 |
"Ready or Not - Here I Am" = Setting Priorities
"accept MY sandals and walk with ME"
- to cultivate our spiritual growth, start walking with God,
- to feed off each other, and
- share our findings with others to join us
- it's goal: => getting started [ Walking With God 101 ]
- Foster. Richard J. Celebration of Discipline. The Path to Spiritual Growth.
Harper, 1988. BV 4501.2 F655 1988 248.4 $ - Contents:
-
Forword
1. The Spiritual Disciplines: Door of Liberation
Part I. The Inward Disciplines
2. Meditation
3. Prayer
4. Fasting
5. Study
Part II. The Outward Disciplines
6. Simplicity
7. Solitude
8. Submission
9. service
Part III. The Corporate Disciplines
10. Confession
11. Worship
12. Guidance
13. Celebration - spiritual I Q
with following words / phrases that best describe your personal devotional life:-
Non-existent
Consistent
A chore A joy
An obligation A privilege
Going through the motions Spiritual life-line
A duty A delight
Dry Spiritual nourishing
Routine Intimate fellowship with God
> have family worship
> do you know where your Bible is? = collecting dust?
> was there ever a time when you felt closest to God? eld 91 - Cultivating a friendship with Jesus, and
- Growing in the knowledge of God - eld 85,86,94
- What are the reasons for us not wanting to be with God?
> Here are some difficulties / issues we all face:1. No time = we are just simply too busy < ToC >
some of it is self imposed
do we really need what we have or want?
1. St. Wolfhard 1:1 you read: "And now abideth - love, hope and
busyness => but the greatest of them is busyness."
Carl Jung - "...Hurry is not of the Devil; it is the Devil..."2. I don't need Him right now - I have everything
3. No interest
4. "The materialistic base of our age has become so pervasive that it has given people
grave doubts about their ability to reach beyond the physical world." fos 25. "We simply do not know how to go about exploring the inward life." fos 3
6. "One of the biggest stumbling blocks of maintaining a regular devotional time is the
difficulty on moving from an over stimulating environment into the calm
stillness necessary for prayer and devotion." klu 207. "Eroding of confidence in God." klu 24
8. "The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem." Fos p1
"There is no mechanics for coming into the reality of the spiritual life." fos 39. "Superficiality is the curse of our age." fos 1
10. "The life that is pleasing to God is not a series of religious duties.
We have only one thing to do, namely, to experience a life of
relationship and intimacy with God." fos 411. "Going through the motion, but still being empty, and running on fume."
- Prayer
- Bible reading - Listening to God's word (Studying the Word)
- Meditation
> Reflecting on God's works
> Rehearsing God's deeds - Sharing
- Bundschuh, Rick, and Finley, Tom. High School Talk Sheets; Psalms & Proverbs.
Updated. Zondervan, 2001.
50 creative discussions for high school youth groups - Eldredge, John. Walking with God. Talk to HIM. Hear from HIM. Really.
Nelson, 2008. - Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline; The Path to Spiritual Growth.
Revised and expanded. Harper, 1988. - Klug, Ronald. How to Keep a Spiritual Journal; Guide to Journal Keeping for Inner
Growth and Personal Discovery. Augsburg, 1993. - Lucado, Max. The Children of the King. Crossway Books, 1994.
Tells the story of a king who learned of the misfortune of five children who lost
their parents. The children learned that the king wanted to adopt them.
He disguised himself as a traveler and ... - White, Ellen G. Steps to Christ. Pacific, 1957.
Or on the Internet Steps to Christ
click on < Book and Page >
select < Steps to Christ > in the first box
Our overall goal is: The topic for today: "Ready or Not - Here I AM=> Where are you - You are Not Showing up"?!
The source: Today's Bible verse:-
"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you , O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1,2. < ToC >
Prayer: "Dear Lord, create in us this desire! Amen."
Reading and discussion: "Ready or Not - Here I AM"
Introduction:
What is the purpose of personal devotions?
Parts of Worship
Seeking Him - Growing in the Knowledge of God
-
Ready or not = it's time for worship = I AM here and where are you - please show up?!!!
Some Basics >> Getting started in a Personal Devotional Life
-
1. Setting priorities: = finding the time to be with Him
a. Which three items below are most important to you [ = idols ]:
Making money
Having a solid family
Having a good reputation
Developing talents
Being popular
Living healthily
Being a Christian
Having a girlfriend or a boyfriend
Getting good grades
Driving a hot car
Wearing the right clothes
Partying
Making new friends
Being in love
Being attractive
Others: ___________________
b. How do you know when something is a high priority?
Check the actions below that
apply to each of the three items you chose from the list above:
-
Commit lots of time to it
Think or dream about it
Consume yourself with it
Work hard to get it or keep it
Sacrifice other things for it
Tell others about it
strike me as being ____________________.
Is the world any different today?
d. Now check out Matthew 6:21. What would the treasure in your life be?
e. What can you learn about priorities and worship from Exodus 20:3-4 and Matthew 22:37?
Which parts of these verses stand out to you the most and why?
-
Jesus made a habit of withdrawing to a "lonely place apart" (Matthew 14:13).
[Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 5: 16, 6:12; Matthew 14:23. 17:1-9, 26:36-46; Mark 1:35, 6:31]
"Take time. Give God time to reveal Himself to you. Give yourself time to be silent and quiet
before Him, waiting to receive, through the Spirit, the assurance of His presence with you,
His power working in you." klu 73
Our almost 200.000 troops on duty = the toilet
Cathie in China = also the toilet - Bible text there
3. Is there a correct posture
Sitting and with feet on the ground may be most comfortable position?!
4. What about certain behavior?
Cellular phones - PMC
Chewing gum
5. Make a commitment
By the grace of God, and my desire to know you more, I purpose to spend time for
devotion every day for the next thirty days.
-
Signed ______________________________ Date ___________________
Purpose = casting a vision
I am willing to walk with God
What can I sacrifice today?
Adding value to others
6. Be consistent
Bible. At camp, he made a commitment to read his Bible and pray every day. He kept that
commitment for about three weeks. Now, six months later, he wondered if he was even a
Christian. He hadn.t read his Bible for months, and he couldn.t seem to pray even though he really
tried. He had gone to his youth director and was told that all he had to do was to ask God to help him;
then he would want to read his Bible and pray. But that didn.t work either."
How do you feel about this situation?
What is the main issue in this situation?
What should be done about this situation?
Scripture Guide: Matthew 26:41; Romans 8:24-27; Ephesians 6:18;
Hebrews 4:16; James 1:5-8
Choose a plan
-
1. Forms of Worship -- will be different for each person.
Recreating silence ==> it is time to become still fos 30
Reading a passage
Listening to a piece of music
Being creative => doing calligraphy, sculpturing (PMC), making a painting
Reading about the writer and/or composer of a hymn
Singing hymns (Pastor Skip MacCarty)
2. Integrate other activities
Keeping a journal = "Keeping a spiritual journal...can increase our awareness to
God's leading and action in our lives."
"You're on the journal road to spiritual growth" klu 98
"I gain a great sense of peace by sitting down with my journal in the presence of
God and sorting out my life and regaining my perspective" klu 21
Praying about and making important decisions
Writing notes of thanks and encouragement
Memorizing Scriptures
Getting to Know Him Through His Word
-
1. The study of God's Word is the Prime Source for Spiritual Growth
"Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" 2 Peter 3:18
Which benefits or blessing can I derive from the Word of God?
Here are a few from Psalm 119
v 11 = I have stored up your word in my heart, that I may not sin
v 24 = Your testimonies are my ... counselors
v 28 = My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word
v 103 = I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
2. Our Lord's Desire
Our Savior wants to lead us into "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"
[ Rom. 14:17 ]
Jesus found joy in communion with His Father
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with him and he with me" Rev. 3:20
"Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them... Ex. 25:8
3. My Responds to God
Create in me the desire to make time for worship => resetting my priorities
Create in me the desire, a longing for a deeper friendship with Jesus
O Lord, motivate me for seeking a richer knowledge of God the Father
I am opening the door!!! Rev.3:20
I invite you into my presence - to begin a friendship with You
Help me to create the emotional and spiritual space to allow
You to construct an inner sanctuary in my heart fos 20
In "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an
attempt to fill the mind..." fos 20
-
"As a deer longs for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, o God.
My soul thirsts for God the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1.2
-
"How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out
For the living God." Psalm 84:1,2
Getting into the spirit of worship
-
1. How do we receive the desire to hear His voice?
2. "This desire is a gift of grace. Anyone who imagines he can simply
meditating without praying for the desire and the grace to do so,
will soon give up.
3. But the desire to meditate, and the grace to begin meditating,
should be taken as an implicit promise of future graces..." fos 25
Ann Morrow Lindbergh prayed: "God, let me be conscious of it [ to help me to
nourish the 'gift of awareness' and make me more receptive to it ]!
Let me conscious of what is happening while it is happening.
Let me realize it and feel vividly. Let not the consciousness of the event,
as happens so often, come to me tardily [ moving slowly, sluggish ], so that I
miss half the experience. Let me be conscious if it!"
The Appeal = "accept MY sandals and start walking with ME"
-
1. During the transaction of selling his property, the seller hands to the buyer one
of his sandals
2. Become His property today
3. After welcoming His returning Son, the Father said to His servants
"Put sandals on his feet." Luke 15:22
4. "... walk and work with Jesus" SC 82
5. "...follow the path of self-denial..." SC 78
6. "...bring forth the fruits of the Spirit..." SC 58
Closing prayer:
Next week's topic: "Intimacy with God = On Learning to Listen - Hearing His Voice"
A few Hymns
-
"As the Deer..."
"Into my Heart"
"With Thy Spirit fill me"
-
the following hymns are found in SDA
"O Worship the Lord" #6
"God Himself Is With Us" #3
"O Thou in Whose Presence" #36
"God Is Here" #61
"How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place" #62 [ = American Negro Spiritual ]
-
"Give Me Jesus" #305
"I Would Draw Nearer to Jesus" #310
"O Let Me Walk With Thee" #554
"O Master, let me walk" #574
Sources:
