{"id":1350,"date":"2014-11-14T20:54:54","date_gmt":"2014-11-15T04:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/?p=1350"},"modified":"2014-11-14T20:54:54","modified_gmt":"2014-11-15T04:54:54","slug":"week-nine-book-notes-beholding-god-and-our-christian-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/?p=1350","title":{"rendered":"Week Nine \u2013 Book Notes Beholding God and Our Christian Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week Nine \u2013 Book Notes Beholding God and Our Christian Service <\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction:<\/p>\n

The story of Amy Carmichael is told and ends with this quote \u201cComrades, in this solemn fight, this awful conflict with awful powers, let us settle it as something that cannot be shaken. \u00a0We are here to live holy, loving, lowly lives.\u00a0 We cannot do this unless we walk very, very close to our Lord Jesus. \u00a0Anything that would hinder us from the closest walk that is possible to us, \u2018til we see Him face to face, is not for us<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the week we consider the impact of how we serve Him. \u00a0Only by examining the life of Jesus can we deepen our understanding of the commitment that a servant of God makes to his Maker.\u00a0 And we will see how an ever-increasing understanding of God\u2019s greatness has the potential to impact how we serve Him.<\/p>\n

I Peter 4:11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Day One<\/strong>:\u00a0 The Unequaled Rule of God Who our Master is will determine how we serve Him.<\/p>\n

What to the verses listed below tell up about God\u2019s right to rule?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Psalm 103:19<\/td>\n1 Timothy 6:15<\/td>\nPsalm 24:1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Colossians 1:16-17<\/td>\nRomans 11:36<\/td>\nIsaiah 40:23-24<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Daniel 7:13-14<\/td>\nPsalm 93:1-2<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Day Two<\/strong>: The Humility of God seen in the Service of the Son The best example of a servant life, built upon a full knowledge of the majesty of God, is the life of our Lord Jesus.<\/p>\n

Philippians 2:1-11<\/p>\n

A short break to look at Philippians 2 \u2013 it\u2019s too important to miss the opportunity to review it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have any encouragement from being united with Christ\u201d \u2013<\/p>\n

This is the first of four incentives that Paul uses to attempt to motivate the Philippian church towards humility and unity.\u00a0 By the way, the only time the coach gets up to prompt us on is when we are faced with a difficult challenge.\u00a0 In the case of getting a large group to work together, with these values, it is a tremendous challenge. In the case of the use of the word \u201cIf\u201d, Paul assumes that this is true.\u00a0 Perhaps a better rendering of this word would be \u201cSince\u00a0 \u201cSince you have the support of being drawn closer to one another because you are united in Christ.\u201d\u00a0 The blessing of being part of an encouraging body of believers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is any comfort from His love\u201d \u2013<\/p>\n

Since you have been ministered to because of the love of Christ.<\/p>\n

The blessing of the comforting love of Christ.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is any fellowship with the Spirit\u201d–<\/p>\n

If believer have the Holy Spirit living within you.<\/p>\n

The blessing of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cif any tenderness and compassion\u201d (implied towards other)<\/p>\n

