The Presence of God

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and "pray to your Father who is in the secret place," every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.-Oswald Chambers (Follow the above link to read entire devotion at Radio Bible Class)

Tradition Submission

BIBLICAL OR TRADITIONAL? Biblical Traditional

1. Pulpit ______ ______

2. Sunday School ______ ______

3. Choir ______ ______

4. Communion Table ______ ______

5. Sunday Night Service ______ ______

6. Solo ______ ______

7. Organ ______ ______

8. Drums ______ ______

9. 11:00 AM start time ______ ______

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, [2] "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." Matthew 15:1-2 (NKJV)

1. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of violating tradition not scripture

Tradition = to deliver from hand to hand

2. The Pharisees criticized the lack of _ceremonial washing of hands

The legal washing of hands was considered of great importance by the Rabbis. To slight hand-washing was a crime worthy of death. “Better go four miles to water, than incur guilt by neglecting hand-washing.” One who neglected hand-washing after eating was “as bad as a murderer.”—Dwight Pentecost

3. The Pharisees had allowed tradition to replace _scripture

making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:13 (NKJV)

THE RELIGIOUS ERROR

BIBLE------------>MAN'S SPIN------------------>TRADITION

CHECKING MY TRADITIONS

1. Is there a Biblical principle behind the tradition?

2. Do the values in this tradition match the values of Christ?

3. Why does the tradition exist?

4. Why is it maintained?

5. If the tradition is changed who benefits? Who suffers?

A Crash Course in Character

1. The setting

Feeding the five thousand = provision

Caught in the storm = protection

2. The cause

Jesus initiated both events

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. Matthew 14:22 (NKJV)

3. The preparation

Jesus prayed

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. Matthew 14:23 (NKJV)

4. The lessons

Jesus = the triumph of faith and prayer

Disciples = our limitations

Peter = the importance of faith

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. [25] Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. Matthew 14:24-25 (NKJV)

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31 (NKJV)

Conclusion

Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity

I know, O Lord, that your decisions are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it. Psalm 119:75 (NLT)

For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. [32] Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love. [33] For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. Lament. 3:31-33 (NLT)

"I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. [9] I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I turn to the south, but I cannot find him. [10] But he knows where I am going. And when he has tested me like gold in a fire, he will pronounce me innocent. [11] "For I have stayed in God's paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. [12] I have not departed from his commands but have treasured his word in my heart. [13] Nevertheless, his mind concerning me remains unchanged, and who can turn him from his purposes? Whatever he wants to do, he does. [14] So he will do for me all he has planned. He controls my destiny. Job 23:8-14 (NLT)

Biblical Reality

"Never in the history of the United States have there been so many people attending church, "the church of their choice," as today. These crowds are mixed: those who hear but let the Word go in one ear and come out the other, and those who hear and do. Those who do are those who let the Word come through both ears and descend to the heart, affecting their whole life and behavior."-Spiros Zodihiates

1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers of it, blinding yourselves with false ideas. 1:23 Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a glass; 1:24 For after looking at himself he goes away, and in a short time he has no memory of what he was like. 1:25 But he who goes on looking into the true law which makes him free, being not a hearer without memory but a doer putting it into effect, this man will have a blessing on his acts.
James 1:22-25 BBE