NEW SERIES BEGINS January 22, 2017

About This Study

Don’t just survive. Thrive!

The Book of Philippians addresses many of our deepest questions.

• Where can we find full and lasting joy? Look and listen to Paul. He radiated a contagious joy throughout his letter. Indeed, the happiest man in Rome was the apostle in prison! Paul reminds us that we don’t derive ultimate joy from comfortable circumstances, but from a living, vibrant communion with Christ. Joy isn’t about attaining more stuff; it’s about treasuring Christ more.

• Where can we find meaning and purpose in life? Paul teaches us about a life worth living – and a death worth dying. He shows us the path to living this life by pointing us to Jesus, who provides the power and the example we need. 

The Christian life isn’t an easy life, but it’s full. It’s joyful. It’s the kind of life you’ve always been looking for and always wanted to lead.

Of course, Jesus never promised us that life would be easy. But He did promise He would always be with us. And if He is with us, we have everything we need for joy and peace.

We can do more than just live as we follow Christ. We can thrive!

...............................................................................

Lessons in the Series

.........................................................................................

Our lesson this week says that...

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

A few years back, Pharrell Williams launched the song “Happy” as a global sensation. But I wonder if the people singing it then have remained happy over the years. These days, perhaps many of them would prefer U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” 

Such people wouldn’t be alone in history. 

King Solomon, who had an abundance of wealth and women, confessed: “Absolute futility. Everything is futile” (Eccl. 1:2). Alexander the Great is reported to have wept in his tent saying, “There are no more worlds to conquer.” Tom Brady, after his third NFL championship, remarked, “There’s got to be more than this.” 

Where can we go to find full and lasting joy?

If you’re interested in finding the answer to this question, welcome to the Book of Philippians! This is a letter full of joy—interestingly, one written by a man in prison.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Philippians 1:3-6 

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

Paul began his Letter to the Philippians—his beloved partners in the gospel—with expressions of thanksgiving, joy, and affection. Joy runs throughout Paul’s letter, and the first time he used the term, he spoke of “praying with joy.” 

Since it’s such an important concept in Philippians, let’s ponder “joy” for a moment. Joy goes deeper than happiness. Our happiness is typically based on external things; it’s tied to our circumstances. Joy remains with us regardless of what we have or are experiencing. 

We can be having a bad day, but still have joy. We find joy in knowing Christ deeply. This may sound cheesy or elementary, but the secret to joy is in keeping our priorities arranged in this order: Jesus, Others, and Yourself. 

Paul exemplified a life of joy. He rejoiced in Christ despite hardship (see Rom. 5:3-5), and he lived to serve others before thinking about himself (see Phil. 2:3-4). At the core of Paul’s joy was a deep love for the Savior that spilled out into love for people. Christian joy is Christ-centered and others-oriented. 

Notice that we don’t find Paul giving God thanks for things; Paul gave thanks for people. Paul could see evidence of God’s grace in others and praised God for His work in them. In these verses, specifically, Paul was filled with joy over what God had done for the Philippians.

As part of his prayer, Paul expressed gratitude for the believers in Philippi whom he considered his partners in the gospel. This church had supported Paul and served as co-workers in the mission from the beginning of his time in Philippi. They were friends, united in Jesus and on mission together. 

In verse 6, Paul gave another reason for his gratitude to God: confidence in God’s nature and purposes. He was sure that God would continue—and complete—the work He had started in the Philippian believers. He based this upon his knowledge of God and his awareness of the Philippians’ faith. 

Don’t miss the fact that God is the One who starts His work in our lives—in His grace, He initiates our salvation. But that’s not the end. God always finishes what He starts in the lives of His people.

Philippians 1:7-8 

7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 

Here we see the great emotion and warmth Paul had for the church. It’s not enough to learn Paul’s theology and disciplines; we also need to see how the truths he taught were evident in his life. He obviously felt and demonstrated passion in what he believed. 

In verse 7, Paul said he held the Philippians in his heart. A heart deep relationship existed between Paul and these believers (see also 2 Cor. 7:3). In Philippians 2:17, Paul said he had poured out his life for the Philippians. In this way, Paul and the Philippian believers modeled for us what it means to have Christian friendships that are centered on the gospel.

Paul said, “It is right for me to think this way about all of you.” It was right because the Philippian believers were “all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.” Being a partner in grace meant more than just receiving saving grace; the Philippians also had suffered for Christ and were sharing in the struggle for making the gospel known (see 1:29-30).

