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- FearWe were made to have fear.
- Proverbs 22:3
- Fear is useful and keeps us alive.
- Healthy fear can be a good thing.
Fear is real.- Man and beast have fear.
- God made us and them that way.
- Protected and fed by animals’ fear of us – Genesis 9:2
- Fear can help us – Proverbs 1:7
- Fear can hinder us – Matthew 25:24-28
- Fear of acting in this case was called wicked and lazy.
What causes fear?- Danger
- The unknown or unfamiliar
- Overwhelming opposing force
- Personal experience – II Corinthians 12:20-21
- Other people’s experiences – Acts 9:26
- Disapproval of others – John 9:17-22
- Immediate consequences for actions – Jonah 3:4-9
Kinds of fear- Reverence and respect
- Cornelius – Acts 10:1-2
- Jonah – Jonah 1:1-3
- Mortal fear
- Belshazzar – Daniel 5:1-6
- Saul and the Israelites – I Samuel 17:8-11, 21-24
- Peter – Matthew 14:27-31
- Phobias
- Spiders, snakes, etc.
- Heights, people, situations
- Memory fear
- “I remember what happened last time I did that.”
- Fear of consequences
- Jonah – Jonah 3:10-4:3
- Ecclesiastes 8:11
It can be controlled- If we couldn’t control our fears, God wouldn’t have told us not to fear.
- Some general guidelines
- Objectively examine what makes you afraid and why (awareness)
- Known what you can use to mitigate it (knowledge)
- Learn to use those items of mitigation (confidence)
- Example – fear of flying
Subjecting fear- Knowledge
- Proverbs 1:7
- Matthew 10:24-33
- Familiarity
- Doing activities that make you fearful
- Understanding better through instruction
- Confidence through repeated exposure
- Faith
- Matthew 10:29-30 – Truly believing you will be all right
- Faith that God is with you
- Jeremiah – Jeremiah 1:4-8
- Apostles – Matthew 28:19-20
- Other times and other ways
Love- I John 4:16-19
- Motivation to put the fear behind you.
Helping others gain courage- “Encouragement”
- Isaiah 35:3-4
- Acts 11:22-24 (Acts 4:36)
- Colossians 4:7-8
- Hebrews 3:13
- Mentorship and examples
- Missionary activities rarely done alone.
- Titus 2:1-8
Why is courage so important?- Why work so hard for it
- Why strive to encourage others?
- God instructs us
- It has eternal consequences – Revelation 21:8
Take courageEncourage others32 min - Introduction to JudgesIntroduction
- When you think of the book of Judges …
- What event comes to mind?
- What character comes to mind?
- What quality of God comes to mind?
- What spiritual takeaway comes to mind?
- Judges depicts a bleak chapter in Israel’s history: one of idol worship and faithlessness, necessitating God’s continual intervention to punish and deliver the Israelites from oppression.
- Psalms 106:34, 37-38
- Ruth 1:1
Historical context of Judges- Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt and then thoroughly and repeatedly warned against the pitfalls of living in Canaan.
- Deuteronomy 4:1, 9, 23-24; 11:18-23, 26-28
- Covers a period of about 300 years and depicts part of the transition from “house of the father” (e.g. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) to tribal confederacy to dynastic monarchy.
- First event chronologically – Judges 2:6
- The Israelites go from a time of relative unity (under Moses and Joshua’s leadership) to assimilating with heathen nations to anarchy and civil war.
What did the judges do?- God intended for judges to lead throughout Israel (Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 17:8-13).
- Described using one or two Hebrew words – the first associated with saving or rescuing and the second with dispensing judgment.
- Both found in the accounts of Othniel and Deborah (Judges 3:9-10; 4:4, 9-10), but more often the judges are said to serve as deliverers, (military) leaders, or decision makers.
Outline of Judges- Chapters 1-2 – Roots of Israel’s apostasy
- Chapters 3-16 – The downward spiral of Israel’s apostasy
- Chapters 17-21 – The depths of Israel’s apostasy
- Latter parts of the narrative focuses on two points (Judges 21:25)
- “in those days there was no king in Israel”
- “everyone did what was right in his own eyes”
- Several graphic descriptions of God’s judgment (Ehud and Eglon) but also of wanton violence and depravity (Levite’s concubine).
General observations- God’s intervention does not imply either commendation or condemnation.
- Judges 14:4
- God’s silence does not imply either commendation or condemnation.
- Imagine trying to please God while living in Israel during this time.
- God’s people need godly leaders.
- Worldly surroundings negatively influence us.
- We must take God’s warnings seriously!
Class goals- Better understanding of the text and its place in the Bible story.
