Instead, Part 4: Divided
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, February 1, 2017
S ev eral years ago in Timisoara, Romania, Laszlo Tokes
became pastor of Timisoara’s small H ungarian Reformed
C hurch. Tokes preached the G ospel boldly , and w ithin tw o years
membership had sw elled to fiv e thousand.
But success can be dangerous in a C ommunist country.
A uthorities stationed police officers in front of the church on
S unday s, cradling machine guns. They hired thugs to attack
P astor Tokes. They confiscated his ration book so he couldn’t buy food or fuel.
F inally , in December 1989, they decided to send him into exile.
But w hen police arriv ed to hustle P astor Tokes aw ay , they w ere
stopped cold. A round the entrance of the church stood a w all of humanity .
M embers of other churches—Baptist, A dv entist, P entecostal, O rthodox,
C atholic—had joined together to protest.
Though police tried to disperse the crow d, the people held their post all
day and into the night. Then, just after midnight, a 19-y ear-old Baptist student
named Daniel G av ra pulled out a packet of candles. H e lit one and passed it to
his neighbor.
When Tokes peered out the w indow , he w as struck by the w arm glow
reflecting off hundreds of faces. That moment, he said later, w as the “turning
point in my life.” H is religious prejudices ev aporated. H ere w ere members of the
body of C hrist, completely disregarding denominational div isions, joining hands
in his defense.
It w as a mov ing testimony to C hristian unity . The crow d stay ed all
through the night—and the next night. F inally police broke through. They
bashed in the church door, bloodied P astor Tokes’ face, and then paraded him
and his w ife through the crow d and out into the night.
But that w as not the end. N o, the religious protest led—as it alw ay s
does—to political protest. The people streamed to the city square and began a
full-scale demonstration against the C ommunist gov ernment. A gain Daniel
passed out his candles.
F irst they had burned for C hristian unity ; now they burned for freedom.
This w as more than the gov ernment could tolerate. They brought in
troops and ordered them to open fire on the crow d. H undreds w ere shot. Young
Daniel felt a searing pain as his leg w as blow n off. But the people of Timisoara
stood brav ely against the barrage of bullets.
A nd by their example they inspired the entire population of Romania.
Within day s the nation had risen up and the bloody dictator C eausescu w as
gone. F or the first time in half a century , Romanians celebrated C hristmas in
freedom.
Daniel celebrated in the hospital, w here he w as learning to w alk w ith
crutches. H is pastor came to offer sy mpathy , but Daniel w asn’t looking for
sy mpathy .
“P astor, I don’t mind so much the loss of a leg,” he said. “A fter all, it
w as I w ho lit the first candle.”
The candle that lit up an entire country . With a candle, a nineteeny ear-old boy sparked a rev olution that is still being felt today . Romania is a free
country thanks to the efforts of people like Daniel G av ra w ho w ere willing to put
their liv es on the line for the sake of the G ospel and for basic human rights.
You can make a difference w herev er y ou are if y ou are w illing to take a
stand. Don’t w ait for ev ery one else to do it. Be the first to light y our candle.
( H ot Illustr ations 1 .0 , A C andle In T he Dar kness)
(H old up candle) H ow far w ould y ou go to stand for y our faith? A ll in?
I.
A Divided H ear t
P salm 1 0 3 :1 = “Let all that I am praise the Lord;
w ith my w hole heart, I w ill praise H is holy name.” (N LT)
a.
b.
We A r e So A DD With Jesus
i. Do y ou hav e spiritual A DD (A ttention-deficit
disorder)? You alw ay s say y ou are w illing to follow
G od w ith all y our heart and then… “butterfly ” (w e
get distracted).
ii. Dev os, pray er time, regular attendance at w orship,
telling my friends about Jesus…
We A ll Suffer Fr om Spir itual A mnesia
i. N o matter w hat G od does for us or how close w e get
to H im (like at S ummer C amp or Winter Retreat)
ii. We are so forgetful. C ommitment?
iii. We need a deeper understanding of this passage:
1. “Let all that I am…” = A ll!
2. “With my w hole heart…” = N ot just part!
