Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling (September 2022 Part one)

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Overall goal:
     Immerse our minds, hearts, and souls in the beauty of God’s Word 

Introduction:
     Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling (September 2022 Part one)

 Look at Psalm 139:13-16 NLT

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.  (ESV)

 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (NIV)

  • We are not here by mistake.

Look at Ephesians 2:10
New Living Translation
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

New International Version
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

  • A Sovereign God is in control and has a plan for our lives.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

  • Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Current events

When we examine current events: (Just to name a few.)

Inflation
Recession
Coronavirus
Our Southern Border
Left wing policies – government spending – government defying the constitution.
Events in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, China, Israel, Palestine, etc.
Support of Pro-abortion views.
The “woke” mentality.
The modern revolt against marriage.
The breakdown of the Biblical “male” and “female” marriage.
Wide spread acceptance of alternate life styles.
LGBTQ+
Trends in education

We see the demise of America as we once knew it.

We are surrounded by moral decay.

It’s easy to become discouraged.

It’s easy to lose focus.

When we read about the rise and fall of nations (God’s people) in the Old Testament.  The outcome for America is predictable.

Don’t lose your focus.

Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling.

  • Don’t lose your focus.
  • Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling. 

Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling.

Where do we start?

Philippians 4:6-9 NLT
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

You all know a lot of scripture.  Focus on what you know.  Do the things you know you should be doing, and don’t be sidetracked by the things you don’t understand.

Actions:

Don’t worry about anything.

Pray about everything. – Tell God what you need.

Thank God for all He has done.

Fix your thoughts on Scripture.

Put into practice all you learned from scripture.

  • Keep putting into practice all you learned.

Results:
You will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

  • You know a lot of scripture. Focus on what you know.

What are some things that you know?

  • God is Sovereign

God is the supreme authority.

God is sovereign over history and time.

Ephesians 1:11 NLT
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Psalm 47:7-9 NLT
7 For God is the King over all the earth.
Praise him with a psalm.
8 God reigns above the nations,
sitting on his holy throne.
9 The rulers of the world have gathered together
with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
He is highly honored everywhere. 

Psalm 125:2 NLT
2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.

  • Some things never change.
  • God never changes.

Malachi 3:6 (NLT)
6“I am the Lord, and I do not change. …

Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)
8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

  • God’s Word never changes.

Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)
8The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”

Psalm 119:89 (NLT)
89Your eternal word, O Lord,
stands firm in heaven.

Luke 21:33 (NLT)
33Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

John 10:34-35 (NLT)
34Jesus replied … 35And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. 

Matthew 5:18 (NLT)
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.

  • Our philosophy of Christian Education should never change.

Ephesians 4:14 NLT
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

 

To be continued in:
“Remember Your Mission, Your Ministry, Your Calling (September 2022 Part two)”

 

Paul’s Final Advice

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Paul’s Final Advice

Galatians 6:11-18 NLT
11 Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.
12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.
14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. 16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
17 From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
18 Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 6:11-18 NLT

Paul’s Final Advice 

11 Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.

  • Paul frequently took the pen from his secretary and added a postscript in his own handwriting.

Romans 16:22 NLT
22 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.

1 Corinthians 16:21 NLT
21 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting–Paul.

Colossians 4:18 NLT
18 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting–Paul.

2 Thessalonians 3:17 NLT
17 Here is my greeting in my own handwriting–Paul.  I do this in all my letters to prove they are from me. 

Paul did this to show that the letter really did come from him

And

In this case to make a final appeal.

The large letters may have been used for emphasis. 

12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others.

Throughout the book of Galatians Paul was addressing a group of Judaizers in Galatia who claimed that Paul’s teaching about the Good News was inadequate.  The Judaizers argued that Paul’s law-free gospel was incomplete, and they claimed that the real gospel required Gentiles to be circumcised and to keep other aspects of the law.

Paul continues to address this topic in his closing comments.

Paul believed that the Judaizers were more concerned about their own reputation than with pleasing God.

The Judaizers were only thinking of themselves. They want to look good to others.

  • The Judaizers wanted to look good to others.

They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 

By advocating circumcision, the Judaizers were less likely to experience opposition from the Jewish opponents to Christianity.

1 Corinthians 1:23 NLT
23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

  • The Judaizers wanted to avoid persecution.

For us it might be: criticism, opposition, condemnation, disapproval, disfavor, rebuke, etc. 

13 And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.

The motivation of the false teachers was self-serving. They “want to look good to others.”

They were more concerned about their own reputation than with honoring God.

“… so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.”

  • The Judaizers only wanted to boast about the number of people they had convinced to be circumcised.

Some people are more interested in numbers than in truth.

14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s motivation was to increase, not his own reputation, but God’s glory.  Boasting about law -keeping would detract from recognition of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s writings:

1 Corinthians 1:31 NLT
31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 2:2 NLT
2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NLT
17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

1 Corinthians 15:3 NLT
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.

Colossians 1:20-22 NLT
20 and through him (Christ) God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Colossians 2:14-15 NLT
14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Paul’s message was “salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone”.