- Greater appreciation for God’s character.
- Increased knowledge of the divine perspective on human nature.
- Learn how to escape the trap into which the Israelites fell (Judges 8:34; II Peter 1:9).
45 min - Can We Trust the Bible?Introduction
- Many people consider the Bible an old book that has been endlessly copied. How do we know we can trust what it says?
- The first big translation was the Septuagint. But Jesus, Paul, and other New Testament writers quoted from it.
Three sources of evidenceJesus- Luke 4:14-21 – Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2, which was a messianic prophecy. Jesus called this passage scripture – God’s divinely inspired word. Were there copying mistakes in this scroll? Probably. But still, Jesus called it scripture.
Peter- II Peter 3:15-16 – Note that Peter called Paul a beloved brother despite Paul previously sharply rebuking Peter for hypocrisy.
- I Peter 1:1 – Paul’s letters were all in wide circulation to all the churches by AD 70. Peter considered them equal to Old Testament scripture.
- Colossians 4:16 – Paul directed that his letters be copied and read by all.
Paul- I Timothy 5:17-18 – Elders who rule well can be paid for their work. This is a quote from Luke 10:7. Paul quoted it and put it on par with Old Testament scripture.
- All of these quoted from old, likely flawed manuscripts and called them scripture.
Conclusion- II Timothy 1:12
34 min - Holiness, Part 12Discerning between good and evil, continuedQuestions that help us test, continued:Does the action bother my conscience?
- The conscience is a person’s inner awareness of conforming to the will of God or departing from it, resulting in either a sense of approval or condemnation.
- Scripture talks about having a “good conscience”
- I Timothy 1:5
- I Timothy 1:19
- Acts 23:1
- Acts 24:16
- Conscience can be tainted:
- I Timothy 4:1-2 – seared with a hot iron
- Ephesians 4:19 – being past feeling
- Limited or incorrect knowledge is no excuse!
- Romans 14:5 – let each be fully convinced in his own mind
- Romans 14:23 – one who doubts is condemned
Does this action hinder my influence?- Matthew 5:13-16 – you are the light of the world
- Philippians 2:14-15 – shine as lights in the world
- Does my language hinder my influence?
- Ephesians 5:1-11 – obscenity, foolish talk, crude talking
- Ephesians 4:29 – no corrupt word
- Ephesians 4:31 – put away evil speaking
- If people are not ashamed of obscenity around you, maybe you aren’t having the influence you should.
Does the action dominate my life?- I Corinthians 6:12 – I will not be mastered by anything.
Could this action cause others to stumble?- I Corinthians 8:13 – if food makes my brother stumble, then I will never eat meat again
Can I carry out this action to the glory of God?- I Corinthians 10:31
- Can I do this action and at the same time glorify God?
41 min - Culture of my Family: Social MediaIntroduction
- John 13:34 – Love is the hallmark of Jesus’ disciples. They had personal contact with each other.
- Time on devices is starting to replace time with other people.
- When people cut back on social media, within two weeks they were happier and less depressed.
- 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High Tech World by Jean Twenge
Make sure your daughters and sons know how valuable they are.- Genesis 1:26-27 – We are made in God’s image.
- Genesis 9:3-6
- John 4:24
- I Corinthians 15:50-53
- My body is not me. I just live here right now.
- I Peter 1:14-16
- I Peter 3:3-4
- Our value comes from being created in the image of God.
Teach your sons and daughters to be pure.- Job 1:1; 31:1
- II Peter 2:14
- I John 2:16
- Matthew 5:27
Help them grow comfortable being different from the world.- Matthew 5:29-30 – It is worth whatever it takes to make it to Heaven.
- Matthew 7:13-14 – We want to be one of the few.
- Romans 12:2
- Meta’s internal research shows that most people wish Instagram didn’t exist – including Instagram’s own users!
- Matthew 5:14-16
30 min - Jude, Part 3Jude 1
- Jude 1:8-9
- See Deuteronomy 34:5-8 regarding the death and burial of Moses. It is not clear what this dispute was about or when it happened.
- II Timothy 4:2; Titus 2:15 – We can rebuke sin, but we must do so with humility.
- Michael the archangel:
- Daniel 10:13, 21
- Daniel 12:1
- Revelation 12:7-9 – Michael was in a position of elevated power.
- Jude 1:10 – See I Corinthians 2:14; 3:1; 1:18.
- Jude 1:11 – See Numbers 22:16-17; 16:3
- Jude 1:12-13 – “love feasts”: See Proverbs 25:14; Matthew 21:19; II Peter 2:13.
- Jude 1:14-15 – This is the only place where we read of Enoch prophesying. There is a Book of Enoch, but here Jude claims to be quoting Enoch himself.
