12.

SIDE LIGHT: Holding it all together.


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power (Hebrews 1:3). You dont even have to consciously

think about what any single cell is doing or needs to do in

your body; it is placed on autopilot by the Creator and

Sustainer of all. If you can trust Him to watch over each

particle in your body and if the birds of the air and the

flowers of the field trust Him for their food and clothing,

dont you think you could know God enough to trust Him

with your future?

God is Bringing All Things to His Climax

So far, as we have looked a bit at Gods works, we have learned

that God made all things and sustains all things. We need to

go beyond this and learn that He is actually working behind

the scenes to bring all things to His purpose.

The story of history of the earth is really Gods story of

bringing all things back to Himself. We will examine this more

carefully throughout this booklet. But if you want to know a

summary of the Bible up front, it is the story of how Gods

creation thoroughly enjoyed God (Genesis 1-3), how Gods

creation disobeyed God and was separated from Him (Genesis

3), and how God is working to get His creation back tothoroughly enjoying Him again (Genesis 3 to Revelation).

Read a picture of that future time when the Lord has finished

His story (History):

"Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will

dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and GodHimself will be among them, and He will wipe away every

tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death;


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there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain;

the first things have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4).

There is something in all of us that longs for those verses.

That desire is something God put into you. And it is drawing

you to His Word where He will share with you how you can take

part in His story and come back to thoroughly enjoying Him

forever! Keep reading and studying so that you can be assured

of this future.


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1.

What are some sources that you or friends of yours

have used to find out more about God? What is God's

one source?

2.

What are four truths that we derive from the fact that

God is Creator?

3.

What does the verse mean when it says - "by [Jesus]

all things consist"?

LESSON 1 QUESTION AND ANSWER


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WHAT GOD IS LIKE (ATTRIBUTES)

There are certain times when the Bible gives us direct

statements of what God is like. God is holy. God is love. God

is good. These help us know God in a personal way. If you

were to say, You would really like Jim; he is such a helpful

person, you are telling us something that will help us know

more about Jim. In that case, however, what we say about Jimmay or may not always be true. Perhaps if you asked Jims

younger sister if Jim was always a helpful person, she might

have a different answer.

When the Bible tells us something about God, we know that it

is completely true and always true. These blanket statements

about God are reassuring and help us understand Who God is.

Below we will examine three of these; God is holy; God is good;

God is love.

God is Holy.

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts. The whole earth isfull of His glory (Isaiah 6:3).

Do You Know

God?

LESSON 2


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Gods holiness is often misunderstood, or at least understood

in a narrow way. It often is used to refer to Gods sinless

nature. God is sinlessthat is true. In fact God hates sin and

cannot look on evil (Habakkuk 1:13). However, holiness goes

beyond that. It refers to Gods separateness or otherness. It

really refers to Gods uniqueness. There is no one else like

God. He alone is God and only His nature is like this. So He

is completely separate from His creation, and from any

defilement of any sort.

This is why some theologians will state that Gods holiness isHis fundamental attribute. His all-knowingness, His

perfectness, His all- truthfulness, and any other attributes

flow out of and are part of his holiness. His holiness, in one

sense, is the degree or extent to which Gods other attributes

are true. How knowledgeable is God? He is unique (holy) in

the extent of His knowledge. How sinless is God? He alone

(holy) is as sinless as himself.3

We learn from this that we cannot make our own way to God.

He must provide the way. We also learn that we cannot come

to God in our current state. More will be said about that when

answering the next question, Who am I?

3 We can take one more step from this to say that becauseGod, in His holiness, is the highest form of a particular

attribute, then only He defines what that specific attribute is

totally. He defines what that attribute is in its highest form.

What is just? You would have to define that by the nature of

God. What is truth? That would have to be defined by the

nature of God. Because He epitomizes these attributes at their

purest, only God is the true representation of what these

attributes are. He alone is pure love, truth, justice,

righteousness, etc.


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God is Good.

Another character trait of God that we learn from Scripture is

that God is good. This is Gods perfection in morality.

Good and upright is the LORD;

Therefore He instructs sinners in the way (Psalm 25:8).

O taste and see that the LORD is good;

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him (Psalm

34:8)!

He is always good and will always act in goodness. We dont

need to be afraid that God is conducting some large hoax to

fool a bunch of people into following Him so that He can take

advantage of them. He is not like a bully at the park burning

ants with his magnifying glass. God will bring history to a

good end. In fact, He will even take the bad story of manssinfulness and gain the ultimate good of His own glory and His

creations gladness in delighting in Him.