Paul rejoiced because the Philippians displayed their partnership in loyalty to Paul and the mission. They not only supported Paul as he shared the gospel, but they also supported him in prayer and with financial support during his imprisonment. They didn’t turn their back on Paul. They weren’t ashamed of him, even though imprisonment brought great shame in that time. The Philippians’ loyalty to Paul even while he was in prison made this relationship especially sweet.

As Paul pondered his relationship with the Philippians, he made a remarkable statement: “I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” He reminded them of Christ’s affection for them and how God was at work in him to love them in that same way. The Greek word translated as “affection” refers to the inward parts of the body; it conveys the idea of deep compassion. 

Paul was united to Christ, and because of this unity, he shared Christ’s love for the church. This is a deep love that goes far beyond sentiment. It’s a love we can experience, as well.

Philippians 1:9-11 

19 And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, 10 so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. 

A Christ-centered love grows in “knowledge and every kind of discernment.” Knowledge asks the question, “What is right?” Discernment asks the question, “What is best?” Love leads us to live out what is both right and best. In short, a mature Christian is both biblically informed and deeply affectionate. 

Why did Paul desire for the Philippians to grow in this kind of love? 

• He desired for them to “approve the things that are superior.” Paul prayed for the Philippians to choose the things that are best in this life and in their relationships. He prayed for them to have discernment in order to properly distinguish between right and wrong, between better and best, and between things that matter and things that don’t. 

• He desired for them to “be pure and blameless in the day of Christ.” Jesus is coming, and we should live and pray in light of this fact. 

Paul expressed this life of purity in another way: “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” The righteousness of God is given to the believer by faith alone (see Phil. 3:9). We are declared righteous and made acceptable to God through Christ—a righteousness that comes from outside ourselves. Just as important, out of this position of righteousness through Jesus, we are called to live righteously. 

Prayer is a key element of this righteous life. Paul experienced joy as he prayed for himself and for the people he loved. May the same be true of us.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you incorporate joy into your life and prayers this week? Consider the following suggestions: 

• Cultivate gratefulness. Take time each day to count your blessings. As you pray and thank God for all He’s done for you, let His joy fill your heart and be seen as you serve others. 

• Memorize Philippians 1:6. It’s hard to be joyful when praying about a difficult matter, but Philippians 1:6 is a reminder that God is at work even when we don’t yet see the result. 

• Partner with others. Join with others to pray about your lives and your opportunities to serve God and others. Emphasize the importance of joy each time you pray together. 

Don’t buy into the lie that joy depends on your present circumstances. Paul wrote his joyful letter to the Philippians (and prayed his joyful prayers) while being persecuted in a Roman prison. Choose today to seek the unshakable joy that is only available through Christ.

What are your thoughts?

____________________________

This is the beginning lesson to our new series on not just surviving in life, but Thriving!

And it begins with prayer!

Thrive: Living in Real Joy

Click Here to Watch

Video: Parenthood – Rollercoaster or Merry-Go-Round – Which one are you?

Our series’ tag line is “Don’t just survive. Thrive! What does that mean? Grow or develop well, prosper; flourish. – How? By Living in Real Joy. I think Paul looked at life like a “Rollercoaster” because regardless of his circumstances, he thrived, he grew, he flourished – how, by living in Joy - What does that mean? The Bible says that the secret of Paul’s joy was in his relationship with Christ. Joy isn’t about attaining more stuff, or the next experience; it’s about treasuring Christ more.


The Christian life isn’t an easy life, in fact, you could say just like in the clip that “life is messy,” but it’s full. People today desperately want to be happy but are tossed and turned by daily successes, failures, and circumstances. But the Bible tells us to be joyful in every circumstance, even when things are going badly. In the clip the grandmother said sometimes life can make you “so frightened, so scared, so excited, and so thrilled all together.” God didn’t create us merely to exists. He created us to thrive in a life of joy.



How would you describe the difference between happiness and joy?

• Joy goes deeper than happiness. Happiness is typically based on external things; it’s tied to our circumstances. Joy remains with us regardless of what we have or are experiencing. We can be having a bad day, but still have joy. We find joy in knowing Christ deeply. The secret to joy is in keeping our priorities arranged in this order: Jesus, Others, and Yourself. Paul exemplified a life of joy. He rejoiced in Christ despite hardship and he lived to serve others before thinking about himself. At the core of Paul’s joy was a deep love for the Savior that spilled out into love for people. Paul was filled with joy over what God had done for the Philippians. Christian joy is Christ-centered and others-oriented. Joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives – that He will be there no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ.