  • Paul stated that he never boasted about anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 

  • The things of “this world” no longer attracted or influenced Paul. The “world” had no interest in Paul.

15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. 

The Galatians missed the point.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Colossians 2:11-12 NLT
11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Colossians 1:21-22
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 

16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle;

Those who have been transformed into a new creation by the power of the cross. (V. 14-15)

 they are the new people of God.

  • Those who have been transformed into a new creation are the people of God. 

17 From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. 

Paul makes one final attempt to defense of his authority as an apostle.

The false teachers, and perhaps some of the Galatians, have been misrepresenting Paul.  Paul insists on the respect that is due his ministry.

No one has a right to criticize Paul or his message because of his proven status as Christ’s servant. 

For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.

  • Paul is a genuine minister of Christ and has the scars to prove it.

Acts 14:19 NLT
19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.

2 Corinthians 6:4-5 NLT
4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 

2 Corinthians 11:21-27 NLT
21 … But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Exodus 21:6 NLT
6 If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. 

18 Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. 

  • Paul has not given up on the Galatians. He still refers to them as brothers and sisters. 

It’s all boils down to God’s grace. 

Paul ends where he began. 

Galatians 1:3-4 NLT
3 May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.

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  • Paul frequently took the pen from his secretary and added a postscript in his own handwriting.
  • The Judaizers wanted to look good to others.
  • The Judaizers wanted to avoid persecution.
  • The Judaizers only wanted to boast about the number of people they had convinced to be circumcised.
  • Paul stated that he never boasted about anything except the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • The things of “this world” no longer attract or influence Paul. The “world” has no interest in Paul.
  • Those who have been transformed into a new creation are the people of God.
  • Paul was a genuine minister of Christ and had the scars to prove it.
  • Paul had not given up on the Galatians. He still referred to them as brothers and sisters.

Samuel Speaks for the Lord

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Samuel Speaks for the Lord.

1 Samuel 3:15-21 NLT
15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him. 16 But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” Samuel replied.
17 “What did the Lord say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!” 18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the Lord’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”
19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. 20 And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 3:15-21 NLT
Samuel Speaks for the Lord

15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual.

  • Samuel started his day by carrying out his routine duties.

“Doors” are an indication that the Tabernacle in this passage was a more permanent structure than the one used in the wilderness.

He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him. 

  • Samuel was afraid to tell Eli of God’s plans for him and his family.

This may have been out of respect for Eli’s position as High Priest.

Samuel was a young man and Eli was the High Priest.

This may have been out of fear for his own safety. (See verse 17) 

16 But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.”

Eli addressed Samuel as his son.

Almost all translations us the words “my son”.

The call Samuel received from Eli was similar to the call Samuel previously received in 3:4-5.

4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did. 

This time it was Eli calling and Samuel knew it was Eli.

“Here I am,” Samuel replied. 

17 “What did the Lord say to you?

  • Eli recognized the fact that the Lord had spoken to Samuel.

Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. (1 Samuel 3:1) 

Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!” 

  • Eli called down God’s judgment on Samuel if he refused to tell everything he knew.

This expression was used on other occasions in the Old Testament.

Ruth 1:17 NLT
17 Wherever you die, I (Ruth) will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”

2 Samuel 3:9 NLT
9 May God strike me (Abner) and even kill me if I don’t do everything I can to help David get what the Lord has promised him!

2 Samuel 19:13 NLT
13 And David told them to tell Amasa, “Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place.”

1 Kings 19:2 NLT
2 So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

This is clearly a very solemn appeal.

This comment may have been very intimidating to Samuel.

  • A prophet’s assignment can be a very challenging and difficult assignment. It is not easy to tell people something they may not want to hear.
  • All throughout the Scripture both the prophet and their message were frequently rejected by the people the message was directed toward.

Nehemiah 9:26 NLT
26 “… They turned their backs on your Law, they killed your prophets who warned them to return to you…

Acts 7:52 NLT
52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.

Luke 13:34 NLT (Jesus speaking)
34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! 

18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back.

  • Samuel was taking on the role of a prophet of God.

“It is the Lord’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”

  • To his credit, Eli humbly accepts God’s judgment. 

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him,

  • As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him.

Many of changes are taking place in this chapter.

A major change:

Previously:

1 Samuel 3:7 NLT
7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before.

Application

Jesus’ promise to the disciples and to us.

John 14:16-18 NLT
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 

and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. 

All that Samuel spoke was fulfilled.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 NLT
21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ 22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.

Jeremiah 28:9 NLT
9 So a prophet who predicts peace must show he is right. Only when his predictions come true can we know that he is really from the Lord.”

20 And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south,

The territory of all 12 tribes of Israel. (refer to a map of Israel.)

knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 

  • The reliability of Samuel’s message made it evident that God was speaking through him. 

21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle.

The Lord continued to give messages to Samuel.

  • God reopened the lines of communication with Israel through Samuel.

Previously:
3:1 Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

Samuel’s role as a prophet was under way and would last for a lifetime.

A new era had begun.