Several truths flow from Gods goodness: God made all things

good (Genesis 1:31). Only God is always good and without

fault (Psalm 53:1-3). Every good gift comes from God (James

1:17). In one sense, God is our highest good and only delight(Psalm 16:2).

God is Love.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten

Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have

eternal life (John 3:16).


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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is

love (1 John 4:8).

We could define Gods love as His goodness in action. Because

God is good in all He does, He is continually demonstrating

mercy (not giving us what we deserve), grace (giving us what

we dont deserve), loving-kindness, and forgiveness. We must

not think of love primarily as a feeling or attitude but as an

action. Because God is good, He acts in love toward others.

That love is demonstrated in activity. The above passages

teach how God has demonstrated His love. Biblical love is not

static. Your love is always demonstrated by doing. Part 2 in

this booklet outlines Gods Rescue Plan which will deal with

how Gods holiness, justice, and truth can be upheld

consistently with His goodness and love.

We have learned a little about Who God is and what He does.

Before we move to our next chapter, lets examine a perfect

picture of God:

WHO IS GODS PERFECT PICTURE?

What is the best way we can learn Who God is? How has God

chosen to reveal Himself to us in the highest and bestcommunication? He sent us HimselfHis Son, Jesus Christ.

Lets look at a few passages that teach this truth.


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Jesus is the Climax of Gods Self-Revelation.

One passage that clearly teaches that Jesus is the climax and

final installation of Gods self-revelation is found in the first

verses of Hebrews.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets

in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has

spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all

things, through whom also He made the world...

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what

we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.

(Hebrews 1:1-2; 2:1-4).

According to verse one, the author is telling us that God has

spoken many times in the past and He has used various

methods. You may remember once God even used a Donkeyto speak to a prophet! As God's revelation progressed, it

climaxed. He saved His final and greatest revelation for last -

that was His Son, Jesus. "In these last days He has spoken to

us in His Son." Because this is the climax it is even more

important to listen to Him as God's Son (2:4).

So the revelation of Jesus is Gods final message to earth. Godsent Himself. We must take heed and listen to this message

of salvation through Jesus. Please consider taking a moment

to pray about this matter before you go to sleep tonight. If

you have never come to know Gods self-revelation through

Jesus Christ, then ask the Lord to lead you to this message and

give you the conviction in your heart of what is true relating to

God and His Son.


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As persons, we relate to one another by disclosing things

about ourselves. Our global community has gone

overboard in this aspect of life. Incessantly, millions of

people are electronically throwing out as much personal

information about themselves as anyone would care to

know through various social networking sites. As you

peruse someones thoughts, likes, and dislikes, you learn

a bit about them, or at least you learn a bit about who they

want to be. As you continue to read what they write and

what they like, you gain more understanding of them as a

personnot just facts like where they were born and what

their relationship status is, but what kind of things they like

talking about, and who they admire or what type of humorthey enjoy. That is getting to know their person.

Gods Word is the way He discloses information about

Himself. The first step in understanding Gods self-

revelation is to realize that Gods perfect summary of

Himselfperhaps we could say His perfect Facebook

page is His Son, Jesus Christ. If we wanted to know a

perfect snap-shot of what God is on a human levelnot

just how God wants to be portrayed but what He is in

essencewe must look at Jesus Christ.

SIDE LIGHT: Gods Facebook


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Gods Son is His Very Essence

Hebrews 1:3 teaches that Jesus is the exact representation of

Gods nature, meaning that if you want to see Who God is you

should look at Jesus. He perfectly represents the Father. My

children have character traits that are similar to me or to my

wife. Jesus, however, perfectly represents the Father to us. So

not only is Jesus the climax of Gods self-revelation, but He is

also the perfect self-revelation of the Father. This is why Jesus

could say He who has seen me has seen the Father (John14:9). John teaches that part of Jesusearthly ministry was to

demonstrate or explain Who the Father is. No one has seen

God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom

of the Father, He has explained Him(John 1:18).

Although [Jesus] existed in the form of God, He did not

regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians2:6).

If you want to get to know God, then you must spend time

studying and learning about Jesus. Read through the Gospels,

and learn Who Jesus is and what Jesus did. In a future lesson,

Receiving Help, we will study what God did for each of us

through Jesus. But before we get to that section, we need to

give some time to understanding why we would need Gods

help. That flows out of an understanding of who we are as

people. Lets look at the Bibles answer to the questionWho

am I?


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1. Describe God's holiness and how it is similar to His

uniqueness. Why is it the ultimate attribute of God?