II.
A Wholehear ted Life
a. T he Benefits O f Wholehear tedness
i. A n entire experience (complete)
1. Think about it… Who does G od rev eal
H imself to? = those w ho w ant a deeper
intimacy , w ith a w hole heart
a. Bring ev ery crack and corner of
their soul into the relationship
2. We giv e ourselv es more fully to those w ho
hav e giv en themselv es more fully to us =
G od has!
3. Bless H im because H e is the source of all
blessings = “Bless the Lord, O my soul; A nd
all that is w ithin me, bless H is holy name!”
(P salm 103:1, N KJV )
4. A w hole heart receiv es a w hole experience
of G od… don’t miss out on all of G od!
ii. A real relationship
1. C omplete inv estment of our soul
2. Throw ing ev ery thing into the relationship
3. S o much more than some guy or girl or
group or sport or w hatev er…
iii. A rew arding resolv e
1. Resolv e to inv est everything (every impulse
of y our heart) into seeking H im
2. “Lov e the Lord y our G od w ith all y our heart
and w ith all y our soul and w ith all y our
mind.” (M atthew 22:37 N IV )
M ake this our pray er = “Lord, my heart is easily div ided and scattered among
other interests. A nd You ev en support our interests, but not w hen they
ov ershadow You. H elp me seek You abov e all else – and enjoy You abov e all
else.” (P ray er from H is P resence dev o, July 27th)
b.
T he M eaning O f Going “A ll In”
i. A lw ay s H is w ill before my ow n
ii. Lov ing like H e w ould / does
iii. Lifesty le change, not just behav ior modification
iv. Intentionally praising G od (P salm 103:1)
v. N ev er looking back… the past is done!
C losing V ideo = “A ll In” (C onnect The Dot/Yancy M inistries, 1:08)
FBSM Small Group Leader Guide
Date: Wednesday , February 1, 2017
Review: Psalm 103:1 = “Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.” (NLT)
React: Are y ou “all in”? If not, what is k eeping y ou from giv ing God
y our undiv ided heart and attention tonight? Share openly .
Relate: Share personal pray er requests with one another (as a whole
group or break off into small groups of 2 or 3). Close pray er and
accountability time as a whole group.
Leader’s Notes:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
S o, are y ou all in? Ready to start liv ing w holehearted IN S TE A D of div ided?
__________________________________________________________
A lbertv ille F irst Baptist C hurch - A lbertv illeF BC .org - Justin Worden © 2017
__________________________________________________________
II.
A _________________________________ Life
a.
T he ______________________ O f Wholeheartedness
·
A n entire ______________________________
o
·
A real ________________________________
·
A rew arding ________________________
Instead, Part 4: Divided
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, February 1, 2017
I.
A _________________________ H ear t
P salm 1 0 3 :1 = “Let all that I am praise the Lord;
w ith my w hole heart, I w ill praise H is holy name.” (N LT)
a.
We A r e So ___________ With Jesus
·
E v er get distracted like that?
b.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul…” (N KJV )
o
M atthew 22:37
o
“Lord, my heart is easily div ided and
scattered among other interests. A nd You
ev en support our interests, but not w hen
they ov ershadow You. H elp me seek You
abov e all else – and enjoy You abov e all
else.” (P ray er from Into H is P resence dev o,
July 27th)
T he M eaning O f “_________ _______”
·
A _______________ H is w ill before my own
·
L_______________ like H e w ould / does
·
L___________________ change, not just behav ior
modification
b.
We A ll Suffer From Spiritual _____________________
·
A re y ou forgetful? H ow ’s y our commitment?