• Kay Warren — true joy that can only come from God. Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of the details of life, the quiet confidence that everything will be OK and the determined choice to praise Him. But when we choose joy over happiness, we discover God's hidden blessings in the good and bad of life — and in the differences between us. Joy is a choice, and we have learned to make that choice every day. – Kay Warren “Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough” 

Having joy is very similar to having enthusiasm.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” You’ve got to have passion, you’ve got to have enthusiasm. Having enthusiasm is very similar to having joy amidst the day-to-day difficulties of life, you may say, “Well, how do you do that?” “Do I just have to think positively?” Positive thinking isn’t enough. Pulling yourself up by your psychological bootstraps isn’t enough. Talking yourself into optimism isn’t enough. The way you become and stay enthusiastic in life is found in the word “enthusiasm.” The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek phrase en theos. En is the Greek word for the English word “in.” Theos is the Greek word for “God.” So en theos means to be “in God.” When you get in God, you will be enthusiastic. This kind of enthusiasm, like joy isn’t affected by the economy or the weather or your circumstances. It’s eternal because you are tied to the eternal God. You are in Christ. Paul tells us how to do this in

Romans 12:11-12. He says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV).

Where can we go to find full and lasting joy?

Welcome to the Book of Philippians! 

This is a letter full of joy—interestingly, one written by a man in prison.

Six lessons from Paul’s joy letter to the Philippian church on how we can Thrive by living in real joy and it begins with prayer.

Philippians 1:3-11

Prayer is an opportunity to experience joy.

Many times, our prayers are limited to asking God to do something, to intervene in a crisis, or to fix a problem. True? And this is fine, the Bible is full of invitations for us to call on God to work, but our prayers should also reflect the truth that God already has been at work and continues to work in our lives. When we recall His work in our lives and in the lives of others, in our prayers, we can experience real joy!



I. Pray with Joy for what God has done Philippians 1:3-6

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
The church in Philippi consisted mostly of Gentile (non-Jewish) believers. The Philippians were remembered with joy and thanksgiving whenever Paul prayed.


What does gratitude have to do with joy?

• “It’s not joy that makes us grateful, it’s gratitude that makes us joyful.” – Jesuit Priest
• A practiced gratitude: For Paul, every time he remembered his Philippian brothers and sisters he gave thanks! Biblical joy is not conditioned on circumstances, as is happiness. No, for Paul, joy was in the Lord and being in the Lord. This joy is a product of faith in Him. Though Paul had personal reasons to be distressed and concerned for himself, he did not allow those circumstances to depress his joy in the Lord, and for those special friends whom he knew to be the Lord’s people.
• Gratitude: Brené Brown talks about how the practice of gratitude can lead to a joyful life and what, exactly, that practice looks like. It's not the "attitude of gratitude" you might think. So, what does a gratitude practice look like? It’s keeping gratitude journals, doing daily gratitude meditations or prayers, creating gratitude art, and even stopping during a stressful, busy day to actually say these words out loud: “I am grateful for . . .” It seems that gratitude without practice may be a little like faith without works—it’s not alive.

Giving thanks to God is a great way to experience joy in your prayers. Take a moment and list 5 blessings that have brightened your life this year.

1. My salvation, wife, family, friends, the losts.

2. My relationship with Christ. The change that will bring. What God is doing now.

3. The opportunity to serve. To play a part.


What had God done that caused Paul to pray with joy?

• He had started a good work in them. Paul’s second reason for gratitude and joy was not because of anything the Philippians had done themselves, but what God had done in them. What had God done? He had given them grace which made them who they were spiritually, and manifested in their commitment to be Paul’s partners in the gospel. The Philippians were willing to be used by God for whatever He wanted them to do. 
• Notice that we don’t find Paul giving God thanks for things; Paul gave thanks for people. Paul could see evidence of God’s grace in others and praised God for His work in them. In these verses, specifically, Paul was filled with joy over what God had done for the Philippians.
• His Philippian friends had shared the gospel through their own witness. They, for the most part, had lived out the gospel in unity. They understood that fellowship in the gospel was not a sentiment but an action. They had shared in Paul’s ministry by praying for him, loving him, and encouraging him. In addition, they had provided financial support to him personally as well as to other churches in need. By helping Paul, they were helping Christ’s cause.