1 Samuel 4:1 NLT
1 And Samuel’s words went out to all the people of Israel. 

  • Samuel was God’s spokesman for all of Israel.

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  • Samuel started his day by carrying out his routine duties.
  • Samuel was afraid to tell Eli of God’s plans for him and his family.
  • Eli recognized the fact that the Lord had spoken to Samuel.
  • Eli called down God’s judgment on Samuel if he refused to tell everything he knew.
  • A prophet’s assignment can be a very challenging and difficult assignment. It is not easy to tell people something they may not want to hear.
  • All throughout the Scripture both the prophet and their message were frequently rejected by the people the message was directed toward.
  • Samuel was taking on the role of a prophet of God.
  • To his credit, Eli humbly accepts God’s judgment.
  • As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him.
  • The reliability of Samuel’s message made it evident that God was speaking through him.
  • God reopened the lines of communication with Israel through Samuel.
  • Samuel was God’s spokesman for all of Israel.

We Harvest What We Plant

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We Harvest What We Plant

Galatians 6:6-10 NLT
6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 6:6-10 NLT
We Harvest What We Plant 

6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. 

More from Paul:
1 Corinthians 9:11, 14, 15 NLT

11 Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? 

14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. 

15 Yet I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. 

Some teachers who teach the Good News choose not to pursue these rights. 

Philippians 4:14-19 NLT
14 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 

  • Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. (Galatians 6:6 NLT) 

Teachers or pastors getting paid for their services is not the primary theme of this passage of scripture. 

7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. 

You will always harvest what you plant. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 NLT (giving to the church in Jerusalem)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 

 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. 12 So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.
13 As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. 14 And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. 15 Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!

  • Share with others because you want to share with them, not in response to pressure. Give cheerfully.

More scripture relating to reaping what you plant:

Job 4:8 NLT
8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble
and cultivate evil will harvest the same.

Proverbs 1:31-33 NLT
31 Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
32 For simpletons turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
33 But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”

Proverbs 22:8 NLT
8 Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster,
and their reign of terror will come to an end.

Hosea 10:12 NLT
12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
and shower righteousness upon you.’ 

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

  • You will always harvest what you plant. 

Remember, some harvests take time.

8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature

We have a sinful nature.

Romans 7:18 NLT
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.

There is nothing good in our sinful nature. 

will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.

Sin always corrupts.

A sinful nature progressively gets worse.

Romans 6:23 NLT
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. 

A sinful nature leads to death.

Romans 8:12-14 NLT
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Christians have no obligation to do what their sinful nature urges you to do. 

Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Those who live by the dictates of their sinful nature, will die.

  • Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. 
      • We all have a sinful nature.
      • There is nothing good in our sinful nature.

But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 

Go back to chapter 5.

Galatians 5:1-14 NLT
5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 

5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.   (Salvation through Jesus Christ)

13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 

  • Live to please the Spirit. (A primary theme of this passage.) 

9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.

Don’t allow sinful behavior to creep in.
Don’t become legalistic.
Don’t yield to temptations.
Don’t give up.

Luke 18:1 NLT
18:1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  

  • Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Always pray and never give up. 

10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

  • Our primary focus should be on serving other believers, but not to the exclusion of people outside the church. 

 ****************************************

 

  • Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. (Galatians 6:6 NLT) 
  • Share with others because you want to share with them, not in response to pressure. Give cheerfully.
  • You will always harvest what you plant. 
  • Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. 

We all have a sinful nature.

There is nothing good in our sinful nature.

  • Live to please the Spirit.
  • Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Always pray and never give up. 
  • Our primary focus should be on serving other believers, but not to the exclusion of people outside the church.

Samuel’s Call to God’s Service

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Samuel’s Call to God’s Service

Previous lesson:

A Warning for Eli’s Family
God had a message for Eli.
Sin has consequences.
Because of flagrant
disobedience, the house of Eli would forfeit their priesthood.
Hophni and Phinehas would both be killed on the same day.

1 Samuel 3:1-14 NLT
The Lord Speaks to Samuel
3:1 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. 14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”

Examine the Scriptures 

3:1 Meanwhile, 

During the events of chapters one and two.

1 Samuel 2:21 NLT
21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

1 Samuel 2:26 NLT
26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people. 

 the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli.

The Hebrew word “boy” used here is the same word used of David when he killed Goliath.

The historian Josephus believed that Samuel was 12 years old.
Other Bible scholars believe he may have been older than 12. 

Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

  • The time of the judges was a period of extremely limited (“rare” or “uncommon”) prophetic activity.

Except for a few exceptions, God was not disclosing His will through prophets or priests.

Some of these exceptions are found in Judges 2, 6, 7, 10, & 13.

The period was spiritually dark.

Judges 21:25 NLT
25 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

This was all about to change when God communicated with Samuel. 

2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now,

  • Eli was almost blind, both physically and spiritually. 

had gone to bed.  

3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out,

The priests were responsible for keeping the lamp of God burning through the night.

Exodus 27:20-21 NLT
Light for the Tabernacle
20 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. 21 The lampstand will stand in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for the people of Israel, and it must be observed from generation to generation.