·
“Let all that I am…”
·
“With my w hole heart…”
·
I______________________ praising G od
·
N ______________ looking back
C losing V ideo = “A ll In” (C onnect The Dot/Yancy M inistries, 1:08)
A re y ou ready to start liv ing w holehearted IN S TE A D of div ided?
passages in the Bible tells of a day w hen many w ho consider themselv es to be
follow ers of Jesus w ill be stunned to find out that he doesn’t ev en recognize
them. Jesus describes a day w hen ev eryone w ho has ev er lived w ill stand before
G od. O n that day many who call themselv es C hristians and identify themselv es
as follow ers w ill stand confidently in front of Jesus only to hear him say , “I
nev er knew y ou. A w ay from me.” To be clear, that’s not my opinion or my
interpretation; that is w hat Jesus has said w ill happen.” (Taken from N ot a F an
Daily Dev otional by Ky le Idleman)
M atthew 7 :2 1 -2 3 = “N ot ev ery one w ho calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ w ill
enter the Kingdom of H eav en. Only those who actually do the w ill of my F ather
in heav en w ill enter. 22 O n judgment day many w ill say to me, ‘Lord! Lord!
We prophesied in y our name and cast out demons in y our name and
performed many miracles in y our name.’ 23 But I w ill reply , ‘I nev er knew y ou.
G et aw ay from me, y ou w ho break G od’s law s.’” (N LT)
b.
Instead, Part 3: Following
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, January 25, 2017
During our last part we talk ed about the difficult truth of the sin in our
liv es and how we allow it to tak e our ey es off our v ictory . I want to tak e
it a step farther and encourage us to really follow Jesus tonight!
V ideo = “N ot A F an by Ky le Idleman” (3:56)
https://w w w .y outube.com/w atch?v =eV Xs0v kQ N v c
iv. S o, is this y ou? H onestly ! A re w e going to settle for
just being a y outh group full of Jesus-fans or are w e
going to take serious this Bible and become Jesusfollow ers?
V ideo = “F an or F ollow er” (4:19)
https://w w w .y outube.com/w atch?v =tiB6tC iV fu4
I.
T he M ost Impor tant Q uestion
a. A r e Y ou A Follower O f Jesus?
i. S imple, easy question, right? Really ??
“I know . You’v e been asked this question before. Because it’s so
familiar there is a tendency to dismiss it. N ot because it makes y ou
uncomfortable. N ot because it’s especially conv icting. The question is dismissed
mostly because it feels redundant and unnecessary . You recognize that this is
an important question for many to consider, but for y ou? Well, it’s like w alking
into a Boston pub and asking, “Who cheers for the Red S ox?” It’s an important
question, but y ou’re so sure of y our answ er, y our mind quickly dismisses it. But
before y ou mov e on too quickly , let me clarify w hat I am not asking. I am not
asking if y ou go to church or if y our parents and grandparents are C hristians. I
am not asking if y ou raised y our hand at the end of a sermon or repeated a
pray er after a preacher. I am not asking if y ou spent y our summers at V BS
and/or church camp, hav e ever w orn “witness w ear,” or understand phrases like
“trav eling mercies” and “sw ord drill.”
M any of us are quick to say , “Yes, I’m a follow er of Jesus,” but I’m not
sure w e really understand w hat w e are say ing. O ne of the most sobering
Not A Fan
i. It’s a book, a dev o, a study , a mov ie, a teen edition
study , and a mov ement… (pic on screen)
ii. A fan = “an enthusiastic admirer”
iii. M eet the author, Ky le Idleman…
II.
T he M ost C ommon “C hr istian”
a. Being A Fan
i. I grew up learning to be a fan of Jesus… go to
church, make friends w ith “those people”, learn the
songs and how to act at church, but then leav e and
do w hatev er y ou w ant
ii. Let me be real… I remember Wednesday nights in
high school going to church (raising my hands in
w orship and looking like I w as “on fire” for Jesus),
but then heading home (w hile stopping on the w ay
and making out w ith my girlfriend in the backseat of
her car)
iii. P utting on the face… play ing the game
iv. H earing G od’s Word preached at me, but nev er
listening to G od’s Word as it transformed me
v. H ow to be a fan:
1. S how up (face on)
b.
2. M odify behav ior (no transformation?)
3. Leav e it there (no homew ork, no change)
Not Being A Follower
i. It is so much easier to not be a follow er of Jesus.
