Bob Flayharts Summary of The Peace Maker

The key concepts are p. 22, p. 126, p. 209, p. 227 and the Peacemaker's Pledge.

The Slippery Slope of Conflict


How to Confess our Wrongs

Forgive as God Forgave You


Cooperativeness vs. Competative Negotiations



The Peacemaker's Pledge

Purpose of Life - Rick Warren

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,” which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has bee n very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stoppe d taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor , care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes for my life?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better.

God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

Galatians Study - Lesson Two

Ambassador vs. Anathema

 

Galatians 1:1-12

August 26, 2007

Tyndale Class

 

Reviewing Paul's Conversion

Acts 9:1-9,17-22

 

-          Saul leads the parade of relative moralism and ceremonial law keeping

-          Associated with the Sanhedrin and courts of the High Priest

-          Paul was arrested by Grace in the midst of his persecution

-          Christ left him in darkness in part to expand the margins of his self examination having seen the Son of God

o   Paul's entire world was crashing down

o   God left him in darkness to prepare for the light

o   His apostleship was an experience of complete brokenness followed by divine calling to truth, redemptive love and a missional perspective toward the Gentiles

-          How is our conversion like that of Paul?

-          How is our sanctification accomplished in similar ways?

 

 

Paul The Apostle

 

-          Why does he start out with this claim and is it valid?

o   I Corinthians 9:1

-          Is his statement tinged with positional pride or arrogance?

o   I Corinthians 15:9

-          What is the role of the apostle in the early church?

o   I Corinthians 3:10-11

 

 

Grace And Peace – More Than Words – Romans 5:1-5

 

Grace

What do we know of the boundaries of Grace?

o   What can be added to it and it still retain its meaning

o   What limit's of God's grace

o   How does God administer Grace to his people?

§  Positionally

§  Conditionally

Peace

o   Where is the conflict?

o   What had to be accomplished to establish peace?

o   Is it a fragile peace?   Why or why not?

 

 

Sola Gratia – No Other Gospel

 

            Who initiates the work of salvation in a believer's life?

o   Romans 4:4-8

o   Justification "Just as if I never sinned….just as if I always did everything right"

o   Romans 8:28-30 – It is GOD alone who changes a heart

o   Even if angels suggested work that could be added to satisfy God's requirement

o   Where do we find a sort of "angel" that tempts us to seek to add to the work of God through Christ?

o   Sanctification – God's work of assimilation of our hearts/minds as new citizens of a foreign country – the new heaven and new earth

o   Why do we listen to voices that tell us:

§  You just need more discipline and you conquer your ______ problem…

§  You just don't take sin serious enough, you need to recognize that God is losing patience and has His limits……

§  If you read some more Christian books on the topic….

 

Paul gives the agitators no quarter

o   Philippians 3:2-4

o   The Greek word he uses in Galatians 1:8&9 is "anathema" which is the embodiment of a curse

o   Why does Paul make such a big deal about it?

    

No wide gate or easy road

o   Paul makes clear that he is not dumbing down the requirements for salvation to expand his group of followers

 

 

Paul's Words As Spoken To OMPC

 

            Where would he challenge our minds/hearts in this area?

 

            What is the most popular "alternative gospel" in your life this week?

 

 

Galatians Overview

Hallmark Epistle of Grace

I. What are the key themes of this book?

a. Justification by faith in Christ’s work has been the hope of all true Israel from Abraham until the time of the books writing

b. The law is powerless to save or to contribute anything to eternal hope

c. There can be no alternative or gray area to this truth – nothing can be added

d. We have a rich inheritance as Sons of God if we are united to Him – It is position in Christ vs. condition of our immediate circumstances.

e. The Spirit works with our spirit to deepen our sense of identity as citizens of a new heaven and earth and to break us free of the flesh

II. Who is Paul at the time of this writing

a. Well known leader for taking gospel to the Gentiles (1:16)

b. Former Pharisee and tormentor of the church (1:13)

c. Passionate apostle of Christ – not of other apostles (1:1)

III. Why did the zealots challenge Paul

a. They saw him as a threat to their sense of control on Christians in these churches so they tried to cast him as a renegade apostle

b. They were trying to “raise the bar” on first century Gentile Christians under pressure from Jewish groups in Judea who were becoming more intolerant of contact between Jews and Greeks.

IV. When was the book written

a. Many scholars think it was written to the southern Galatians and this would be shortly after his first missionary journey

b. Some scholars believe it was written to the northern provinces of Galatians and that would put it during or at the end of his third missionary journey (AD 54 or 55).