Leviticus 24:1-3 NLT
24:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. 3 This is the lampstand that stands in the Tabernacle, in front of the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron must keep the lamps burning in the Lord’s presence all night. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation.

This implies early morning hours were approaching. 

and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 

The Tabernacle was the house of the Lord or the Temple of the Lord.

Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.  

  • Samuel sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God symbolizes Samuel’s nearness to God, in contrast to Eli and his sons.

4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” 

7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 

Samuel did know about the Lord.

Samuel had not yet encountered the Lord in a personal way.

  • Samuel did know about the Lord but he had not yet encountered the Lord in a personal way. 

8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” 

Then

It took three times. 

Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 

  • The events in this narrative indicate that Eli’s spiritual perception was not what it should have been as the high priest and judge of Israel.

Another example of misperception.

1 Samuel 1:12-16 NLT
12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

  • When Eli finally discerned that Samuel was being addressed by the Lord, he advised Samuel to respond to God, not to him (Eli). 

10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” 

  • The doubling of the name calls attention to the seriousness of the moment.

Note other examples when the doubling of the name was used:

Genesis 22:11 NLT
11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

Genesis 46:2 NLT
2 During the night God spoke to him in a vision. “Jacob! Jacob!” he called.
“Here I am,” Jacob replied.

Exodus 3:4 NLT
4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am!” Moses replied. 

Matthew 27:46 NLT
46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Luke 22:31 NLT
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.

Acts 9:4 NLT
4 He (Saul) fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 

And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

Samuel is not just hearing a voice, he is listening.

  • Eli had instructed Samuel to identify himself as God’s servant.

Samuel most likely understood his role.

See verse 1: Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 

God was about to give this young boy, Samuel, a message of impending destruction.

Events that would be of national significance to Israel.

This is an indication that Samuel had truly “grown in favor with the Lord” (matured) (2:26 NLT).

God would not have given this message to someone who was too immature to grasp its significance. 

12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 

  • God gave Samuel the same message Eli had received from “a man of God”.

1 Samuel 2:31-34 NLT
31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!

This did not happen immediately, but it did happen.

It took 130 years to fulfill this message.

Galatians 6:7 NLT
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 

13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, 

because his sons are blaspheming God

Leviticus 24:16 NLT
16 Anyone who blasphemes the Name of the Lord must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel. Any native-born Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the Name of the Lord must be put to death. 

and he hasn’t disciplined them. 

  • Eli was implicated in the sins of his sons because he did not intervene with judgment. If his sons were blaspheming God, they should have been stoned. 

14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”

Numbers 15:30-31 NLT
Laws concerning Offerings
30 “But those who brazenly violate the Lord’s will, whether native-born Israelites or foreigners, have blasphemed the Lord, and they must be cut off from the community. 31 Since they have treated the Lord’s word with contempt and deliberately disobeyed his command, they must be completely cut off and suffer the punishment for their guilt.”

Hebrews 10:26-27 NLT
26 Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. 27 There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.

  • If we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.(Hebrews 10:26 NLT)
  • Eli understood the seriousness of his son’s behaviors.

1 Samuel 2:22-25 NLT
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death. 

 

God spoke to Samuel and Samuel was ready to listen.

***************** 

  • The time of the judges was a period of extremely limited (“rare” or “uncommon”) prophetic activity.
  • Eli was almost blind, both physically and spiritually.
  • Samuel sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God symbolizes Samuel’s nearness to God, in contrast to Eli and his sons.
  • Samuel did know about the Lord but he had not yet encountered the Lord in a personal way.
  • The events in this narrative indicate that Eli’s spiritual perception was not what it should have been, as the high priest and judge of Israel.
  • When Eli finally discerned that Samuel was being addressed by the Lord, he advised Samuel respond to God, not to him (Eli).
  • The doubling of the name calls attention to the seriousness of the moment.
  • Eli had instructed Samuel to identify himself as God’s servant.
  • God gave Samuel the same message Eli had received from “a man of God”.
  • Eli was implicated in the sins of his sons because he did not intervene with judgment. If his sons were blaspheming God, they should have been stoned.
  • If we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.(Hebrews 10:26 NLT)
  • Eli understood the seriousness of his son’s behaviors.

 

Bear One Another’s Burdens

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Bear One Another’s Burdens

Introduction:

The last bullet point of our previous lesson was:

Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

That principle is key in this lesson.

Galatians 6:1-5 NLT
6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 6:1-5 NLT
Bear One Another’s Burdens

6:1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin,

Another believer

Is overcome by some sin 

1 Peter 5:8 NLT
8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

you who are godly 

  • Some are better equipped than others to help those overcome by sin.
  • The task of restoration is only for those who are godly, that is believers who walk by the spirit.

Galatians 5:16 NLT
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 

  • The task of restoration is only for those who are mature in the faith. 

Hebrews 5:13-14 NLT
13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. 

1 Corinthians 2:14-15 NLT
14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, 

Our tendency might be like:

John 8:3-5 NLT
3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

Acts 21:27-29 NLT
27 The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, 28 yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” 29 (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)

should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.    

“you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.”

  • Gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.

Gently and humble help restore that person. (mend, repair) 

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

Helping others back onto the right path can be a dangerous task.

  • No one is immune from falling into sin.

1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT
12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 

Romans 3:9-12 NLT
All People Are Sinners
9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
11 No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
12 All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.” 

1 John 1:8-9 NLT
8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Proverbs 28:13 NLT
13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 

“Burdens” heavy load, troubles, and problems. (sin – verse 1)

While the “spiritual” do the work of restoring, all believers can become involved by prayer and encouragement.

Galatians 5:14 NLT
14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

  • Share each other’s burdens.

3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

Don’t be conceited.

Philippians 2:4 NLT
4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

1 Corinthians 12
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 

  • Don’t think that you are too important to help others.
  • Treat other Christians with love when they sin.

Romans 12:16 NLT
16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

4 Pay careful attention to your own work,

“Test their own actions” NIV

“Examine his own work” NASB

  • Carefully scrutinize, examine, and test your own actions.

Romans 12:3 NLT
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 

Matthew 7:3-5 NLT
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.  

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 

5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct. 

“each one should carry their own load.” NIV 

Don’t play the “Blame Game”.

You are 100% responsible for your actions.

Romans 14:12 NLT
12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT
10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. 

  • We are each responsible for our own conduct. 
  • Some are better equipped than others to help those overcome by sin.
  • The task of restoration is only for those who are godly, that is believers who walk by the spirit.
  • The task of restoration is only for those who are mature in the faith.
  • Gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.
  • No one is immune from falling into sin.
  • Share each other’s burdens.
  • Don’t think that you are too important to help others.
  • Treat other Christians with love when they sin.
  • Carefully scrutinize, examine, and test your own actions.
  • We are each responsible for our own conduct.

 

 

A Warning for Eli’s Family

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A Warning for Eli’s Family

Note the widespread consequences for disobedience.

The time sequence in this lesson jumps back and forth.  More details from this lesson will come up in future lessons of 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 2:27-36 NLT
A Warning for Eli’s Family
27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!
30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!
35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”

Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 2:27-36 NLT
A Warning for Eli’s Family 

27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord:

“A man of God” is the phrase usually used as a synonym for “prophet”.

  • God had a message for Eli.

Matthew 11:15 NLT
15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Isaiah 28:23 NLT
23 Listen to me;
listen, and pay close attention.

Proverbs 8:33 NLT
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.

Jeremiah 7:24-27 NLT
24 “But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. 25 From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send my servants, the prophets—day in and day out. 26 But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.
27 “Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond. 

  • Many people choose not to listen when God speaks to them.

“I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 

Exodus 3-4
Moses and the burning bush.
Signs of the Lord’s power. (Moses and Aaron)
Moses staff turned into a serpent etc.

  • God revealed himself to Eli’s ancestors.

28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. 

Exodus 28:1-3 NLT
28:1 “Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests. 2 Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and beautiful. 3 Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service. 

  • God chose Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be his priest, to offer sacrifices on his altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served Him.

And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests.  

  • One of the primary duties of the priests was to offer sacrifices on the alter. (That was their job.)

29 So why do you (Eli) scorn my sacrifices and offerings?

Eli was the high priest.

Luke 12:48 NLT
48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. 

Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!

“you give your sons more honor than you give me”

“you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!”

  • Eli showed a preference for the wishes of his sons above the will of the Lord and was therefore unworthy of the Lord’s blessings.

1 Samuel 2:22
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.

  • Eli benefitted from his son’s activities, and God held Eli accountable for letting them continue.

30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests.

Exodus 29:9 NLT
9 Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons. 

Numbers 25:10-13 NLT
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger. 12 Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him. 13 In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me.”

  • The descendants of Aaron had a right to the priesthood.

But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 

  • Because of flagrant disobedience, the house of Eli would forfeit their priesthood. Although the descendants of Aaron had a right to the priesthood, priests could forfeit their position by their sins.

31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests.

  • The man of God declares a curse for Eli and all his descendants.
  • Sin has consequences.

All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.

  • The judgement of untimely death followed Eli’s descendants.

Unusual way for this to occur.

1 Samuel 22:16-19 NLT
16 “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted. 17 And he ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!” But Saul’s men refused to kill the Lord’s priests.
18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. 19 Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. 

20 Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.  

 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. 

1 Kings 3:14 NLT
14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.” 

But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 

A short life often expresses God’s disfavor, while a long life represents God’s blessing.

A short life vs. a long life. 

33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death.  

1 Samuel 22:
  20 Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David. 

34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!

1 Samuel 4:17 NLT
17 “Israel has been defeated by the Philistines,” the messenger replied. “The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured.”

A confirmation of God’s message told by His prophet.

  • Hophni and Phinehas were killed by the Philistines.

35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 

The priesthood was taken from Abiathar, descendant of Aaron’s son Ithamar, and given to Zadok, descendant of Aaron’s son Eleazar.

Human terms:

1 Kings 2:27 NLT
27 So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the Lord had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli. 

  • The priesthood was taken from Abiathar, descendant of Aaron’s son Ithamar 

1 Kings 2:35 NLT
35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.

  • The priesthood was given to Zadok, descendant of Aaron’s son Eleazar.

Ezekiel 44:15 NLT
15 “However, the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok continued to minister faithfully in the Temple when Israel abandoned me for idols. These men will serve as my ministers. They will stand in my presence and offer the fat and blood of the sacrifices, says the Sovereign Lord.

Ezekiel 48:11 NLT
11 This area (designated land around the temple Temple) is set aside for the ordained priests, the descendants of Zadok who served me faithfully and did not go astray with the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites. 

  • The descendants of Zadok served God faithfully and did not go astray with the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites.

Spiritual terms:

Hebrews 5:4-10 NLT
4 And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. 5 That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”
6 And in another passage God said to him,
“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
7 While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. 10 And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

  • Jesus Christ is our great high priest.

36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”

Members of the family who had gorged themselves on the sacrifices were now begging for food.

***************************************

  • God had a message for Eli.
  • Many people choose not to listen when God speaks to them.
  • God revealed himself to Eli’s ancestors.
  • God chose Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be his priest, to offer sacrifices on his altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served Him.
  • One of the primary duties of the priests was to offer sacrifices on the alter. (That was their job.)
  • Eli showed a preference for the wishes of his sons above the will of the Lord and was therefore unworthy of the Lord’s blessings.
  • Eli benefitted from his son’s activities, and God held Eli accountable for letting them continue.
  • The descendants of Aaron had a right to the priesthood.
  • Because of flagrant disobedience, the house of Eli would forfeit their priesthood. Although the descendants of Aaron had a right to the priesthood, priests could forfeit their position by their sins.
  • The man of God declares a curse for Eli and all his descendants.
  • Sin has consequences.
  • The judgement of untimely death followed Eli’s descendants.
  • Hophni and Phinehas were killed by the Philistines.
  • The priesthood was taken from Abiathar, descendant of Aaron’s son Ithamar. 
  • The priesthood was given to Zadok, descendant of Aaron’s son Eleazar.
  • The descendants of Zadok served God faithfully and did not go astray with the people of Israel and the rest of the Levites.
  • Jesus Christ is our great high priest. 

Eli’s Wicked Sons

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Eli’s Wicked Sons

Introduction

In this lesson Samuel’s behavior is compared to the behavior of Eli’s sons.

1 Samuel 2:11-26 NLT
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.
16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.
26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Samuel 2:11-26 NLT
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

1 Samuel 1:24 NLT
24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh.

  • As a Levite, the boy Samuel performed services that assisted Eli, the high priest.

The Levite Clans
1 Chronicles 6:27 NLT
27 Eliab, Jeroham, Elkanah, and Samuel.

Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels

Worthless (ESV)

Despicable (CEB)

who had no respect for the Lord 

“They did not know the Lord.” (ESV)

“Did not know the Lord”.

13 or for their duties as priests. 

Although they were priests among God’s people, they did not acknowledge God or seek to abide by His will.

Eli’s sons were not the only wicked priests.

Jeremiah 2:8 NLT
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who taught my word ignored me,
the rulers turned against me,
and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,
wasting their time on worthless idols. 

Judges 21:25 NLT
25 In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. 

  • The sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties as priests. 

Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons.

Deuteronomy 18:3 NLT
3 “These are the parts the priests may claim as their share from the cattle, sheep, and goats that the people bring as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. 

All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 

Repeated offences.

15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.

Leviticus 3 NLT
3 “If you present an animal from the herd as a peace offering to the Lord, it may be a male or a female, but it must have no defects. … 3 The priest must present part of this peace offering as a special gift to the Lord. This includes all the fat around the internal organs … 5 and Aaron’s sons will burn them on top of the burnt offering on the wood burning on the altar. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
… 9 The priest must present the fat of this peace offering as a special gift to the Lord. … and the fat around them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver. These must be removed with the kidneys, 11 and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food presented to the Lord.
14 The priest must present part of this offering as a special gift to the Lord. This includes all the fat around the internal organs … 16 and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.
17 “You must never eat any fat or blood. This is a permanent law for you, and it must be observed from generation to generation, wherever you live.”

Leviticus 7:31 NLT
31 Then the priest will burn the fat on the altar, but the breast will belong to Aaron and his descendants. 

16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 

“I’ll take it by force.”  The wishes of the people offering the sacrifices were ignored.

17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.

  • The sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
  • Eli’s sons disregarded God’s instructions. 

18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord.

In sharp contrast to the sons of Eli.

  • Samuel went above and beyond the expectations of the Levites.

The Levites, members of the same tribe, but who were not descendants of Aaron, served as aides to the priests, doing things like helping to prepare the sacrifices. They took care of the temple, making repairs when needed, and served as musicians, singers, doorkeepers.

The Levites lived for the greater part of the year in their own cities and came up at fixed periods of time to take their turn of work.

Numbers 8:24-25 NLT
24 “This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, 25 and they must retire at the age of fifty. 

