Tag Archives: functional

THE BOOK OF ACTS – WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

Bible Study, ,

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

“‘David, of course, having completed the work God set out for him, has been in the grave, dust and ashes, for a long time now. But the One God raised up — no dust and ashes for Him! I want you to know, my very dear friends that it is on account of this resurrected Jesus that the forgiveness of your sins can be promised. He accomplishes everything that the Law of Moses could never make good on. But everyone who believes in this raised-up Jesus is declared good and right and whole before God.

“‘Don’t take this lightly. You don’t want the prophet’s sermon to describe you:

“Watch out, cynics, Look hard — watch your world fall to pieces. I’m doing something right before your eyes that you won’t believe, though it’s staring you right in the face.'” Acts 13:36-41 (The Message).

The forgiveness of sins — that’s what the cross is all about! Sin is the one great barrier between us and a holy God. “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.” Habakkuk 1:13 (NIV).

God created a functional world. Everything fitted together in perfect harmony and functioned as one, reflecting the same unity within the Godhead. He also created man, forming him from clay and filling him up — which is what the word “create” actually means — with His own image, male and female in perfect union.

He separated the woman from the man and brought them together again to live in a union that reflects the oneness of God. Because of the intimate connection between humans and the natural world, when man chose to disconnect himself from his Creator and make his own rules, the entire created order followed suit and became dysfunctional. Conflict replaced harmony in the plant and animal world, making life a battleground instead of an orchestra.

Life on earth should have been a reflection of life in the presence of God. Therefore, from God’s perspective, everything that is imperfect is sin because it falls short of God’s glory. Even what we consider “natural”, like sickness, disabilities, accidents that cause brokenness, decay and death are alien to God and are therefore classified as sin and demand blood sacrifice to atone for it and cleanse its pollution.

Jesus’ death on the cross did not only pay for man’s sin. It also paid for the pollution and disruption that man’s rebellion caused in the whole of creation. Since the entire universe was affected by Adam’s choice, Jesus’ sacrifice was the remedy for all that went wrong.

“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:19, 20 (NIV).

The expectation of those who believe in the finished work of Jesus on the cross goes beyond this life into the life beyond the grave. “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Romans 8:20, 21 (NIV).

The forgiveness of sins Jesus purchased for us on the cross brings with it the promise of the restoration of the entire creation to its original state and purpose. When we receive the gift of forgiveness, we become a part of God’s design to restore all of creation and to complete the work He began; a perfect world in which He can live in union with man that can never be disrupted again.

Prayer – Lesson 2: The Motivation For Prayer, God’s Glory

Prayer, , ,

LESSON 2

THE MOTIVATION FOR PRAYER – GOD’S GLORY

INTRODUCTION

Without going into the subject of God’s glory in detail, let’s try to understand it in the context of prayer.

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good….” Genesis 1:28a (NIV).

“Good” is an abstract word. What does it mean? All the words the dictionary uses are also abstract – morally excellent, virtuous, righteous, of high quality, well-behaved etc.

In the Hebraic understanding of “good”, it meant “functional”. Everything God made was functional – in perfect working order – even man!

Now substitute “functional” for “good” in this sentence – “God is good – God is functional.”

If God is functional, what is His function? What is He supposed to do? He is supposed to put His glory on display.

God is about Himself and He always does everything for His glory. Does that sound egotistical? If God were not stuck on Himself He would not be the greatest being in the universe. There would be someone greater than He.

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!” Romans 11:36 (NIV).

God said that everything He had made was good, including man. That means that man was functional. What was his function? Just like the rest of creation, his purpose was to put God’s glory on display.

“…everyone who is called by my name,

whom I created for my glory,

whom I formed and made.” Isaiah 43:7 (NIV)

God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledgeof good (functionality) and evil (dysfunctionality). He did not want them to experience dysfuntionality because it would bring dysfunctionality into the whole cosmos. To disobey was to become dysfunctional.

Question: In the context of our discussion, what does it mean to be functional and dysfunctional?

1. WHAT IS THE GLORY OF GOD?

Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18). He thought  it would be something he could see.

“And the LORD said, ‘I will cause all my goodness (functionality) to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,’ He said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.’” Exodus 33:19-20 (NIV).

The glory of God, in essence, is His character of mercy and compassion.

“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the LORD. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The LORD, the LORD, the gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.’” Exodus 34:5-6 (NIV).

God’s glory is the motivation for our ordinary living.

Since Jesus has reconciled us to the Father and restored us to His family as His sons and daughters, our ordinary, everyday behaviour must be functional. The Apostle Paul instructs us to do everything for God’s glory – ie to put His character on display through our behaviour and attitudes.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV).

God’s glory must be the motivation for our praying as well.

If we are to be functional in everything we do, that must include prayer.

Does the Bible teach us to pray so that God ‘s functionality is put on display?

Yes, it does.

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask anything in my name and I will do it.” John 14:13-14. (NIV).

Prayer that is self-seeking and self-serving is not prayer “in the name of Jesus”.  The name of Jesus is not a magic formula. It regulates what we pray for according to His nature and His purpose. Prayer that does not have God’s glory in view does not qualify as prayer.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3 (NIV).

God orchestrates our needs in order to test our hearts and to display His character through the answers.

If we will allow Him , our needs are His opportunity to show us what He is like. Instead of whining, complaining or making demands, we have the opportunity to release our situations to Him and watch what He can do.

“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:2-4 (NIV).

God was angry with His people because of their unbelief; they murmured and complained instead of trusting Him.

“Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD.” Psalm 106:24-25. (NIV).

Question: In what ways can we put God’s glory on display?

2. HOW DID JESUS PUT GOD’S GLORY ON DISPLAY?

Jesus saw every need as an opportunity to put God’s glory on display.

He directed His disciples, not to the cause of the man’s blindness but to the opportunity to put God’s glory on display.

“‘Neither this man nor His parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” John 9:3 (NIV).

He saw the sickness of Lazarus, not as ending in death but as an opportunity for God to display His glory and the glory of His Son.

“When He heard this, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so the God’s Son may be glorified through it.”’” John 11:4 (NIV)

We put God’s glory on display by imitating the way Jesus lived, acted, spoke and treated people that mirrored the Father.

Jesus and Paul related the formation of God’s character in us to prayer.

When God answers our prayers according to His word, we bear the fruit of God’s character (Galatians 5:22,23), which reflects God’s glory in us.

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8 (NIV).

Paul said that, with the help of God’s Spirit in prayer, He works for the good of those who love Him in every circumstance, remaking us into the image of His Son.

“In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches hour hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints  in accordance with God’s will.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:26- 29 (NIV).

Question: How does God develop our character through prayer?

He teaches us such things as patience, trust, perseverance, confidence and dependence as we wait on Him to do what brings Him honour. It is the fruit of character that glorifies Him (John 15:7,8)

CONCLUSION

1. God is functional – He does everything for His own glory.

2. He created man to be a reflection of Him by putting His glory on display.

3. Everything man does, including prayer, is to meant to show  off God’s character.

4. God only answers prayer according to His will and for His glory.

5. God orchestrates needs so that the answers put His glory on display.

6. Jesus used every opportunity to glorify His Father through meeting people’s needs.

7. God answers our prayers in order to shape us into the likeness of Jesus.