Student Conference October 2008
"Living as a 3-D Christian in a 1-D World"
October 25th, 2008
Grace Bible Church
Pleasant Hill, CA
Christina spent the night Friday and we stayed up too late french braiding each other's hair badly and chatting.
6:30 am. The O'Neals picked us up and we all had breakfast at The Cowpoke Cafe. Delish.
7:30 am. everyone assembled at the church and we loaded up.
8:00-ish we pulled out and headed over the mountain.
We arrived around 9:45 (amazing, we were early! Usually the other groups stand around making jokes about M-town's punctuality while they wait for us to arrive) and got our name tags (Both Chrissy & I made Inigo Montoya tags and wore them) and some yummy donuts with milk. Real milk from a cow. I was in paradise.
Everything got off on the right time or a few minutes after. Here are my notes on the first session:
Intro-
The three D's of a christian we're going to study stand for-
Discipleship
Discernment
Deeds
Unfortunately all christians live in a Darkened world.
I. Discipleship
Matthew 28:19-20
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Jesus clearly commanded every christian, every person who claims to follow Him to disciple other christians. It's not optional and it can feel embarrassing, but He promised that we're not going to be left alone. We don't have to be afraid or nervous about sharing the truth that saves. It's our duty as children of God to disciple one another and be discipled in His ways.
a. Where does a disciple live?
John 1:5
"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
We all live in a depraved, fallen world and none of us would be able to understand God's word to us unless He allowed us to. When we share the truth with unbelievers, they can't understand it fully unless God works in them and opens their spiritual eyes and ears.
John 3:19-20
"This is the judgement: that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
The darkness seems overwhelming to us. It makes us feel isolated and helpless, but Christ has already defeated it. We can have confidence that our salvation and the safety of our souls cannot be compromised because He holds them in His hand.
We should love the people around us enough to desperately desire their salvation and reconciliation with God.
Acts 26:13-18
"... at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
"And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'"
All people who have not been saved are still living under Satan's power in the darkness, deceived into thinking that they are free and can do whatever they please. You will hear people, even christians talk about free choice. There's no such thing in reality. Unbelievers are only free to sin; they are incapable of choosing to stop sinning and to repent. Only God can give them the ability to repent and be saved and He only does this for His own glory and pleasure because obviously no one deserves it.
Because of darkness, unbelievers are:
• Depraved
Psalm 53:1-3
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God,' they are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; there is no one who does good.
God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God.
Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one."
1 Timothy 6:3-5
"Anyone who advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing;
but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain."
• Deceived
Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?"
2 Timothy 3:12-13
"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
•Disobedient
Deuteronomy 8:20
"Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God."
Hebrews 3:15-19
"while it is said, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.'
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief."
• Despondent
Job 8:11-13
"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water? While it is still green and not cut down, yet it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish"
Ephesians 2:12
"Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world."
• Dead
Genesis 2:16-17
"The LORD God commanded the man, saying,
'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'"
Romans 5:12
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--"
Ephesians 2:1-2
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."
b. What is a disciple like?
Disciple: (noun) a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosophy
(verb) guide someone in becoming a follower of a teacher, leader, or philosophy
We used the term "learner" instead of "student" because students may resist the urge to learn, but a true disciple relishes the privilege.
A learner listens to and watches their teacher- Christ is our teacher
A follower follows (novel thought, that) after the teacher- Jesus obeyed God so in imitation of Him (because He loves us and has accomplished everything necessary to our salvation, if we are His), we seek to obey God too.
1 Thessalonians 5
"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
-But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."
We are light in the darkness and we have been changed; we're not supposed to hide and blend in to avoid persecution.
The darkness and those still enslaved by it hate the light with passion.
If we are simply imitating our Savior in bringing light into the darkness, people will hate us.
When they truly understand who Jesus is and what He represents, unsaved people hate Him. If we are accurately living our lives as He wants us to, they will naturally hate us too. They can't help themselves.
c. What does a disciple do?
1. Disciples don't focus on darkness:
Matthew 6:19-24
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth."
2. Disciples refuse to walk in darkness:
John 8:12
"Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'"
3. Disciples don't do works of darkness:
Romans 13:12-14
"The night is almost gone, and the day is near Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts."
4. Disciples won't partner with those in the darkness:
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 'Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,' says the Lord. 'And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,' says the Lord Almighty."
5. Disciples never compromise with darkness:
Ephesians 5:5-10
"For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord."
Acts 26:17b-18
"...rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I (Jesus Christ) am sending you (Paul),
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."
1 Cor. 6:19-20
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."
6. Disciples expose darkness:
Ephesians 5:11-12
"Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret."
7. Disciples love people:
1 John 2:9-11
"The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
d. Being Discipled & Discipling 101
Being Discipled:
1. Meet (for study & question time) with a more spiritually mature (not necessarily older in years) believer who actively serves in the church.
2. Humbly learn, always keeping God's word as your final authority
3. Be serving in the church yourself
Discipling Another Believer:
1. Be serving in the church
2. Humbly lead according to God's word
3. Meet with a younger (again, not necessarily by years) believer for studying God's scriptures and answering questions
(if no one has questions, there's not enough studying going on)
Discussion Questions for First Session:
1. Do you think you are a disciple of Jesus?
2. How does the world's darkness affect us all? You personally?
3. How can we respond to those who love darkness?
4. In what ways can we help each other as disciples?
Session II. on the way...