Deuteronomy 18:6-7 NLT
6 “Suppose a Levite chooses to move from his town in Israel, wherever he is living, to the place the Lord chooses for worship. 7 He may minister there in the name of the Lord his God, just like all his fellow Levites who are serving the Lord there. 

  • In sharp contrast to the sons of Eli, Samuel served the Lord.

He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 

Samuel dressed like a priest.

Samuel functioned as a priest.

Samuel makes sacrifices on behalf of the people, and offers intercessory prayers to God for them.

1 Samuel 7:9 NLT
9 So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.

All priests were Levites.

Not all Levites were priests.

Was Samuel a Priest? (Support your answer.) 

19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 

  • Hannah would visit Samuel on a yearly basis to help with some of his material needs.

20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 

Blessing was one of the functions of a priest.

Review:

It was the duty and privilege of the priests to bless the people in the name of the Lord.

Numbers 6:22-27 NLT
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:
24 ‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” 

Lev 9:22-23 NLT
22 After that, Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. Then, after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down from the altar. 23 Then Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle, and when they came back out, they blessed the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.  

  • A blessing from God’s high priest was an assurance that Hannah’s prayer would be answered.

21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters.

  • The Lord blessed Hannah, giving her three sons and two daughters, more than what she asked for.

Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. 

22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. 

  • Eli was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.
  • Eli lacked good parental skills.

1 Timothy 3:4 NLT
4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.

Titus 1:6 NLT
6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 

He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 

Religious prostitution was common among Israel’s Canaanite neighbors.

Deuteronomy 23:17-18 NLT
17 “No Israelite, whether man or woman, may become a temple prostitute. 18 When you are bringing an offering to fulfill a vow, you must not bring to the house of the Lord your God any offering from the earnings of a prostitute, whether a man or a woman, for both are detestable to the Lord your God.

This verse may not apply directly to this situation, but we do know that this behavior was detestable to the Lord and was a desecration of his house. 

  • Seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle was behavior that was detestable to the Lord and was a desecration of his house. 

23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons!

Eli rebuked his sons but did not remove them from office.

  • Eli’s discipline was too little, too late.

Proverbs 22:6 NLT
6 Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Deuteronomy 6:4-8 NLT
4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.

The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good.  

25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?”

These are serious offenses by priests against God.

Psalm 145:20 NLT
20 The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.

Nahum 1:3 NLT3 The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,
and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.

Psalm 51:4 NLT
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just. 

  • God never lets the guilty go unpunished.

But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.

  • Eli’s sons had persisted in their evil ways so long that God’s judgment on them was already determined.

26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.

In contrast to Eli’s sons, Samuel was maturing both spiritually and socially.

Luke 2:52 NLT
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. 

  • Scripture includes Samuel’s name in a list of men of faith. (Hebrews 11:32)

Hebrews 11:32 NLT
32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

 ******************************** 

  • As a Levite, the boy Samuel performed services that assisted Eli, the high priest.
  • The sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord or for their duties as priests.
  • The sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.
  • Eli’s sons disregarded God’s instructions.
  • Samuel went above and beyond the expectations of the Levites.
  • In sharp contrast to the sons of Eli, Samuel served the Lord.
  • Hannah would visit Samuel on a yearly basis to help with some of his material needs.
  • A blessing from God’s high priest was an assurance that Hannah’s prayer would be answered.
  • The Lord blessed Hannah, giving her three sons and two daughters, more than what she asked for.
  • Eli was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.
  • Eli lacked good parental skills.
  • Seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle was behavior that was detestable to the Lord and was a desecration of his house.
  • Eli’s discipline was too little, too late.
  • God never lets the guilty go unpunished.
  • Eli’s sons had persisted in their evil ways so long that God’s judgment on them was already determined.
  • Scripture includes Samuel’s name in a list of men of faith. (Hebrews 11:32)

Following the Spirit’s Leading

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Introduction:

Matthew 7:20 NLT
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Galatians 5:19-26 NLT
Results of the Sinful Nature
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Fruit of the Spirit
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Following the Spirit’s Leading
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Examine the scriptures:

Matthew 7:20 NLT
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

  • You can identify people by their actions.

Galatians 5:19-26 NLT
Results of the Sinful Nature
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear:

  • Without the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, sinful humans follow wicked desires and actions.

sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.

Sexual sins:

sexual immorality,
impurity, moral corruption (CEB)
lustful pleasures, debauchery (NIV), sensuality (ESV), doing whatever feels good (CEB)

Religious sins:

idolatry,
sorcery, witchcraft (NIV), casting spells (CEB)

Social sins:

hostility, hatred (NIV), enmity (ESV)
quarreling, discord (NIV), strife (ESV), fighting (CEB)
jealousy, obsession (CEB)
outbursts of anger, fits of rage (NIV), fits of anger (ESV), losing your temper (CEB)
selfish ambition, rivalries (ESV), competitive opposition (CEB)
dissension, conflict (CEB)
division, factions (NIV), group rivalry (CEB)
envy, jealousy (CEB)

drunkenness,
wild parties, orgies (NIV)

and other sins like these. And the like (NIV)

This long list is only representative and not exhaustive.

See also:1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:5, Revelation 22:15 

Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Romans 1:32 NLT
32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Romans 2:14-15 NLT
14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.

  • Basic understanding of right and wrong is universal.

Those who live like this, who habitually indulge in these sins do not give evidence of being a child of God.

  • When you live your life following the desires of your sinful nature you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

1 John 5:18 NLT
18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.

Romans 6:17-18 NLT
17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Fruit of the Spirit
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Habits of mind:

love,
 joy,
 peace

Reaches out to others:

patience, forbearance (NIV)
 kindness,
 goodness,

General conduct:

faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control 

Note: This list is identical, except for instance, in the NLT, NIV, ESV, and CEB.

Similar passages to Galatians 5:22-23

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Ephesians 4:2 NLT
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT
8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

2 Corinthians 6:6 NLT
6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.

  • The Holy Spirit defends against sin.
  • Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit.

Following the Spirit’s Leading

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 

Galatians 2:20 NLT
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Romans 6:6 NLT
6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.

Romans 7:4-6 NLT
4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:14 NLT
14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 

John 15:5-8 NLT
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 

  • Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
  • Apart from Christ we can do nothing. 
  • Christ and the Holy Spirit come together in the believer’s life.

John 14:16-20 NLT
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 

Follow the Spirit’s leading.

From previous lesson:

The Holy Spirit dwells in Christians.

1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

The Holy Spirit guides us.

John 16:13 NLT
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

The Holy Spirit brings conviction.

John 16:8 NLT
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us.

1 Peter 1:2 NLT
2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. 

Galatians 5:16
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

  • Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

These are likely issues that were evident in the Galatian churches. 

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  • You can identify people by their actions.
  • Without the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, sinful humans follow wicked desires and actions.
  • Basic understanding of right and wrong is universal.
  • When you live your life following the desires of your sinful nature you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
  • The Holy Spirit defends against sin.
  • Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit.
  • Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
  • Apart from Christ we can do nothing. 
  • Christ and the Holy Spirit come together in the believer’s life.
  • Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

 

Living by the Spirit’s Power

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Living by the Spirit’s Power

Galatians 5:16-18 NLT
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Examine the scriptures:

Galatians 5:16-18 NLT
Living by the Spirit’s Power 

The Holy Spirit is God.

The Holy Spirit is a person.

He thinks (Acts 15:28), He speaks (Acts 1:16), He grieves (Ephesians 4:30), and He decides (1 Corinthians 12:11).

The Holy Spirit dwells in Christians.

1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word of God.

John 14:26 NLT
26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

The Holy Spirit tells us what Christ has done.

John 15:26 NLT
26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.

The Holy Spirit speaks on our behalf.  He intercedes for us.

Romans 8:27 NLT
27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

The Holy Spirit guides us.

John 16:13 NLT
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

The Holy Spirit brings conviction.

John 16:8 NLT
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

The Holy Spirit sanctifies us.

1 Peter 1:2 NLT
2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. 

The Holy Spirit inspires writers.

2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT
20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 

 

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.

In light of all that is happening in their lives.

“Let” used here and “but when” used in verse 18 remind us that we are not always being guided by the Holy Spirit.

Yield to the Holy Spirit.
Walk by the Spirit.
Make decisions and choices according to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Romans 12:2 NLT
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

  • Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
  • Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Every Christian has two natures.

A sinful nature received at birth, inherited from fallen Adam.

A divine nature received when we came to God, when we were adopted into His family, when we were born again.

  • Every Christian has a sinful nature and a divine nature.

Romans 8:2-4 NLT
2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 

2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 

Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  

17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, 

which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.

A desire for evil.

1 Peter 2:11 NLT
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

  • The sinful nature wants to do evil.

And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.

A desire for holiness.

  • A divine nature desires holiness. 

These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 

  • The Christian’s divine nature and the sinful nature are at war with each other.
  • The war between the Christian’s divine nature and sinful nature will continue until the Christian is resurrected with Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:18-25 NLT
The Future Glory
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) 

18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 

“but when”

The Spirit’s active presence in believer’s lives shows that they are no longer under the pre-Christian system.

  • A Godly life is not lived under the rules of the Law but is a life led by the Spirit.

A law-free faith will not lead to moral ruin because having the Holy Spirit to guide people’s lives changes their hearts to follow the will of God and not sin.

Just as justification is not possible by works so sanctification cannot be achieved by human effort.

This of course does not mean that a Christian is totally passive in either case for the response of faith is necessary-faith in Christ to save and faith in the Holy Spirit to sanctify.

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  • Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.
  • Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
  • Every Christian has a sinful nature and a divine nature.
  • The sinful nature wants to do evil.
  • A divine nature desires holiness.
  • The Christian’s divine nature and the sinful nature are at war with each other.
  • The war between the Christian’s divine nature and sinful nature will continue until the Christian is resurrected with Jesus Christ.
  • A Godly life is not lived under the rules of the Law but is a life led by the Spirit.