2.

God's is His goodness in action.

3.

What is the climax of God's revelation to us?



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QUESTION 2WHO AM I?

Weve already considered Who God is. Now we need to talk

about who we are as humans so we can understand the help

God brings. Lets look at two major truths the Bible teaches

about every individual.

You are an Image Bearer

This is probably not the first truth that comes to your mind

when you are asked what the Bible tells us about humans. But

this is one of the first things that God tells us about ourselves.

In the Biblical account of Gods creating humans, we learn that

He made us in His image.

Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according

to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea

and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over

all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on

the earth (Genesis 1:26).

In this passage, we are able to listen in on a conversation

between the Persons of the Trinity of God concerning the

creation of man. We learn that we are made in His image. And

Do You

Know God?

LESSON 3


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we are told this only about humans! Consequently, this is one

of the major distinguishing characteristics between you and

other parts of Gods creation. You bear Gods image, which is

His likeness. God chose to reveal more aspects of Who He is

in one particular part of His creation. God created humans

special. We have a unique gift in relationships,

communication, self-awareness, and intelligence.

God made us this way so that our highest joy would be

communication with Him. He made us to long for and enjoy

personal intimacy with God Himself. In one sense, when youand I desire to establish relationships with one another and

long for a right relationship with God, we demonstrate the

communication that was eternally existent in the Trinity. In

Genesis we read of man having a perfect relationship with God

in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve would walk and talk with

Him (Genesis 3:8). However, following their disobedience they

hid from Gods presence (3:10). They realized that their

disobedience separated them from God. That is the next

aspect of our nature that we will develop.

One reason Christians respect and treat people differently

is that Gods image is represented in every human.

Lets imagine that you took time to paint a picture of the

home in which you grew up and tried your best to represent

your family standing out in a front yard or on the front

stoop waving. You were not too proud of the job, but you

SIDE LIGHT: Disrespecting

God s Picture


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knew what the picture represented. So you had it framed

and hung it in your apartment.

Later, you had some friends over for a dinner party and

showed them the painting, explaining its significance. How

would you respond to one of your friends taking a knife out

during your presentation and cutting out the picture of

your family and then crumpling it and throwing it on the

floor? They might not be your friend too much longer. In

fact, you probably would stop them before their knife ever

touched your picture.

Why would this offend you? Because of the great job you

did, and the hours you put into the painting? Perhaps, but

most likely you would be offended because they were

ruining a picture of your family. The picture represented

them. It was not your family and it may have been a poor

representation of them but it still bore their image and you

want it treated with respect.

In the same way, humans bear the representation and

image of God. Even though we are marred by sin and

misrepresent Him in many ways, we are still a unique part

of Gods creation because we bear His image. Therefore,

we treat other humans with respect. We desire that everyhuman be treated with kindness, fairness, and equality. We

would not want Gods image marred or broken through

thoughtlessness, carelessness, or malice. This is one

reason Christians are outspoken on issues like abortion

and human rights.


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You Are Sinful

You are an image bearer, but the image of God was distorted

by disobedience. This fundamentally changed mans nature.

Paul teaches that because of that first disobedience, all who

are born after Adam are also born in disobedience. Because

of that sin, all those following Adam are born mortal. God

originally made man to live and enjoy Him forever. Sin severedthat relationship. There are two aspects of humankinds

sinfulness:

We Are Sinful by Birth

According to Scripture, we are not sinners because we sin. We

sin because we are sinners. We are all born with this natural

propensity. Consider the following verses.

The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who

speak lies go astray from birth (Psalm 58:3).

The intent of man's heart is evil from his youth (Genesis

5:3).

What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of

a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, He puts no

trust in His holy ones, And the heavens are not pure in His

sight; How much less one who is detestable and corrupt,

Man, who drinks iniquity like water (Job 15:14-16)!

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the

world, and death through sin, and so death spread to allmen, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).


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We Are Sinful by Choice

Not only are we all sinful by birth, but we are also sinful by

choice. You may not like to think of yourself as a sinner. No

one likes that thought, but the Bible clearly teaches it. Perhaps

our reticence to acknowledge sinfulness rises from a

misunderstanding of sin. You may not realize that the Bible

defines sin very specifically. Look at the following passages

from Jesus Sermon on the Mount:

You have heard that the ancients were told, you shall not

commit murder and Whoever commits murder shall be

liable to the court. But I say to you that everyone who is

angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court

(Matthew 5:21-22).

You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit

adultery; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a

woman with lust for her has already committed adultery

with her in his heart (vv. 27-28).