6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

• God’s work for us began when Christ died on the cross in our place. 
• His work in us began when we first believed.
• Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to be more like Christ every day. Paul is describing the process of Christian growth and maturity that began when we accepted Jesus and continues until Christ returns. 
• When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God’s promises and provision. Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him. 

Point: We can have joy in the fellowship we have with others in Christ.

We should rejoice (with gratitude) in the work of grace God has performed in our lives. We should rejoice (with gratitude) in knowing that God is moving us forward to the day of Christ’s return. We can know the joy of the Lord no matter the situation, for God is greater than any of life’s circumstances.



In verses 7-8 we see an example of what it looks like to pray with joy even when circumstances are not ideal.

II. Pray with Joy for what God is doing Philippians 1:7-8

7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Why did Paul say that it was right for him to think this way about all of the Philippians?

• It was right because the Philippian believers were “all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.” Being a partner in grace meant more than just receiving saving grace; the Philippians also had suffered for Christ and were sharing in the struggle for making the gospel known (see 1:29-30).

How does serving God’s kingdom create a unique bond between people?

• Paul and the Philippian believers modeled for us what it means to have Christian friendships that are centered on the gospel. 
• Have you ever longed to see a friend with whom you shared fond memories? Paul had such a longing to see the Christians at Philippi. His love and affection for them was based not merely on past experiences, but also on the unity that comes when believers draw upon Christ’s love. All Christians are part of God’s family and thus share equally in the transforming power of His love. 
• Do you feel a deep love for fellow Christians, friends and strangers alike? Let Christ’s love motivate you to love other Christians and to express that love in your actions toward them.

Point: We can rejoice in that, as believers, we are bound together in the love of Christ.



We can rejoice in that even during difficult times fellow believers lovingly stand with us.


In verses 9-11 we will see an example of praying for the spiritual growth of others.

III. Pray with Joy for what God will continue to do Philippians 1:9-11

19 And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, 10 so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

The Bible says that often the best way to influence someone is to pray for them. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that they would be unified in love. Their love was to result in greater knowledge of Christ and deeper insight (moral discernment). Their love was not based on feelings but on what Christ had done for them.

Why are both knowledge and discernment necessary ingredients for loving others?


A Christ-centered love grows in “knowledge and discernment.”

• Knowledge asks the question, “What is right?”
• Discernment asks the question, “What is best?”

A Christ-centered love leads us to live out what is both right and best.


Which is the greater struggle for you: to be biblically knowledgeable and discerning about the truth, or to love people deeply, with great affection?


Point: We thank God for what He has done in our lives, and we recognize He wants to do much more if we continue to submit ourselves to Him.


The character of our lives gives evidence that we are in right relationship to God through Jesus Christ. As Christians, all we do is to be to the end that God is glorified and praised.

LIVE IT OUT

Most of us have a friend or family member with whom we enjoy talking. The subject is not as important as the deep, personal feelings that bind us together. We can talk about the past, present, or future with delight unmatched by conversations with most others.



Transfer those feelings to time spent in prayer, an intimate conversation with God. How joy-filled are those moments for you? We should express gratitude with joy for what He has done, joyfully seek to join Him in what He is doing presently, and rejoice even now as we anticipate what He will continue to do in our future here and in eternity.

• Cultivate gratefulness. Take time each day to count your blessings. As you pray and thank God for all He’s done for you, let His joy fill your heart and be seen as you serve others.

• Memorize Philippians 1:6. It’s hard to be joyful when praying about a difficult matter, but Philippians 1:6 is a reminder that God is at work even when we don’t see the result.

• Partner with others. Join with others to pray about your lives and your opportunities to serve God and others. Emphasize the importance of joy each time you pray together.

Wrap it Up

Don’t buy into the lie that joy depends on your present circumstances. Paul wrote his joyful letter to the Philippians (and prayed his joyful prayers) while being persecuted in a Roman prison. Choose today to seek the unshakable joy that is only available through Christ.


Conclude by expressing joy at the privilege of connecting with God through prayer. Commit to taking advantage of that opportunity in the days to come.


Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

Class Lesson January 8, 2017

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE 

You know how long an inch is, right? You can probably hold out your finger and thumb and say, “An inch is about this big.” You might even be close. 