H ow ? Just be a follow er of someone/something else!
ii. Who or w hat are y ou follow ing? (F ollow button for
y our life? = follow pic on screen)
1. S ocial media trends?
2. That “aw esome” friend/teammate/star
3. Yourself… w hat y ou think is best for y ou
4. S ociety = be the person “they ” w ant y ou to
be (w ho are “they ” any w ay ?)
5. Religion = the do’s and don’ts from G od
(nothing personal about it)
FBSM Small Group Leader Guide
“Jesus never asked us to sit on the sidelines and cheer for H is cause.” (G roeschel)
III.
T he M ost Radical Lifestyle
a. A Life O f Following…
i. If y ou are ready to go deep and get real… to follow ,
here’s how Jesus say s w e do that:
M atthew 16:24-25 = “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of y ou w ants
to be my follow er, y ou must giv e up y our ow n w ay , take up y our cross, and
follow me. 25 If y ou try to hang on to y our life, y ou w ill lose it. But if y ou giv e
up y our life for my sake, y ou w ill sav e it.” (N LT)
ii.
b.
Let’s break it dow n in simplified steps:
1. Give Up = “y ou must giv e up y our ow n
w ay ” (no more fitting G od into my agenda,
it is actually finding out w hat H e w ants for
my life and going for it…)
2. T ake Up = “take up y our cross (daily )” (did
not mean taking up y our burdens = “that’s
just my cross to bear”, no, the cross meant
torture and death, w illing to “die to self” in
order to follow H im, absolute surrender!)
3. Let Up = “If y ou try to hang on to y our life,
y ou w ill lose it” (let go and let G od, trust
y our life in H is hands, let H im hav e control,
let up control of y our life, control freak!)
…No M atter What
i. Truly follow ing Jesus is not easy , but it is so w orth
it… because I follow H im now , my life has more
meaning and purpose than ev er before!
ii. Be a follow er of Jesus IN S TE A D of just a fan!
A lbertv ille F irst Baptist C hurch - A lbertv illeF BC .org - Justin Worden © 2017
Date: Wednesday , January 25, 2017
Review: M atthew 7 :2 3 = “But I w ill reply , ‘I nev er knew y ou.
G et aw ay from me, y ou w ho break G od’s law s.’” (N LT)
React: By show of hands (be honest), are y ou more of a fan of Jesus or
a follower of Jesus? Why or why not? Explain & discuss.
Relate: Share pray er requests with one another (as a whole group or
break off into small groups of 2 or 3). Close pray er and accountability
time as a whole group.
Leader’s Notes:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
II.
T he M ost C ommon “______________________”
a.
Being A _____________
·
b.
Instead, Part 3: Following
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, January 25, 2017
V ideo = “F an or F ollow er” (4:19)
https://w w w .y outube.com/w atch?v =tiB6tC iV fu4
I.
T he M ost ___________________________ Q uestion
a.
A r e Y ou A _______________________ O f Jesus?
M atthew 7 :2 1 -2 3 = “N ot ev ery one w ho calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ w ill
enter the Kingdom of H eav en. Only those who actually do the w ill of my F ather
in heav en w ill enter. 22 O n judgment day many w ill say to me, ‘Lord! Lord!
We prophesied in y our name and cast out demons in y our name and
performed many miracles in y our name.’ 23 But I w ill reply , ‘I nev er knew y ou.
G et aw ay from me, y ou w ho break G od’s law s.’” (N LT)
b.
III.
o
S how up
o
M odify behav ior
o
Leav e it there
_________ Being A Follower
·
Who or w hat are y ou follow ing?
·
“Jesus nev er asked us to sit on the sidelines and
cheer for H is cause.” (C raig G roeschel)
T he M ost ____________________ Lifestyle
a.
A Life O f __________________________...
M atthew 16:24-25 = “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of y ou w ants
to be my follow er, y ou must giv e up y our ow n w ay , take up y our cross, and
follow me. 25 If y ou try to hang on to y our life, y ou w ill lose it. But if y ou giv e
up y our life for my sake, y ou w ill sav e it.” (N LT)
Not A ______________
V ideo = “N ot A Fan by Kyle Idleman” (3:56)
https://w w w .youtube.com/watch?v=eVXs0vkQNvc
H ow to be a fan:
b.