- Jude 1:17-19 – See Acts 20:29; I Timothy 4:1; II Timothy 3:5; II Peter 2:1; I John 4:1.
- Jude 1:20-21 – Trouble is coming. Build yourself up spiritually!
- Jude 1:22-23 – Help people, but do so in whatever way is appropriate to the situation.
- Jude 1:24-25 – When we are obeying God, He can protect us from the devil.
44 min - "Do not let any iniquity have dominion over me"Introduction
- Psalms 119:129-136
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”- Romans 7:14-25
“… grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ”- Ephesians 4:15-24 – Growing is a process over time. We must put on the new self. We can change! We can get out of old habits and change the way we live.
- Hebrews 5:12-14
- Over time, we can become stronger spiritually.
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”- Proverbs 13:20
- II Chronicles 24:1-2, 15-19 – The influences in Joash’s life changed and he also changed, turning away from God.
- It’s hard to have mature, spiritual conversations with worldly people.
- Psalms 119:9-16
- Philippians 4:8
- James Clear, Atomic Habits – example of heroine addiction and change of environment
- Can you change your environment to make things easier for yourself?
- Proverbs 5:8; 7:7, 25 – Get out of bad situations!
- What can I do to get away from temptation?
- James 4:7
- Luke 15:18-24 – God and the angels rejoice when we forsake sin!
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it.”
– C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, 1945
33 min - Holiness, Part 11Discerning between good and evilSins that Christians “used to do”
- I Peter 4:1-4 – lewdness (indecent behavior), lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, idolatry
What happens when we aren’t sure?- I Thessalonians 5:21-23
- Test everything
- Hold fast to what is good
- Abstain from every form of evil
- May God sanctify you
Questions that help us testIs the action like something the Bible condemns?- Galatians 5:19-21
- Sexual immorality, impurity, lewdness, idolatry, witchcraft (sorcery), hatred, jealousy, outburst of anger, selfish ambition, division, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries
43 min - Sin, Grace, and RighteousnessIntroduction
- I Corinthians 15:10
When we recognize the ugliness of sin, we appreciate grace even more.- Ezekiel 16:15-17, 32-37
- Micah 3:1-4
- Malachi 2:1-3
- II Peter 2:20-22
- The ugliness of sin is totally contrary to the beauty and purity of God. Yet God is willing to forgive!
Grace is forgiveness, not a repayment plan.- Isaiah 1:18
- Romans 4:1-5, 23 – No one earns their way into heaven. God deeds cannot wipe away sins.
- Romans 6:3-4
Grace should motivate righteousness, not sin.- Acts 2:37-38 – See Jeremiah 31:31-34; Isaiah 53:11; Joel 2:32. The gift of the Holy Spirit is salvation.
- Acts 2:42-47
- Ephesians 2:8-10 – They were not working off the sin, but they were living righteously.
- Titus 2:11-14
- Grace is not a license to sin.
- Our response to grace should be gratitude and motivation to live righteously.
- I Corinthians 15:10
26 min - Jude, Part 2Jude 1
- Jude 1:1
- Jude is the same word as Judas, but it is traditionally translated as Jude. He is the brother of James and Jesus.
- See Matthew 13:55
- It’s interesting that Jude introduces himself as the servant of Jesus, not the brother (see John 7:5).
- Acts 1:14
- This letter was probably written between 60-80 A.D. The letter is written to Christians.
- Jude 1:3
- The word translated “contend” is a very strong word. The English translation is not strong enough. The Greek word behind it carries the idea of a vigorous fight.
- Galatians 1:6-9 – The faith was once delivered – there are no upcoming revelations.
- Jude 1:4 – They were twisting God’s grace into a license for sin. See Romans 5:20-21; Galatians 5:13.
- Jude 1:5-7 – God punished His own special nation (Israel) repeatedly for disobedience. We cannot think that we will not be punished.
- Jude 1:6 – See II Peter 2:4. Even angels were punished when they sinned.
- Jude 1:7 – See Genesis 19:4-5, 24-28; Romans 1:26-27 – Some take this verse to imply that punishment in hell is not actually eternal. See Mark 9:47. It could mean that Sodom and Gomorrah were just a taste of the punishment to come. Note that the annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah was a one-time event, but the people were condemned to eternal destruction, which could be the point of the verse.
46 min
About ScriptureStream
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Just the gospel, plainly spoken. ScriptureStream compiles lessons presented at the Benchley church of Christ, located just north of Bryan, TX. Visit ScriptureStream.com for full notes on each lesson…
and additional resources for Bible study.