You have heard that it was said, an eyefor an eye and a

tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist an evil

person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn

the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take

your shirt, let him have your coat also (vv. 38-40).

You have heard that it was said, you shall love your

neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your

enemies and pray for those who persecute you (vv. 43-

44).

Jesus teaching intensifies the Ten Commandments by

internalizing them. You think, I havent murdered anyone.

But Jesus says that it is also a sin to hate someone. You maysay, I have never committed adultery. But Jesus said it is a

sin to look at someone with lustful thoughts. You think you

are loving? Well, do you love someone who is your enemy?


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Not only does Jesus internalize these laws, but He also teaches

that you have to obey them 100%. There are no good daysand bad days. You have to keep all the commands every

moment of your life!

Whoever then annuls one of the least of these

commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall

be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19).

This is brought out elsewhere in the Bible. If you break one of

the Commandmentseven just oneyou are guilty of

breaking all the Law. They are like a chain of links where each

Command is one link. In order to be a sinner you only need to

break one of those links. If you disobey your parents or lie

one time, you are a sinner according to the Bible.

For whoever keeps the whole lawand yet stumbles in one

point, he has become guilty of all (James 2:10).

We must be honest with ourselves and admit that Gods

holiness demands

perfect obedience and

that no one is perfectly

obedient. The Bible

clearly states that all

have sinned and fall

short of the glory of

God (Romans 3:23).

Understanding this

truth and

acknowledging this isthe first step to full and

eternal forgiveness. It is the beginning of the end of your

alienation from God. You must realize that you are estranged

YOU MUST REALIZETHAT YOU ARE

ESTRANGED FROM HIM IF

YOU WANT TO BE

RECONCILED TO HIM


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from Him if you want to be reconciled. If you think you are

satisfactory based on your good works or based on your family

lineage, then you are not ready to receive His forgiveness and

pardon. In Part 2 of this study we will focus on receiving that

forgiveness and pardon, but listen to the following story that

Jesus told, illustrating why only those who know they need

Gods forgiveness can actually receive it.

And He also told this parable to some people who trusted

in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others

with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray,

one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee

stood and was praying this to himself: God, I thank You

that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust,

adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a

week; I pay tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector,

standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up

his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying,God, be merciful to me, the sinner! I tell you, this man

went to his house justified rather than the other; for

everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who

humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:9-14).


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1.

Because humans are made in God's image, they always do

what He wants (True/False).

2.

In Jesus parable, who went home justified? Contrast these

two men by filling out the chart below.

Pharisee Tax Collector

Actions

Attitude

View before

God

3.

What are ways that people today think that they arerighteous in and of themselves?



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4.

How many sins does it take before someone is separated

from God?

5.

Group Discussion: How does the Biblical teaching of the

Image of God affect our view of abortion or human rights?


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If you have taken the time to go through all of Part 1 of this

study, you have learned some major things about God and

about the way He views the world. God made all things to be

enjoyed and all people to enjoy Him. You also learned that

God is holytotally unique and separate from sin. Because

humans rebelled against Him, all people have become

alienated from Him and are not right with Him. Because each

of us sins and God cannot accept sin, God cannot accept us

into His presence.

So how can we be accepted before God? How can we get back

to the way God ordered things at the beginning in His garden?

He wants us to enjoy Him and delight in Him forevertrue

delight and eternal joy. But we failed His standard, and if we

are honest, we fail daily. Getting back to the garden is the

story of the Bible. We could not earn our way back to God, but

God sent us help. And this story unfolds in how God rescued

humankind through sending Himself as the lifeboat that

brings us back to Him.

The most important truth anyone should know is how to

receive Gods help. To look at that we will answer three basic

questions. Who needs rescuing? What is God's rescue plan?

How can I be rescued?

Do You

Know God?

LESSON 4


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QUESTION 3WHO NEEDS RESCUING?

If you understood the last section, then you would have to

conclude that everyone needs to be rescued. Each person has

drifted far from God. As the prophet Isaiah said, All of us like

sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). We have sinned. We

have broken Gods commands at onepoint or another in life.

And Gods holiness demands perfection. In addition to this,

Gods perfect justice demands a guilty verdict. God cannot

just let our sin go or sweep our sins under the rug. They mustbe penalized and dealt with.

Gods justiceis clearly recorded in the BibleGod must punish

sin. Those who do not accept Gods forgiveness through Jesus

will be punished eternally from God. This is no God's desire.

His plan was that everyone receive eternal enjoyment with

Him. But because of our sin we all deserve Gods justpunishment. Read the following verses that teach this:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is

eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit

the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (1 Corinthians

6:9).

But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and

murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and

idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that

burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death

(Revelation 21:8).

Gods character demands that sins must be penalized. Paul

explains that the penalty is death; the wage you get for the evil

work of sin is separation from God. Ever since the first sin,

the results have been the same. We are all born under Gods


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condemnation. Reading about eternal punishment is not a

popular topic. But the most difficult part about this teaching

is not the place sin separates us to at death (hell), but Who it

separates us from (God). This separation from God is the true

pain and sorrow of hell. We are left to live a selfish existence

entirely absent from the loving presence of God.4 This is not

good news. But if you do not understand the bad news, you

will not understand your need for the good news. Read the

following verses that teach this truth:

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our

flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind,

and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

(Ephesians 2:3).

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the

world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He

who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe

has been judged already, because he has not believed in

the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18).

As we learn from John 3 above, Gods purpose for you is not

your condemnationit is your salvationyour rescue.

However, you must come to the point that you believe you

need to be rescued. Do you believe this? Do you believe that

you are under Gods wrath and condemned in His court? If you

4 We know how selfishness and self-absorption lead to

piercing bitterness, nauseating envy, paralyzing anxiety,

paranoid thoughts, and the mental denials and distortions that

accompany them. Now ask the question; What if when we die

we dont end, but spiritually our life extends into eternity?

Hell, then is the trajectory of a soul, living a self-absorbed,

self-centered life, going on and on forever (Timothy Keller,

The Reason for God, (New York: Penguin, 2008), p. 79).


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do not, I suggest you go back and re-read the previous Bible

verses. Before you understand Gods rescue plan you have to

understand your need for that rescue.

My dad has a little salt water kayak. It is so relaxing

to take this little kayak out past the breaking waves

into the ocean. There is no sound except the

repetitive splash of the swelling waves bouncing

against the kayak and the occasional birds call. The

last time I was out on the kayak I spent some time

looking out at the ocean and enjoying the endless

expanse of open water. As I sat, large jelly-fish

floated by the kayak and I was lost in mysurroundings.

When I turned the kayak back around to look at the

shore, I realize that I was much further out than when

I first faced the open Atlantic. In fact, I had drifted

quite a distance from shore! I was relaxed, not

knowing that before long I might be in great danger.Thankfully, I could still see which way was back to

shore, so with some hearty rowing I was able to make

my way back. But if I had waited a while longer and

was not able to see the land, I might still be out in the

Atlantic drifting around.

This illustration pictures how many people are today.They are drifting further and further from God, not

knowing that they need to be rescued. The shore of

Gods goodnessdisappeared from view when we first

SIDE LIGHT: Relaxingly Un-rescued


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sinned. But much of our lives are spent thinking that

our rowing can easily get us back to the shore. The

truth is that we are miles from the shore; the more we

row in our own strength the further we row away from

God. We need to turn around to God and accept His

rescue. Perhaps you are just turning the kayak of your

life around and recognizing that you are far out at sea,

away from Gods acceptance. If that is you, be

thankful! You can be rescued!

QUESTION 4WHAT IS GOD S RESCUE PLAN?

Now we get to the heart of the Bible. This is the epicenter

the hub on which the wheel turns. It is a story that you may

have heard since you were a child, but perhaps you did notrealize the significance of the story until now. Lets overview

the details of this marvelous story once more. We will look

first at the Person of the Gospel and second at the content of

the Gospel.

The Person of the Gospel

You may know that the first four books of the New Testament

are called Gospels: the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark,

Luke, and John. If you read the first verses of these four books,

you understand that they are four accounts of the same

storythe same Gospel. Gospel simply means good news.

So what or who is the good news about? Lets examine the

beginning of each of these separate historical accounts. Read


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first the first verse of the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of

Mark:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of

God (Mark 1:1).

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son

of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).

Now let's read what angels said at the birth announcement of

Jesus in Luke's Gospel.

But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold,

I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the

people; for today in the city of David there has been born

for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11).

It is clear that right from the beginning of these accounts theGood News is the Good News about Jesus. The same is true in

John's Gospel. Right from the start, he declares that Jesus is

God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with

God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). And at the end of his

Gospel account he tells us the purpose of writing:

Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the

presence of the disciples, which are not written in this

book; but these have been written so that you may believe

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing

you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31).