Interestingly, the length of an inch used to be determined by the “rule of thumb.” Meaning, an inch was measured as the width of your thumb. But when one carpenter’s thumb happened to be chubbier than another, it created problems. Whose thumb should be the standard? 

Today, the international standard for an inch is exactly 25.4 millimeters long. Then again, that is .0000017 of an inch longer than the imperial inch, what is used in British countries. And it’s .000002 of an inch shorter than the U.S. inch. So, the standard for the inch is still not perfectly precise. 

When it comes to the important matters of life, we need a standard that is absolutely perfect and completely reliable. Psalm 119 shows us that such a standard exists in God’s Word.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Psalm 119:153-155 

153 Consider my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten Your instruction. 154 Defend my cause and redeem me; give me life as You promised. 155 Salvation is far from the wicked because they do not seek Your statutes. 

As he neared the end of his epic psalm, the psalmist made two requests of God: 

“Consider my affliction.” The palmist wasn’t simply asking God to notice what he was going through. He was asking God to look on his situation with compassion and then move to do something about it. We know this is true because of his second request. 

“Rescue me.” Only God could change the psalmist’s situation. The psalmist trusted the promises given by God in His Word; therefore, he trusted God to rescue him. 

The psalmist knew God was the only One who could keep him secure, so he prayed, “Defend my cause and redeem me.” He spoke as if he were in a court of law, accused of wrongdoing, and in need of a defense attorney to plead his case. He called on the Lord, even as another psalmist had done: “Vindicate me, God, and defend my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man” (Ps. 43:1). 

The God who pleads our case is the same God who redeems us. This is the hope we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Also using imagery from a courtroom, the apostle John wrote, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). Jesus our Advocate is also the One who made it possible for us to have free access to the divine throne. We see this truth in Hebrews: “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time” (Heb. 4:16).

Verse 155 teaches us two things about the nature of salvation: 

1. Salvation is far from the wicked. We cannot experience God’s salvation as long as we hold on to our sin and wickedness. 

2. Salvation is found in God’s Word. The psalmist gave a specific reason why salvation is far from the wicked: “because they do not seek Your statutes.” The truth is that God doesn’t save us against our will; people will not be in heaven that do not want to be there. Scripture points us to Jesus Christ—the ultimate Word—and how we have life and salvation in Him. If we fail to heed that Word, we are left in our wickedness.

Psalm 119:156-159 

156 Your compassions are many, Lord; give me life according to Your judgments. 157 My persecutors and foes are many. I have not turned from Your decrees. 158 I have seen the disloyal and feel disgust because they do not keep Your word. 159 Consider how I love Your precepts; Lord, give me life according to Your faithful love. 

The Bible not only points us to salvation in Christ, but also tells us why He offers us salvation. “Your compassions are many, Lord.” God is a God of mercy. In fact, He is rich in mercy (see Eph. 2:4)! 

God is loving and kind to us, not because we are good, but because He is good. In His good mercy, He gives us life. And in His love, He gave us His Word to restore and strengthen us. The psalmist wrote: “Give me life according to Your judgments.” The circumstances of life may knock us down, but the Word of God will put us on our feet again.

The psalmist needed the great mercy of God because he had a great many adversaries. He felt like an army of enemies had risen against him. Even so, he was determined that his enemies would not deter him from obeying the word of God: “I have not turned from Your decrees.” 

The psalmist spoke a hard word against the wicked in verse 158: “disgust.” He called them “disloyal,” for they had broken the covenant relationship with God. He was not only saddened by such betrayal, but felt contempt and revulsion because of their willful disobedience to the Word of God. 

We likewise should feel “disgust” when we see sin and disobedience in others—but never with a sense of pride. As we look upon the faithless, we must remember that it’s only by the grace of God we aren’t in the same spiritual condition.

In verse 153, the psalmist prayed that God would consider his affliction. In verse 159, he asked God to “Consider how I love Your precepts.” Love for Scripture is an expression of devotion to God. We can obey the Word of God without loving it, but we cannot love His Word without being fully committed to learning and living it. 

All of Psalm 119 celebrates the sufficiency of Scripture—for everything in life. We need the Word of God. More importantly, we need the God of the Word. The Bible is not a math book with formulas we must figure out to master life. It is a love story in which God is the Lover and we are the beloved. Only those who learn the story experience the life-transforming power of God’s Word.

Psalm 119:160 

160 The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever. 

The closing verse of this stanza affirms the truthfulness of God’s Word. In order to truly rely on the Bible, however, we must actively trust it, as the psalmist did. 

• Trust that the Word of God is true. Scripture doesn’t merely contain truth. Even a supermarket tabloid can contain some truth. The whole of Scripture—in its totality and without exception—is absolutely and perfectly true. The Bible doesn’t contain a speck of untruth. Every principle, every prophecy, every promise is true. The sum and entirety of God’s Word is true. As the apostle Paul wrote: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 

• Trust that the Word of God is eternal. The prophet Isaiah also affirmed psalmist’s words: “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (Isa. 40:8). Scripture doesn’t have to be updated to catch up with the times; the Bible is the book of the ages. Truth doesn’t change, and the truth of God’s Word is still as relevant and powerful today as it was when it was first penned—and it will continue to be so. Consequently, we can trust God’s eternal truth to work powerfully in our lives. “For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do” (Isaiah 55:10-11). 

The Bible is a powerful, transformational, and miraculous message written by God Himself. Therefore, you can rely on everything it says for every moment of your life.

LIVE IT OUT

The Word of God is true. How will this truth affect your actions and attitudes this week? Consider the following suggestions: 

• Truth to rely on. As you read God’s Word in the coming weeks, write down each truth you encounter. Build a journal of truths you can rely on each day. 

• Truth to study. Commit to becoming a life-long student of God’s Word. This week, choose to focus on a book of the Bible that you’ve never studied before. Consider using a commentary on that book as you dig into the text. 

• Truth to share. Consider expanding the impact of your current Bible study group (and your church) by branching out to start something new. Reach out to people in your neighborhood or to a specific demographic in your congregation, then help new members dive into God’s Word. 

Don’t be tempted to follow a “rule of thumb” for your life—a standard that changes from person to person. Instead, use the perfect standard of God’s Word to measure each moment of your life.

Teacher's Notes

Video: Rick Warren – The tide goes out, but it always comes back in. Will you trust God?

Click Here to Watch

What’s the greatest truth that ever crossed your mind?

Billy Graham writes that the great Swiss theologian, Dr. Karl Barth, was probably in his generation the greatest theologian and philosopher in the world. He didn’t always agree with him, but he was a friend and he respected him. While he was in this country, a student at one of the seminaries said, “Dr. Barth, what is the greatest truth that ever crossed your mind?” All the seminary students were sitting on the edge of their seats to hear some great, profound, deep, complicated answer. Dr. Barth slowly raised his shaggy gray head and looked at the student and said, 

“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

When it comes to the important matters of life, we need to be able to rely on something that we know to be true. Our lesson tells us this morning that this something is God’s Word.

Lesson Point

I can fully rely on what the Bible teaches.

A prominent theme in Psalm 119 is the profound truth that the Word of God is all-sufficient. 

Throughout Psalm 119, we have seen the psalmist go through and experience trouble, affliction, and persecution in his life. But what does he always do throughout the psalm? He turns to God’s Word for help, for comfort, for peace and for direction. Why does he do this? Because he trusts God and fully relies on what the Bible teaches.

I. God’s Word and Salvation - Psalm 119:153-155 

Consider my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten Your instruction. 154 Defend my cause and redeem me; give me life as You promised. Salvation is far from the wicked because they do not seek Your statutes.

What does the psalmist pray for? What are his requests? 

• Consider my affliction. He’s not just asking God to notice what he was going through. He was asking God to look on his situation with compassion and then do something about it. We know this is true because of his second request. Rescue me, defend my cause, redeem me, give me life. 

What do these verses teach us about the psalmist’s relationship with God?

• He depends on God, believes God watches over him and will act on his behalf, has a talking relationship with God … communicates with Him, and he knows God’s promises.

Why would people who remain true to God’s Word suffer affliction and need rescuing?

• “Into each life some rain must fall” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow It’s the nature of our earthly life. The Bible says, “that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” – Matt. 5:45 Look at Job: God tells us it was Satan, Job tells us it was God, his friends say it was him. Sometimes people suffer through no human fault at all. The best of God’s saints had their night. This is no indicator of divine disfavor. Life is simply hard. Sometimes people suffer because people get sick and die. 