·
__________ up
·
__________ up
·
__________ up
…No M atter _______________
iii.
F it in at church / w ith G od? The hard truth/reality =
w e are contrary to G od’s character and out of line
w ith H im!
1. N ot too late to become unfit for a sinful
w orld and fit for the Kingdom of G od…
2. H ow , y ou ask?
Proverbs 8:17 = “I lov e all who lov e me.
Those who search will surely find me.” (NLT)
II.
Instead, Part 2: Sin
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Confession time = please raise y our hand if y ou are a sinner.
I.
O ur Fatal Fact
a. T he Wor st News O f A ll!
i. The w orst new s of all… sin = death!
ii. N o w ay around it… w ith sin in y our life, y ou are
bound for death. E v ery one dies. We hav e all lost
lov ed ones, experienced death personally …
iii. F act = w e are all sinners and destined for H ell
(w ithout C hrist).
iv. “S in” defined = “immorality , ev il, w rong-doing”
1. Romans 3:23 & 6:23
2. But… that’s all before Jesus came for y ou…
V ideo = “You’ll Be O kay : You Will Walk A w ay ” (2:01)
https://y outu.be/xI0sS uw 1TF I
3.
v.
b.
Wher e
i.
ii.
“Because I liv e, y ou also w ill liv e.” (John
14:19 N IV )
4. H e is the resurrection/life… fear not!
Imagine life as a “C hristian” w ithout Jesus coming to
earth as H e did… O ld Testament / sacrificial sy stem?
Do Y ou Fit In?
“F itting in” / “G etting fit” = M en’s H ealth magazine
E xercises, try ing to get fit… w e are all try ing to fit in
(at home, w ith friends, at school, in sports/activ ities)
O ur For mer Futility
a. O n T he C r oss
i. The C ross = w here all our former futility (ev ery bit of
us being a sinner) w as redeemed
ii. S acrificial Lamb cleansed us
iii. P ut us on the path of discipleship
b. In T he M iddle
i. Lacking perspectiv e = read the first tw o chapters and
last tw o chapters of the Bible…
ii. G enesis 1-2 & Rev elation 21-22 = pictures of
perfection, from pardise to paradise, from the
G arden of E den to the city of G od, from the dust of
the earth to the bride of C hrist
iii. G enesis 3 – Rev elation 20 = the holiness of G od and
our sin problem!
1. O ur origin and our destiny are of G od… sin
is just in the w ay
c. Way Down Deep
i. It is a temporal sin-problem… You can still grow
deep w ith y our C reator and Redeemer.
ii. H old up plant = in order to surv iv e this needs food
(w ater), energy (the sun), and protection! Like us!
iii. “A s a plant stretches tow ard the sunlight, let y our life
grow tow ard H is w isdom. O pen up before H im, and
let y ourself lov e H is ways.” (Worship the King dev o,
M ay 6th)
1. H ow deep are y ou going in y our relationship
w ith G od? Just below the surface? M ay be
because y our sin is in the w ay .
2. Like last w eek, y ou are still w alking in y our
defeat, instead of H is v ictory !
iv. P op quiz = H ow ’s y our tolerance for the sin in y our
life? Below average / av erage / abov e av erage? (by
show of hands, students share)
III.
O ur Futur e Fr eedom
a. A Wake Up C all
i. The “Instead” life = liv ing life bey ond these stuipd
sins that y ou hav e become too acustom to, pursue
H is w isdom in ev ery little thing y ou do
ii. You are dead to y our sin, aliv e in C hrist! Wake up!
iii. There’s alw ay s a w ay out, if y ou’ll only seek H im
fully !