October 25th, 2008
Grace Bible Church
Pleasant Hill, CA
Christina spent the night Friday and we stayed up too late french braiding each other's hair badly and chatting.
6:30 am. The O'Neals picked us up and we all had breakfast at The Cowpoke Cafe. Delish.
7:30 am. everyone assembled at the church and we loaded up.
8:00-ish we pulled out and headed over the mountain.
We arrived around 9:45 (amazing, we were early! Usually the other groups stand around making jokes about M-town's punctuality while they wait for us to arrive) and got our name tags (Both Chrissy & I made Inigo Montoya tags and wore them) and some yummy donuts with milk. Real milk from a cow. I was in paradise.
Everything got off on the right time or a few minutes after. Here are my notes on the first session:
Intro-
The three D's of a christian we're going to study stand for-
Discipleship
Discernment
Deeds
Unfortunately all christians live in a Darkened world.
I. Discipleship
Matthew 28:19-20
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Jesus clearly commanded every christian, every person who claims to follow Him to disciple other christians. It's not optional and it can feel embarrassing, but He promised that we're not going to be left alone. We don't have to be afraid or nervous about sharing the truth that saves. It's our duty as children of God to disciple one another and be discipled in His ways.
a. Where does a disciple live?
John 1:5
"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."
We all live in a depraved, fallen world and none of us would be able to understand God's word to us unless He allowed us to. When we share the truth with unbelievers, they can't understand it fully unless God works in them and opens their spiritual eyes and ears.
John 3:19-20
"This is the judgement: that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
The darkness seems overwhelming to us. It makes us feel isolated and helpless, but Christ has already defeated it. We can have confidence that our salvation and the safety of our souls cannot be compromised because He holds them in His hand.
We should love the people around us enough to desperately desire their salvation and reconciliation with God.
Acts 26:13-18
"... at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
"And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'"
All people who have not been saved are still living under Satan's power in the darkness, deceived into thinking that they are free and can do whatever they please. You will hear people, even christians talk about free choice. There's no such thing in reality. Unbelievers are only free to sin; they are incapable of choosing to stop sinning and to repent. Only God can give them the ability to repent and be saved and He only does this for His own glory and pleasure because obviously no one deserves it.
Because of darkness, unbelievers are:
• Depraved
Psalm 53:1-3
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God,' they are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; there is no one who does good.
God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God.
Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one."
1 Timothy 6:3-5
"Anyone who advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing;
but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain."
• Deceived
Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?"
2 Timothy 3:12-13
"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
•Disobedient
Deuteronomy 8:20
"Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God."
Hebrews 3:15-19
"while it is said, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.'
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief."
• Despondent
Job 8:11-13
"Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the rushes grow without water? While it is still green and not cut down, yet it withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the godless will perish"
Ephesians 2:12
"Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world."
• Dead
Genesis 2:16-17
"The LORD God commanded the man, saying,
'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.'"
Romans 5:12
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--"
Ephesians 2:1-2
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."
b. What is a disciple like?
Disciple: (noun) a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosophy
(verb) guide someone in becoming a follower of a teacher, leader, or philosophy
We used the term "learner" instead of "student" because students may resist the urge to learn, but a true disciple relishes the privilege.
A learner listens to and watches their teacher- Christ is our teacher
A follower follows (novel thought, that) after the teacher- Jesus obeyed God so in imitation of Him (because He loves us and has accomplished everything necessary to our salvation, if we are His), we seek to obey God too.
1 Thessalonians 5
"Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying, 'Peace and safety!' then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
-But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.
For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing."
We are light in the darkness and we have been changed; we're not supposed to hide and blend in to avoid persecution.
The darkness and those still enslaved by it hate the light with passion.
If we are simply imitating our Savior in bringing light into the darkness, people will hate us.
When they truly understand who Jesus is and what He represents, unsaved people hate Him. If we are accurately living our lives as He wants us to, they will naturally hate us too. They can't help themselves.
c. What does a disciple do?
1. Disciples don't focus on darkness:
Matthew 6:19-24
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other You cannot serve God and wealth."
2. Disciples refuse to walk in darkness:
John 8:12
"Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'"
3. Disciples don't do works of darkness:
Romans 13:12-14
"The night is almost gone, and the day is near Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts."
4. Disciples won't partner with those in the darkness:
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 'Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,' says the Lord. 'And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,' says the Lord Almighty."
5. Disciples never compromise with darkness:
Ephesians 5:5-10
"For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord."
Acts 26:17b-18
"...rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I (Jesus Christ) am sending you (Paul),
to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me."
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."
1 Cor. 6:19-20
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."
6. Disciples expose darkness:
Ephesians 5:11-12
"Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret."
7. Disciples love people:
1 John 2:9-11
"The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes."
d. Being Discipled & Discipling 101
Being Discipled:
1. Meet (for study & question time) with a more spiritually mature (not necessarily older in years) believer who actively serves in the church.
2. Humbly learn, always keeping God's word as your final authority
3. Be serving in the church yourself
Discipling Another Believer:
1. Be serving in the church
2. Humbly lead according to God's word
3. Meet with a younger (again, not necessarily by years) believer for studying God's scriptures and answering questions
(if no one has questions, there's not enough studying going on)
Discussion Questions for First Session:
1. Do you think you are a disciple of Jesus?
2. How does the world's darkness affect us all? You personally?
3. How can we respond to those who love darkness?
4. In what ways can we help each other as disciples?
Session II. on the way...