It is clear that the central Person in the Gospel is Jesus and that

through Him we can have life. Now lets review the reason why

Jesus' life is Good News by examining the content of the

Gospel.


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The Content of the Gospel

As we survey the content of the Gospel, we will examine the

summary of Gods good news and then apply that Gospel to

individual people.

The Gospel Summarized

Paul clearly outlines the main parts of the Gospel in I

Corinthians 15. It is very helpful to examine the summary that

Paul gives there. Read this passage and then answer the

questions that follow.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I

preached to you, which also you received, in which also you

stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the

word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also

received, that Christ died for our sins according to the

Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised

on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He

appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He

appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time,

most of whom remain until now (1 Corinthians 15:1-6).

There are several components to the Gospel message: Christ

died for our sins, was buried, rose the third day, and was seen

by many witnesses. Notice in verse 2 that those who are

holding to these things by trusting in this message are saved.

The idea is that these people have been rescued. Rescue isavailable to you through this Gospel message! Take a moment

and read the other verses that clearly state this truth:


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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of

God for salvationto everyone who believes, to the Jew first

and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).

God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the

message preached to save those who believe (1

Corinthians 1:21).

The Gospel Personalized

The Gospel in a nutshell is Jesus doing what you cannot do.

He paid the penalty for your sin. You have to realize this in a

personal way.

Jesus lived a perfect life for your imperfect life. The Bible

teaches that Jesus obeyed every law of God. God demands

perfect obedience, and only Jesus could fulfill this demand.We have already concluded that God demands holiness and

that none of us are perfect. So how can we go forward? We

have to accept Jesus life by faith. His perfect lifemust be

attributed to you. This is how the righteousness of God, the

perfect nature that God demands, is attributed to you.

He made Him who knew no sinto be sin on our behalf, so

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2

Corinthians 5:21).

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has

been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets

testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith

in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22 NIV).

Jesus died a sacrificial death for your sin. Jesus died on the

cross for your sin. He bore your sin on the cross, suffering

your penalty. When He was on the cross, His greatest agony


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was separation from His Father. God the Father could not look

on Him. Why have You forsaken me? He cried. God had to

turn His eyes from His Son because He was bearing the sin of

the world. Jesus was the lightning rod that took Gods anger

for your sin. Because Jesus is God, He can bear an eternal

weight of sin. He paid for your eternal separation from God in

a moment of time.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ

died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous

man; though perhaps for the good man someone would

dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love

toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for

us (Romans 5:6-8).

Jesus rose again from the dead, securing your resurrection.

Jesus resurrection shows that He has victory over sin and

death and can grant the gift of eternal life to those who come

to Him. This assures us that those who trust in Him can also

receive life from the dead. This is how His resurrection gives

promise of eternal life.

In your natural state you are at war with God because of your

sin. However, with Jesus we can have peace with God again

and delight in Him again. Having been justified by faith wehave peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans

5:1).

So Jesus is the way of rescue! He is the way back to the shore

of fellowship with God. God did not want us to remain in

alienation so He initiated and provided a bridge back to shore.

He provided a way. Jesus said, I am the Way, and the Truth,and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me

(John 14:6). Through Jesus Christ you can meet your greatest

need of being right with God.


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On a cold winter day, 903 troops and 4 military

chaplains boarded the Dorchester, an Army transport

ship. At 12:00 on the morning of February 3, a German

torpedo struck the side of the boat. The men scrambledfor lifeboats, knowing that the ship had no way to be

saved. A young GI told one of the chaplains that he had

lost his life vest. The chaplain sacrificed his own for the

young man.

Once all the life jackets ran out, each of the chaplains

on the boat gave up the jacket they had. One account

records that they then joined hands and sang and

prayed for the rest of the crew. These men died when

the Dorchester went down and they were posthumously

awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

They gave their physical lives for their comrades. You

and I have a greater Savior Who sacrificed His life. He

went to the death we deserved and took our place. He

gave us His eternal life jacket.

SIDE LIGHT: Rescue by Sacrifice


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1.

According to Isaiah 53:6 how are we like sheep?

2.

What is the result of our sin?

3.

Is God's purpose for your life condemnation or salvation?

4. What does the word "Gospel" mean?

5.

What are the four components of the Gospel outlined in 1

Corinthians 15:1-6?



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6.

What do we mean by stating that Jesus is a lightning rod?


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QUESTION 5HOW CAN I BE RESCUED?

You may be wondering, How does this transaction take

place? We will end this section by clearly outlining how

someone receives Gods glorious rescue plan.