b. No M or e Excuses
If y ou think driv ers come up w ith some unbeliev able excuses w hen
they ’re try ing to talk a cop out of giv ing them a ticket, y ou should see the
stories that turn up on insurance companies’ accident forms. S ome time ago The
Toronto S un new spaper printed a few samples from actual reports:
“A pedestrian hit me and w ent under my car.” “In my attempt to kill a
fly , I drov e into a telephone pole.” “I had been driv ing my car for forty y ears
w hen I fell asleep at the w heel and had an accident.” “I had been shopping all
day for plants and w as on my w ay home. A s I reached an intersection, a hedge
sprang up, obscuring my v ision. I did not see the other car.” “The pedestrian
had no idea w hich direction to go, so I ran ov er him.” “The telephone pole w as
approaching fast. I w as attempting to sw erv e out of its path w hen it struck my
front end.” “C oming home, I drov e into the w rong house and collided w ith a
tree I don’t hav e.” “The guy w as all ov er the road. I had to sw erv e a number of
times before I hit him.” “M y car w as legally parked as it backed into the other
v ehicle.” “A n inv isible car came out of now here, struck my v ehicle, and
v anished.” “The indirect cause of this accident w as a little guy in a small car
w ith a big mouth.”
M ost of us mess up in life and w e also hav e some pretty lame excuses.
But the Bible tells us in 1 John 1:9, “If w e confess our sins, [G od] is faithful and
just and w ill forgiv e us our sins and purify us from unrighteousness…” That’s an
incredible promise. = A re y ou asking G od: “P lease excuse me” or “please forgive
me”? ( H ot Illustr ations 1 .0 , “Excuse M e” or “For give M e”?)
c.
Instead, Seek God
i. H ow to seek G od? Really ?
1. P ray (more than just asking for fav ors)
2. Read the Bible (more than just looking for
answ ers… desire H is Word)
3. S hare (if H e’s really set y ou free from y our
sin, w hy not help set others free too?)
ii. H e just w ants to take y ou w here y ou are and bring
y ou to w here H e know s y ou belong… using y our
story (y our mess) to help y ou liv e IN S TE A D.
FBSM Small Group Leader Guide
Date: Wednesday , January 11, 2017
Review: Proverbs 8:17 = “I lov e all who lov e me.
Those who search will surely find me.” (NLT)
React: Welcome back to our regular small groups! How can y ou liv e
y our life bey ond the stupid sins y ou hav e struggled with and become so
accustom to? Giv e examples of how to ov ercome y our sin.
Relate: Share personal pray er requests with one another (as a whole
group or break off into small groups of 2 or 3). Close pray er and
accountability time as a whole group.
Leader’s Notes:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
V ideo = “O ur S tories” (James G rocho, 1:55)
__________________________________________________________
O ur sin, our shame finds renew al in one N ame… Jesus! Liv e renew ed, instead!
__________________________________________________________
A lbertv ille F irst Baptist C hurch - A lbertv illeF BC .org - Justin Worden © 2017
__________________________________________________________
II.
O ur For mer _______________________
a.
O n T he __________________
b.
In T he _____________________
·
c.
Instead, Part 2: Sin
Way Down _________________
·
“A s a plant stretches tow ard the sunlight, let y our life
grow tow ard H is w isdom. Open up before H im, and
let y ourself lov e H is ways.” (Worship the King dev o)
·
H ow ’s y our tolerance for the sin in y our life?
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, January 11, 2017
I.
G enesis 1-2 & Rev elation 21-22
O ur _________________ Fact
a.
T he _________________ _______________ O f A ll!
·
S in alw ay s leads to death!
·
S in defined = “immorality , ev il, w rong-doing”
III.
O ur __________________ Fr eedom
a.
·
V ideo = “You’ll Be O kay : You Will Walk A w ay ” (2:01)
https://y outu.be/xI0sS uw 1TF I
·
b.
John 14:19
Wher e Do Y ou _____________ In?
Proverbs 8:17 = “I lov e all who lov e me.
Those who search will surely find me.” (NLT)
·
U nfit for a sinful w orld / fit for the Kingdom of G od
A _____________ ______ C all
Dead to sin, aliv e in C hrist!
b.
No M or e _______________________
c.