V. What are the similarities between the Galatians and OMPC

a. We struggle with the flesh that pushes an agenda of self centeredness and self sufficiency

b. Traditions and familiar customs cloud our understanding of Christ’s power

c. Key doctrines are key to our understanding and will be:

i. Gospel

ii. Justification

iii. Adoption

iv. Freedom

v. Grace

vi. Sovereignty

Parables

We have been focused on parables for the summer.  John Welch kicked off the series by defining parables.  

Mike Yates presented the Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Those are the Parabel of the sower, parable of the tares among wheat, parable of the mustard seed, parable of the leaven, parables of the hidden treasure, and parable of the costly pearl.

Mission: Possible

I don't know about you but I needed that message from Bob this morning.

Here are my notes from the two sermons on Mission: Possible form Daniel 2: 1-24

No matter what we face in life, financial crises, cancer, death, painful marriage, habitual sin, God has a plan to see us through and this passages helps us put our hearts in the right frame to be successful in whatever situation.

Choose to accept your mission with.....

1. Honest realism. Admit that problem is bigger and I don't have resources and need His help.
2. Patient understanding. V. 10 the astrologers are panicked. Daniel has deep discernment of what to do and the way around the crises.
(Week 2) see v. 14 Don’t run "old tapes" in your head. Do "new tapes" of the Gospel. Use power of the Holy Spirit to develop God's values in our lives.
3. Bold faith. Daniel goes in to request time with the king before he knows the interpretation of the dream. See v. 16.
4. Courageous initiative. Are we risk averse? Embrace risk. Will evil triumph? There is always a way out!! Daniel took risks. Are we playing not to loose or are we playing to win? Be willing to make big mold mistakes. See v 18 for courage of Daniel.
5. Enlisted community. V. 17. Daniel enlisted help. See Ecc. 4:9
6. Constant Prayer. God has not called us to have it together. He has called us to be incredibly bold in prayer. If your Private prayer life is not great. Learn to pray by being involved in corporate prayer. Daniel calls friends to pray. He was thrown to lions because he prayed in private but was noticed by authorities.
7. Visionary worship. Seeking God in worship weeks the soul and fertilizes the heart. Praise God for His greatness. Give Him thanks for His generosity.

The Parables of the Sower and the Soils

June 24, 2007



Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Mark 4:1-9, 13-20; Luke 8:4-8; 11-15

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, was trampled upon, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched because they had no moisture, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 18 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: The farmer sows the seed, which is the Word of God. 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and desires for pleasures choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man of noble and good heart, who hears the word, understands and retains it. By persevering he produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

The kingdom parables of Matthew 13


Sower and the Soils (1-9, 18-23) Means of growth – the Word heard and applied
Tares among wheat (24-30, 36-43) Kingdom subjects will coexist with those who do not believe
Mustard Seed (31-32) Kingdom growth will be spectacular
Leaven (33) The kingdom will pervade society
Hidden treasure (44) Kingdom subjects will recognize its value
Costly Pearl (45-46) Kingdom subjects are willing to sacrifice everything for its agenda
Dragnet (47-50) Kingdom subjects are to spread the gospel without discrimination
Householder (52) Kingdom teachers and their methods


The Parable of the Sower and the Soils

· Overview.
* The sower(s). (Psa 126:5-6, 1 Cor 3:6-7, James 5:7)
* The seed. (1 Pet 23-25)
* The soils. (Prov 4:23, 1 Sam 16:7, Rom 10:9-10)
* Does this parable have application only for salvation or also for the Christian life?
* Why does Jesus say that this parable is the key to understanding the rest?


· Seed sown on the path – the hardened heart.
* Who takes the seed away?
* What are the causes of hardened hearts?
* The remedy for a hard heart. (Hosea 10:12)


· Seed sown on the rocky places – the shallow heart.
* When the going gets tough….
* A theology of suffering. (1 Pet 1:6-7)
* Putting down deeper roots.


· Seed sown among thorns – the crowded heart.
* The cares of this world. (Luke 12:28-31)
* The deceitfulness of riches. (1 Tim 6:17)
* The pleasures of life. (Rom 13:13-14)
* When is a heart overcrowded?
* What are my thorns?

· Seed sown on good soil – the listening heart.
* Is there such a thing as a good heart?
* How does a person allow the seed to grow?
* What is the secret of a fruitful heart?
* What does it mean to produce fruit? (Psa 92:12-14, Luke 6:43, Col 1:10, Gal 5:22-23)


· Application.
* Ask ourselves - What is the hearing capacity of my heart?
* How do we improve our listening skills?