The blessing of a nurturing Body of believers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThen make my joy complete\u201d\u2014Why would Paul only have partial joy without the following requests being followed?\u00a0 Because for Paul, he has joy when believers are obedient.\u00a0 This is how we would all be if we were able to have the mind of Christ. \u00a0There is no jealousy, no envy.\u00a0 When he sees the Christian life being what God intended it to be.\u00a0 What is it that Paul would like to see?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u201cby being like minded<\/span>\u201d–\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t mean they would all have to think exactly alike.\u00a0 One writer wrote, \u201csouls that beat together, in tune with Christ and each other\u201d.\u00a0 But there is no indication that this means that we should all be carbon copies of one unless it is that we aim to imitate Christ in our lives.\u00a0 The idea of this passage isn\u2019t that we all have the same mind, but we aim to have the same humble attitude.\u00a0 That attitude is to behave like Christ in terms of being willing to empty ourselves of our foolish pride and to have the same spirit that Paul will later explain was in Christ.<\/li>\n
  2. \u201chaving the same love<\/span>\u201d \u2013Once again, it\u2019s not that we all have love like the Pastor, but that we have the love as love has been taught to us by Christ, who\u2019s love took Him from the most wonderful place to the most awful place.<\/li>\n
  3. \u201cbeing one in spirit<\/span>\u201d\u2014Is this the union that we all sense that we have because each believer has the Holy Spirit residing within them?\u00a0 Or is it the focus of the idea that we are to portray the same spirit that we saw presented through Christ, as He lived His life in humility while on this earth.\u00a0 There are times we forget what Jesus told us to learn from Him.\u00a0 Matt. 11:28-30.\u00a0 \u201cLearn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.\u201d\u00a0 There are a lot of people in the modern church that would rather learn how to do miracles than how to be gentle and humble of heart.\u00a0 There are a lot of people in the church that would rather memorize Bible verses than learn to gentle and humble of heart.<\/li>\n
  4. \u201cand being one in purpose<\/span>\u201d\u2014If there is a battlefield in the churches today, most of the time the attackers and the attacked are both on the same side.\u00a0 We have forgotten the one purpose of the church.\u00a0 I can tell you this, if the church was left of the earth to glorify God, I personally think it could do that better in heaven.\u00a0 To worship God, well I think we\u2019ll do that better in heaven.\u00a0 Just about everything we can do here, we will do better in heaven.\u00a0 However, there will be no evangelization in heaven.\u00a0 The church is designed to help equip us for the work of the ministry.\u00a0 What is the work of the ministry?\u00a0 It is to share the Lord.\u00a0 Are we all going to be great evangelists?\u00a0 Of course not.\u00a0 Are we all supposed to do what we can to provide the support for the church to do the work, absolutely.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \u201cDo nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.\u201d \u201cbut in humility, consider others better than yourselves.\u201d \u2013 \u201cEach of you should not look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others.\u201d\u00a0 — Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus \u2013<\/p>\n

    Now comes the example of Christ<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Who, being in very nature God<\/strong> \u2013literally, this means \u201cexisting in the form of God\u201d.\u00a0 The tense of this verb implies that Jesus didn\u2019t previously exist in the form of God, but that His continual existence continued to be in the form of God.\u00a0 He did not all of a sudden, quit being in the form of God.\u00a0 He was, and continued to be the very nature of God.\u00a0 This verse tells us the very essence of Christ was the form of God.\u00a0 Who He really was deep down inside was God.\u00a0 However,\u00a0 He did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.\u00a0\u00a0 The idea of this portion of the verse is that although Jesus was on that level of being in very nature God, He did not consider it something which He would refuse to give up (if it was demanded of Him, as it was<\/em>\u2014implied<\/em>)<\/p>\n

    But He made Himself nothing<\/span> \u2013as the New American states, He emptied Himself<\/strong><\/span>. He willingly set aside something.\u00a0 What?\u00a0 The answer comes in the following verses.\u00a0 Taking on the form of a servant \u2013 This is an addition to what He was by nature, which was God.\u00a0 He adds to that nature of God by taking on the form of a servant by becoming like a human, although notice that He was different.\u00a0 He was \u201clike\u201d a human, but He was different because He didn\u2019t come into His humanity in the same manner as every other human.\u00a0 He came without the help of a human male.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t dismiss that He was God, instead He set aside all the rights and privileges that were inherent to having the nature of God, and picked up the role or position of servant.<\/p>\n

    And being found in appearance like a man<\/strong> <\/span>\u2013 although He was truly God, He took the next step.\u00a0 Each step is by Christ\u2019s own choice.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have to descend, and yet He did.\u00a0 He willingly takes the necessary act of humility because of what, His relationship with the Father.\u00a0 He humbled Himself —\u00a0 the only way that Christ was going to be humbled was if He willingly did it because there wasn\u2019t anyone who could force Him to do it.\u00a0 He willingly humbled Himself because it was the Father\u2019s plan for Him to do so.\u00a0 Could He have refused, yes and no.\u00a0 He could have because He is God and yet He couldn\u2019t have because He is God.\u00a0 As God, He has freewill but as God, He lives by a higher standard of being that is defined by who He is.\u00a0 This standard, that defines who He is, is what permits Him to do what He does.\u00a0 Turn to John 13:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Knowing that, He does this.<\/p>\n