God offers the gift of eternal life to as many as receive Him as

their Lord (repent) and Savior (believe; Romans 10:9-10).

These are the two conditions of the heart that God requires for

His rescue plan. They are not things you do or works you

perform. They are like reaching out your hands to receive a

gift. They are conditions of the heart that must be true of

everyone who has eternal life. You must repent of your sin

and trust only in Jesus. We will look first at belief and then at

repentance.

Believe

You must believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your

sin. This belief is more than just restating the facts. The Bible

says that demons believe the facts. Saving faith goes beyond

the facts and actually trusts God for eternal salvation. You

must not only believe that Jesus was a person Who died to pay

for sins, but you must also believe that His death was sufficient

to pay for your sin personally.

Do You

Know God?

LESSON 5


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This kind of trust will cause you to ask for help. If you truly

believe that Jesus died for your sins then you will ask Him forforgiveness. Do you believe Jesus died to take away your sins?

As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to

become children of God, even to those who believe in His

name (John 1:12).

If we were on a plane which had a failing engine, you could say

you trusted in a parachute to hold you if you needed to jump.

You might even believe that it could hold you. But in order for

this parachute to be of any help, you have to get out of your

seat and put the parachute on! So it is with Jesus. If you

believe His death was for you then call upon Him and ask for

the forgiveness that comes through His death on your behalf.

Place your trust in Him today!

Repent

The other condition of your heart that God demands is

repentance. Repentance is a change of mind about yourself

and your sin. You must go beyond just being sorry that you

have sinned; you must forsake that sin. You cannot choose

Gods way and your own way. Today, if you will receive Jesus

gift of salvation, you must be willing to go His wayyou must

be willing to give your life into His hand. He is a loving and

caring Master. God is now declaring to men that all people

everywhere should repent (Acts 17:30).

Of course, this does not mean that you must stop sinning in

order to receive Gods gift of salvation. Salvation is the free

gift of forgiveness for that sin. However, you cannot come to

God with half of your heart. You must present your life to Him.

Repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15).


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Someone may say, Ill ask God for His forgiveness when I

clean up my life. This is the attitude of the Pharisee, someonewho is trying to earn his way to God by his own works. This is

not repentance but pride. As the Bible teaches, He saved us,

not on the basis of deeds which we have done in

righteousness, but according to His mercy (Titus 3:5).

Someone else may correctly say, I have no way to clean up my

sinful practices, but I am willing to give my sin and all of myself

to Him and plead for His forgiveness. This person has the

right attitude. They realize they have no way to earn Gods

forgiveness but they are not holding tight to their life or their

sin. They come with hands open, not with clenched fists

holding on to a pet sin. You could think of it this way. You do

not stop sinning to earn Gods favorbut you must put your

sin on the table as you plead with God and ask Him not only

to forgive you but also to take your sin from you.

Do you believe in Jesus? Have you repented of your sin? If you

believe and are ready to give your life to Jesus please call upon

Him today! Whoeverwill call upon the name of the Lord will

be saved (Romans 10:13). He will save a heart that cries for

mercy. Some have just cried God be merciful to me a

sinner. Others have prayed sincerely something like this:

Dear God, I know that I have sinned. I have done things

that grieve You and have disobeyed Your commands. I

know that I deserve punishment for my sin. Thank you for

sending Jesus to die in my place. I believe He died and rose

again in order to pay the penalty for my sin. Please forgive

me and cleanse me from my sin. I give you my whole future

and life. Please save me now because of Jesus. Amen.


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For by grace you have been saved through faith; and thatnot of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of

works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten

Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have

eternal life (John 3:16).

That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and

believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,

you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes,

resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he

confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

And the testimony is this,that God has given us eternal

life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the

life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have

the life (1 John 10:11-12).

God wants to give you lifeeternal life. That life is enjoying

the pleasures that are in His presence forever.

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your

presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are

pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11).

CONCLUSION

This is Gods story. He made you to enjoy Him. Sin has

separated you from that enjoyment. The more you try to

delight yourself in things other than God, the moredisillusioned you will be with life. Your deepest thirst in life

will only be satisfied when you enjoy again the relationship

you were made to lovea right relationship with God through


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His Son, Jesus Christ. Wont you believe the Gospel today?

Once you come to God through Jesus Christ, accepting Him

and Him alone, you will enjoy the communion that Adam and

Eve had in the cool of the daysweet harmony and fellowship

with the Father. And that enjoyment will last not just in this

lifetime. It will be an everlasting enjoyment that will only

intensify and reach its culmination in heaven. The relationship

of knowing God that begins with initial faith only grows into

an abundant, joyful, and eternal life existence.