• God is using this affliction to make you like Christ. God’s ultimate goal for your life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the Beatitudes, the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul’s chapter on love, and Peter’s list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life (Matthew 5:1-12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Peter 1:5-8). 

• Poor in Spirit, mournful, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for righteousness.

• Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

• A love that’s patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude, doesn’t demand its own way, not irritable or touchy, doesn’t hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong, never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the cost. You will always believe in them, always expect the best of them, and always stand your ground in defending them. Three things remain—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

• You need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. You must learn to know God better and discover what He wants you to do. Learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have His way with you. Then you will enjoy other people, learn to like them, and finally you will grow to love them. The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ. 

• Every time you forget that character is one of God’s purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You’ll wonder, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?” One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It’s what enables us to grow. Earth is not Heaven, and life is not about you! You exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on Earth when He’s planned the real thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on Earth to build and strengthen our character for Heaven.

What’s the relationship between God’s Word and salvation?

• This is where salvation is found - in God’s Word. The psalmist gave a specific reason why salvation is far from the wicked: “because they do not seek Your statutes.” The truth is that God doesn’t save us against our will; people will not be in heaven that do not want to be there. Scripture points us to Jesus Christ—the ultimate Word—and how we have life and salvation in Him. If we fail to heed that Word, we are left in our wickedness.

Here are 2 important points from these verses:

1. Deliverance is Appropriate for the Believer 119:153-154

2. Deliverance is Impossible for the Unbeliever 119:155; also John 3:16-18

“Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees.” But why is salvation always far from the wicked? Is it because they are wicked? Not at all. It is because they reject God’s Word. Their salvation is far removed because they are removed from God’s Word. The measure of one’s distance from God is determined by one’s relationship to God’s Word. To be near one is to be near the other.

Point: God’s Word is a Saving Word. 

God knows about the things that are troubling us and He will act on our behalf to set us free. God promises to be an advocate, deliverer, and life-giver to those who are faithful to Him. Salvation is God’s blessing. God’s Word points us to salvation. The spiritually destitute need to hear the message of promise and hope. Jesus is the Word become flesh, the One who came to free us from sin. 

“As much as it feels like it on some days, the world is not on our shoulders; it’s in God’s hands.”

II. God’s Word and Love - Psalm 119:156-159 

Your compassions are many, Lord; give me life according to Your judgments. My persecutors and foes are many. I have not turned from Your decrees. I have seen the disloyal and feel disgust because they do not keep Your word. Consider how I love Your precepts; Lord, give me life according to Your faithful love.

What makes it hard for people to believe God really loves them?

• We try to put God’s love into our own human terms – love by if’s, maybe’s, and becauses. If God treated us the way we treat other people, then it would be hard to believe God loves us. If someone insults us or hurts us, we usually don’t want anything more to do with them. We may even want to strike back at them and hurt them in return. But God isn’t like this! Even when we ignore Him or insult Him by the way we live, He still reaches out to us and wants us to come back to Him. He doesn’t love our sin—but He still loves us, and He still yearns for us to love Him in return. The Bible says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). Don’t trust your emotions; they can deceive you. Instead, trust Christ and what He has done for you. Invite Him to come into your life today, and then thank Him every morning for His unchanging love for you.

• Distracted by busyness of life. Feel they have gone too far for God to forgive or pull them out of their troubles. Too tied up in pursuit of material things or personal success and power. Feel God disappointed them in a previous situation, mad at God.

• God is a God of mercy. In fact, He is rich in mercy (see Eph. 2:4)! God is loving and kind to us, not because we are good, but because He is good. In His good mercy, He gives us life. And in His love, He gave us His Word to restore and strengthen us. The psalmist wrote: “Give me life according to Your faithful love.” The circumstances of life may knock us down, but the Word of God will put us on our feet again. The psalmist needed the great mercy of God because he had a great many adversaries. He felt like an army of enemies had risen against him. Even so, he was determined that his enemies would not deter him from obeying the word of God: “I have not turned from Your decrees.”

How can we uphold the truth of God’s Word, and offer friendship to those who don’t? How do you respond when unbelievers seem to “win” at life?

• The sin we see in this world – transgressions against God – ought to bring grief to our hearts, but even more, it ought to lead us to take action against it. The psalmist spoke a hard word against the wicked in verse 158: “disgust.” He called them “disloyal,” for they had broken the covenant relationship with God. He was not only saddened by such betrayal, but felt contempt and revulsion because of their willful disobedience to the Word of God. We likewise should feel “disgust” when we see sin and disobedience in others—but never with a sense of pride. As we look upon the faithless, we must remember that it’s only by the grace of God we aren’t in the same spiritual condition. 