    He became obedient to death, even death on a cross<\/span><\/span><\/strong>.\u2014Was Jesus committed to God the Father\u2019s program.\u00a0 He was, and He took it all the way to the cross.\u00a0 This was not a death by firing squad, which is hours of emotional pain and over in a one final loud ending.\u00a0 This was the death on the cross, you had the pain of the cross, and you had the public humiliation and you a long, drawn-out, slow death.\u00a0\u00a0 There never was any other plan for Jesus than to take this plan, His death on the cross, to the very end.<\/p>\n

    Therefore God highly exalted Him to the Highest place<\/strong><\/span>.\u2014Here we have one interesting aspect of what I like to call the economy of God.\u00a0 In God\u2019s bank, when you make a deposit, you get a return.\u00a0 Some might call this the Law of the Harvest.\u00a0 Jesus humbled Himself to please God, therefore God is pleased to exalt Jesus.\u00a0 The pattern in God\u2019s program seems to be, someone does something for God, and God does something for them.\u00a0 However, before you think that this is the prosperity gospel, know this:\u00a0 Jesus got His rewards in by please the Father.\u00a0 As Hebrews says, \u201cWho for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.<\/p>\n

    \u201dGave Him a name which is above every Name<\/strong><\/span>\u2014most likely, this is a title, such as Lord.\u00a0 In the Bible, you don\u2019t usually separate what a person is from their name.\u00a0 If they are a deceiver, then their name will reflect that aspect of their character.\u00a0 If they are the Father of a nation, then their name will reflect that.\u00a0 This is why God would often change the name of person when they are promised to come into something different, to signify that He has changed the person.\u00a0 With the case of Christ, it\u2019s not that Jesus changed but rather that God\u2019s decision to exalt Him changed how other people will relate to Him in the future.<\/p>\n

    Why would God give Jesus such a name?\u00a0 So that, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every shall bow, and every tongue confess<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 There is a purpose for God giving Jesus such a high name, so that the things that God values would be valued by all creation.\u00a0 Some people might say, Who is God that He should determine what is of value?\u00a0 People who think such thoughts have no concept of who God is or what He has done.\u00a0 Personally, this is why I think modern science is possessed with the effort to prove that creation was anything but a Divine God.\u00a0 If they can account for the order of our world in another way, they don\u2019t have to be confronted by the One who made all this.\u00a0 They believe they won\u2019t have face up to the fact that they are ignoring the One most worthy of our adoration.\u00a0 There are even scientists who wrestle with the entire evolution theory, knowing on one hand that it\u2019s just a theory, but not being willing to accept what all the facts are leading them to.\u00a0 Some intelligent force was behind the order we know in the universe today.\u00a0 They are afraid to name it.\u00a0 The Bible names it clearly, and we will all one day value what He values.\u00a0 For some, it will be too late.\u00a0 They will have made their choice before they worship.\u00a0 Others, the true believers, will rejoice to finally have everything set in its proper place, with Jesus at the head of everything. \u00a0This is not the salvation of every one, but rather the acknowledgment of every one regarding the true nature of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

    What will they all be saying that day?\u00a0 Jesus Christ is Lord<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Simple to say, profound in depth.\u00a0 What is the purpose for this declaration?\u00a0 To the glory of God the Father<\/strong><\/span>.\u00a0 Anytime God\u2019s plan comes together, it brings glory to the Father.\u00a0 That is the way things are.\u00a0 This entire sequence of things would serve as a brilliant reminder to the Philippians.\u00a0 First and foremost, is the attitude of humility in the heart of Christ.\u00a0 This is what Paul wants to declare as clearly as anything in this portion of the book.\u00a0 But beyond the character that we should all have, is the principle that when Christ demonstrated this character He Was Victorious.\u00a0 Paul is telling the church there that although this might not seem the way to win the battle, this is the path that Jesus took, and God honored Him above all names.\u00a0 Now, you know more about what God values, therefore have courage and follow Christ\u2019s example.\u00a0 Strive to be One Spirit by the means of demonstrating the humility of Christ in your dealings on this earth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Week Nine \u2013 Book Notes Beholding God and Our Christian Service Introduction: The story of Amy Carmichael is told and ends with this quote \u201cComrades, in this solemn fight, this awful conflict with awful powers, let us settle it as …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[53],"tags":[63,67],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1350"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1350"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1351,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1350\/revisions\/1351"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/hobart-community-church.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}