"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true

God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3).


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1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

You earn your salvation by good works (Ephesians 2:9):

True / False.

2.

What are the two conditions of the heart that must be met

before someone is saved?

3.

Which is a good picture of repentance?

a)

Cleaning up your life so God will save you.

b) Turning from your sin by putting all your sinful

desires "on the table" and asking God to take them

from you.

c)

Going to a confession booth and talking with a

human.

4.

How is trusting in Jesus (faith) like putting on a parachute?



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Letsend this booklet with an illustration of a different kind

of rescue. This will highlight not only the joys of accepting

the Gospel message but also the urgent nature of belief.God commands everyone today to repent and believe the

good news of Jesus.

You are hanging outside the window of the sixth floor of a

burning building. The rusty shutter you are clinging to is

slowly swinging in the breeze and your hands are burning

with the intense heat of the wall while flames leap out of

the gaping window.

A story from the NY Times archives recounts a three-alarm

fire in a six-story livery and boarding stables at Madison

and E. 66thstreet in the early 1900s. The firefighters had

secured the safety of hundreds of horses from the

buildings when the fire chief looked up and saw a man in

the sixth floor window. They beckoned the man out of the

window and pleaded with him not to jump so they could do

their best to reach him.

As Tony Shultz waited for rescue he had to climb out the

window and hold on to the shutter. The witnesses said that

the shutter swayed in the breeze as Tonys life hung in the

balance between being burnt by the flames or succumbing

to the six story drop. Fire Lieutenant Jacob Levy and

Fireman Frank Winterick charged up the tallest extension

SIDE LIGHT: A Burning Building


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ladder they had which only reached to the fourth floor.

With two additional scaling ladders they were able to reach

Tony and slowly bring him down to safety.

I wish you would think of yourself as holding on to that

shutter suspended in mid-air. You hear the roaring fire

inside and feel the intense heat emanating from the bricks.

The firemen have finally reached you (That is good news!),

but you must reach out and grab the escape provided for

you. You have to transfer your trust from the building to

the ladder.

Your life is a burning building. You cannot hang on to self-

destruction. The ladder of the Gospel has been placed at

the window of your heart. Your life is burning up. You

cannot trust in the burning building one moment more or

you will be swallowed up in eternal wrath. You have

listened to the Gospel. Jesus died to pay for your sinfor

your sin. Do you believe Him? Do you trust Him?

If you are still trusting in the crumbling building of your

own self-righteousness, then you are not trusting in Jesus.

Man-made religion and good works are all your own way.

They are a burning building. If you are trying to trust in

them and Jesus then you are hanging in the air with one

hand on the escape provided and one hand on your own

wayyou will fall to your destruction! You must turn your

life entirely up to Him. You must make this critical choice.

I beg you, as a family member watching you suspended in

mid-air with one hand grasping the burning building andthe other hand grasping the ladderlet go of your own

way. Trust in Jesus and Him alone today. He will rescue

you! Would you call on Him now?


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Confess to Him, Lord I am no longer going to trust in the

way I had devised. Whether your trust has been inpersonal goodness through manmade religion, or you

considered yourself a good person, either way you will fall.

Confess in your heart that you know only Jesus obeyed God

perfectly and only His sacrifice is enough. He will rescue

you.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the

right to become children of God, even to those who

believe in His name (John 1:12).

Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of

the world (John 1:29)!


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What are L.I.F.E. Groups?

In the blueprint for church ministry found in Ephesians 4, God

explains that He gives church

leaders who will equip each

individual in the church to do the

work of building others up. Look

at three primary principles from

this passage:

LovingIn the Ephesians 4 blueprint, all building that is done

is done through people who are speaking the truth in love.

Love is the great greenhouse of the church. Our motivation in

these groups should not be selfish. We must strive for another

person's spiritual maturity.

IndividualsIn the blueprint found in Ephesians 4, the

spiritually maturing church is one where each joint in the body

is functioning properly. We are like a clock filled with cogs,

gears, and other intricate moving parts. Each part in that clock

must be working properly for the goal to be reached. You are

needed in this clockworkyou are needed in God's blueprint

for church ministry!

Furthering EdificationIn

the blueprint in Ephesians 4,

God shares His goal for

church ministrythat we

are all building each other

up to be more like Christ.

We are to think, act and live like Jesus. So the end goal is that

each person will be more like Jesus through meeting together

around God's Word.


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Documents

Do You Know God - LIFE Groups studies, Beginning Series