Point: God’s Word is a Love Story. 

It’s not a math book with formulas we must figure out to master life. The Lord is a God of compassion beyond measure. The faithful may have enemies, but they need fear none as long as they live God’s truth. God’s Word teaches about God’s love and calls for us to reciprocate with love for God and His Word. We have life eternal because God has acted in love and grace toward us – His lovingkindness is seen ultimately in Jesus.

III. God’s Word and Truth - Psalm 119:160 

The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.

What is the difference between saying God’s Word “contains truth” and that God’s Word “is truth”?

• Trust that the Word of God is true. Scripture doesn’t merely contain truth. Even a supermarket tabloid can contain some truth. The whole of Scripture—in its totality and without exception—is absolutely and perfectly true. The Bible doesn’t contain a speck of untruth. Every principle, every prophecy, every promise is true. The sum and entirety of God’s Word is true. As the apostle Paul wrote: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 

What are the consequences of believing that God’s Word is true?

• You can trust it. It is a standard against which you can evaluate principles held by anyone else or any other philosophy. You know that if something is counter to what the Bible teaches, you should not believe or trust it or follow it. God’s promises can be depended on. You can be assured that what Scripture says is what God wants you to know. If it is true and eternal, then it is worthy of reading and studying. You can literally bet your life on what it says.

Point: God’s Word is a True and Enduring Word. 

This closing verse affirms the truthfulness of God’s Word. In order to truly rely on the Bible, however, we must actively trust it, as the psalmist did. How do we do that?

LIVE IT OUT

The writer of this great psalm declared his loyalty and full reliance on the Lord’s instruction. God’s Word could be trusted because it came from God. It made a difference in his life.

French Tightrope Walker Charles Blondin

The following is an old story, but it illustrates well the difference between belief and trust in Christ. In 1859, French tightrope walker Charles Blondin traveled to the Niagara Falls. He hoped to accomplish something that had never been done. He strung a one-thousand-foot cable across the falls from the Canadian side to the United States side and prepared to walk across.

A large crowd watched as Blondin successfully crossed. The next year, he made several more trips across the falls, thrilling the crowd each time with more dangerous stunts. He balanced a chair on the rope and stood on it. He took pictures of the crowd while balancing on the rope. He actually cooked a meal on a small portable cooker and lowered it to an amazed crowd on a ship below. Eventually, he got a wheelbarrow and put a weight in it and rolled it across, which impressed the crowd even more. Then he turned to the crowd and asked, “How many of you believe I could take one of you and put you in this wheelbarrow and roll you across?” Everybody said, “We believe!” But when he asked for volunteers, no one would accept his offer. Tens of thousands believed, but not one trusted.

Belief and trust are two completely different things.

Why would anyone get into the wheelbarrow? There would have to be a compelling reason. 

So, imagine there is a thick forest behind the spectators and that suddenly the forest caught fire. There was no way of escape. Now things get interesting and suddenly all the rules change. Now there are only four options for the crowd:

1. I can say, “I’m not here, and it’s not hot.” And deny your situation until you’ve burned up.

2. I can take my chances and plunge into the raging waters below.

3. I can try and go across the tightrope myself.

4. Or I can get in the wheelbarrow.

Suddenly, the offer to get in to the wheelbarrow looks very attractive. Furthermore, it’s not a leap in the dark; it’s a step into the light and perhaps your only real hope. He’s already demonstrated that he could go to the other side and come back.

And so, has Jesus. His crucifixion and resurrection was His going to the other side and coming back and this truth shows that He is who He claims to be. Trusting my life to Him, sitting in His wheelbarrow (so to speak) is really a reasonable thing to do. 

What kind of change do you think there would be in your life if you placed your trust in Jesus Christ? What’s the consequence of believing and trusting in Christ?

Hang on…the tide goes out, but it always comes back in. Trust God and be willing to Get Out of the Boat.

Let Oceans by Hillsong be your prayer today!

Click Here to Watch & Listen

"“Come,” He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”" - Matthew 14:29-30

Have a great week as we begin a new series next Sunday called Thrive: Living in Real Joy! 

In His Love, 

David & Susan