Instead, _______________ ____________
1. ____________
2. ____________
3. ____________
V ideo = “O ur S tories” (James G rocho, 1:55)
ii. N ine-foot tall giant
iii. Taunting the armies of Israel (people of G od)
iv. They had G od on their side (but they w ere
intimidated)…
v. H e w as huge… G od is bigger!
v i. G od’s reputation w as at stake
v ii. The army ’s fear did not honor G od, The enemy occupied P romised Land did not honor G od, The
gorilla of G ath did not honor G od
v iii. S omething had to be done! = Dav id steps up:
1 Samuel 1 7 :4 7 = “A nd ev ery one assembled here w ill know that the Lord
rescues his people, but not w ith sw ord and spear. This is the Lord’s battle,
and he w ill giv e y ou to us!” (N LT)
b.
Instead, Part 1: Battles
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, January 4, 2017
I.
II.
T he Instead Intr oduction
a. A r e Y ou A n “Instead” Kind O f P er son?
i. Defined = “in place of, alternativ e, substitute,
replacement”
ii. It’s about time w e acted like instead kind of people
iii. C hristian people are instead kind of people
iv. This new series (this new y ear) w as inspired by all
G od has taught me ov er the last few y ears and how
G od really empow ers us to liv e an upside-dow n kind
of life… opposite of w hat the w orld tells us:
1. Battles (our battles, H is v ictory )
2. S in (stop dw elling in y our sin, be free)
3. F ollow ing (be more than just a fan)
4. Div ided (Jesus needs our undiv ided heart)
5. S truggles (H e is stronger)
6. P ain (temporary pain, eternal v ictory )
7. Brokenness (break my heart for w hat
breaks Yours, G od)
8. Repentance (180* change… repent!)
b. What Would H appen Instead?
i. What w ould life (y our family , your relationships, y our
struggles, y our school, this church, this nation) be
like if w e w alking in G od’s v ictory instead of defeat?
T he Instead Kind O f God
a. H e Loves T aking T he Impossible…
i. Take one of the greatest and most unlikely battles in
all of the Bible = Dav id and G oliath:
…A nd M aking It P ossible
i. This w as a G od-centered v ictory , but it can only be
w on if y ou suit up & get in the fight
V ideo = “Bill H y bels - Dav id & G oliath” (3:37)
https://w w w .y outube.com/w atch?v =M YxjDsRKO uw
c.
III.
What “Goliaths” A r e Y ou Fighting?
i. What “G oliaths” are y ou facing right now ?
ii. E xamples during Winter Retreat = Dy lan (struggle
w ith anger), S ouzana/Kenzie (struggle w ith
unforgiv eness), N athan/Jordan (struggle w ith
priorities), E than/C olby /Trev or (struggle w ith
know ing more about G od), etc…
iii. H av e the courage of Dav id and the v ictory of C hrist!
1. G od has chosen us… equipped us
(guaranteed v ictory )
2. The battle is the Lord’s, but the army is us!
3. The v ictory is already ours too!
T he Instead O f Y our Battle
a. V ictor Not V ictim
i. Be honest, y ou and I claim to hav e Jesus in our
hearts and be on the side of G od, but w e still w alk
around as defeated!
ii. Why act like a v ictim w hen G od is in control
(alw ay s)? Why ? (S tudents share)
iii. S top w alking in shame and defeat, y ou are a v ictor!
S atan w ants y ou to think y ou are a v ictim, but last
time I checked, G od is WA Y BIG G E R than S atan!
b.
·
·
·
·
·
iv. C hris Tiegreen = “G oliath is an appropriate image for
S atan – big, noisy , intimidating… and doomed.”
(Worship the King dev o, 2/6)
V ictor y O ver Defeat
i. We’re the only army G od has redeemed for serv ice
ii. Take Dav id’s adv ice, pick up those fiv e smooth
stones… they each represented something:
C OURAGE - David was not afraid to face the enemy . "Don't w orry
about a thing," David told Saul. "I'll go fight this Philistine!" (1 S amuel
17:32 N LT) It also takes courage to fight the giants y ou w ill face in
y our life.
C ONFIDENCE - A s a shepherd, David often had to protect the sheep
from w ild animals. This gave him the confidence he needed to face the
giant. "The LORD who saved me from the claw s of the lion and the
bear w ill save me from this P hilistine!" (1 S amuel 17:37 N LT) Like
David, you can have confidence that God will help you ov ercome the
problems y ou face each day .
P REPARATION - David didn't go to face the giant unprepared. He went
dow n to the stream and picked out five smooth stones and put them
in his shepherd's bag. Then, armed with his shepherd's staff and sling,
he started out to fight G oliath. (1 S amuel 17:40 N LT) It is important
for y ou to do everything possible to be certain y ou are prepared to
face the challenges w hich y ou w ill meet in y our daily life.
TRU ST - David did not trust in his own ability to slay the giant. When
G oliath shouted at David, cursed him, and was ready to kill him, David
said, "You come to me with a sword and spear, but I come to y ou in
the name of the LORD God Almighty." (1 S amuel 17:45 N LT) When
y ou face problems, put y our trust in G od, not in y our ow n ability .
V ICTORY - "It is G od's battle, not ours," David said. That is why David
w as able to win the victory over the giant with only a stone and sling.
(1 S amuel 17:50 N LT) When you turn your battles ov er to G od, y ou
w ill hav e the v ictory ov er the giants in y our life.
c.
Why God Does What H e Does…
i. H av e y ou ev er stopped to think about w hy G od
created the w orld like H e did? If H e w ould hav e just
created a perfect w orld, H e w ould hav e been able to
demonstrate H is pow er, H is w isdom, H is purity , H is
creativ ity – all of H is attributes. A ll, except one that
is. H is mercy . A nd so, H e chooses to use our
brokenness and our messes and our battles to rev eal
H is mercy .
1. M ark 2:17 = “I hav e not come to call the
righteous, but sinners.” (N IV )
Like H im, let’s begin this y ear by looking at the “instead” of ev ery situation!
Instead of defeat, w ould y ou w alk in v ictory tonight? H E is y our v ictory !
A lbertv ille F irst Baptist C hurch - A lbertv illeF BC .org - Justin Worden © 2017
FBSM Small Group Leader Guide
Date: Wednesday , January 4, 2017
Review: 1 Samuel 1 7:47 = “A nd ev ery one assembled here w ill know that
the Lord rescues his people, but not w ith sw ord and spear. This is the Lord’s
battle, and he w ill giv e y ou to us!” (N LT)
React: Name the battles y ou are facing right now. Now, how can the
Lord get y our through these battles v ictoriously ?
Relate: Share New Year’s resolutions and pray er requests with one
another (as a whole group or break off into small groups of 2 or 3).
Close pray er and accountability time as a whole group.
Leader’s Notes:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
II.
T he Instead Kind O f ______________
a.
H e Loves Taking The ________________________ …
1 Samuel 1 7 :4 7 = “A nd ev ery one assembled here w ill know that the Lord
rescues his people, but not w ith sw ord and spear. This is the Lord’s battle,
and he w ill giv e y ou to us!” (N LT)
b.
Instead, Part 1: Battles
V ideo = “Bill H y bels - Dav id & G oliath” (3:37)
https://w w w .y outube.com/w atch?v =M YxjDsRKO uw
First Baptist Student Ministry - Wednesday, January 4, 2017
I.
c.
T he ____________________ Intr oduction
a.
b.
“In place of, alternativ e, substitute, replacement”
·
Instead series:
·
Battles (our battles, H is v ictory )
·
S in (stop dw elling in y our sin, be free)
·
F ollow ing (be more than just a fan)
·
Div ided (Jesus needs our undiv ided heart)
·
S truggles (H e is stronger)
·
P ain (temporary pain, eternal v ictory )
·
Brokenness (break my heart for w hat breaks Yours)
·
Repentance (180* change… repent!)
_____________ Would H appen Instead?
What “___________________” A r e Y ou Fighting?
·
A r e Y ou A n “Instead” ___________ O f P er son?
·
… A nd M aking It _______________________
III.
H av e the courage of Dav id & the v ictory of C hrist!
T he Instead O f Y our ____________________
a.
___________________ Not ___________________
b.
_____________________ O ver _________________
·
5 smooth stones = ___________________________
___________________________________________
c.
____________ God Does What H e Does…
·
M ark 2:17