COMMON TO MAN

COMMON TO MAN

Text:  1Cor.10:13   (RSV)  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

INTRODUCTION:

1.       08/23/16 – Nathanael Isaiah Cornelson was stillborn – 5lb.5oz. 18in. (due c. 09/15)

2.       A week of “processing” grief with son and dnl.

3.       This text surfaced in my thinking, esp. the “common to man” phrase.

4.       So many have come out of the shadows with similar stories of pain, trying to connect and console.

5.       Song – Matt Maher “All The People Said Amen”

You are not alone if you are lonely

When you feel afraid, you're not the only

We are all the same, in need of mercy

To be forgiven and be free

It's all you got to lean on but thank God it's all you need

6.       Five points, about dealing with loss/trials, from text:

               1)      Temptation/trials

               2)      “Common to man”

               3)      “God is faithful”

               4)      Limits

               5)      Escape/endurance

LESSON:

          I.                    Temptation.

A.      James – temptations/trials NOT from God; but used by God

B.      Satan is the source of temptation/trials (and our own evil heart)

C.      God can use for good.  Rom.8:28

D.      Compound/complex meaning – bait, trial, test, weakness, purification.

E.       Satan comes to kill, steal, destroy; Jesus comes to give life, abundant life!

          II.                  Common to man.

A.      Ben Franklin (?) “two things certain, death and taxes…”

B.      Tanya Tucker song, “… all God’s children got troubles …” (?)

C.      The “human predicament” ?!  death and disease.

D.      “The big three” – lust of flesh, lust of eyes, pride of life

E.       We are all fellow-strugglers.

F.       Heb.4:15 “… a high priest sympathetic …”

G.     Many, many have lost children?!  MY first time, as a grandparent.

          III.                Faithful God.

A.      We can count on Him!  Mt. 28 “…WILL be with you…”

B.      Heb.4:16 our sympathetic high priest – He has grace and mercy.

C.      OT – Temple, Most Holy Place, Ark, Cover’s name?! “Mercy Seat”!!!  the Shekinah Glory chose to manifest on THIS spot in our dark world.

D.      The Psalms often speak of His help, His comfort.

          IV.                Limits.

A.      “… really?!”  when I am honest, I question this “not more than…”  “so, if I give in, or, if I crack, then it is my fault?!  My weakness?  My defectiveness?”

B.      He has more confidence in me, than I have in myself?  “you can do it; let me help”

C.      If nothing else, I have learned this – turn to GOD in my troubles!

NOT to world

NOT to substitutes (answer is not in a bottle)

NOT to lies of Satan!  (whispers of doubt and despair in my head)

D.      Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress” – “… did we in our own strength confide; our striving would be losing …”

E.       Rom.8:28  He is working it out, for my good; I need to work with Him, not against Him?!

F.       Zech.4:6 “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”

          V.                  Escape/Endurance.

A.      Lauren Daigle, “Trust In You” (http://www.songlyrics.com/lauren-daigle/trust-in-you-lyrics/)

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

B.      “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him…” Job 13:15

C.      So, which is it? Escape, or, Endurance?!  “yes”

D.      After counseling 2^nd grade, daughter, Sarah, “… I’m enduring…”

E.       Heb.12:4 “not yet resisted to point of shedding blood…”?!

F.       JW, (co-worker) “…you gotta want to…” as I gave up too soon on job.

G.     Sometimes you look for the exit ramp; sometimes you put it 4WD and plod on.

H.      Some questions have no answers.  Just trust Him.

GOD -- MY DELIVERER!

God – My “Deliverer”!

 

Introduction

1.            Different descriptors of God?

     1)            The Creator

     2)            The Guide

     3)            The Deliverer

     4)            The Judge

     5)            The King

     6)            The Redeemer

     7)            The Refuge

     8)            The Rock

     9)            The Shepherd

     10)          The Teacher

     11)          The Trinity

2.            “Deliverer”, “Deliverance”, “Deliver”, “Delivery”?

     1)            What comes to mind?  Banjo music?!  Delivery truck?  Delivery Room?

     2)            Range of meaning?

     3)            Bible-language words translated “deliverer”?

     4)            Hymns with “deliverer” as themes?

3.            Image of “deliverer”?! 

     1)            Last of Mohicans (movie) [Hawkeye, to Cora]: No! You stay alive! If they don't kill you, they'll take you north up to the Huron lands. Submit, do you hear? You're strong! You survive! You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you! No matter how long it takes, no matter how far. I will find you!

     2)            Aliens (movie) [Newt: to Ripley after they return to the ship] “I knew you'd come.”

     3)            Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves [Bryan Adams – (Everything I Do, I Do It for You)]

Yeah I would fight for you

I'd lie for you

Walk the wire for you

Yeah I'd die for you

You know it's true

Everything I do, ohh, I do it for you

     4)            To my wife, fear of space-heater in hall – “I will get you out”

     5)            Jesus – Jn.14

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” … 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. … 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.

 

Lesson:

I.             Well known hymns? (cyberhymnal search)

     1)            “be of sin the double cure; save from wrath, and make me pure …”

     2)            x

II.            Bible verses? (concordance search)

     1)            See list of “deliverer” references.

     2)            “… but deliver us from evil …” Mt. 5.

     3)            “… delivered us from darkness into kingdom of light …” Col.1.

     4)            x


III.           Bible words translated? (ZPEB, “Deliverer” II.90)


IV.          Things from which delivered?

A.            Hell

B.            Death

C.            Sin

     1)            Anger/bitterness/revenge

     2)            Laziness/apathy/sloth

     3)            Lust/porn/immorality

     4)            Greed/covetousness/want-it is

     5)            Pride/worldly-ambition/discontent

     6)            Mischief/mayhem/vandalism

     7)            Grumbling/complaining/negative-ness

     8)            Doubt/despair/fear

     9)            “Seven Mortal Sins”

     10)          Sin-lists – Gal.5, etc.

     11)          Ten Commandments

     12)          S.O.M. “but, I say’s”

D.            Different aspects of sin?

     1)            Effect

     2)            Guilt

     3)            Power

     4)            Pull

     5)            The Evil One

     6)            The evil system “the world”

E.            Trouble

     1)            Lost in woods/cave/ocean?!

     2)            Noise in the night

     3)            Bills piling up

     4)            Job

     5)            Relationships

     6)            Etc.

F.            Heart-stress

     1)            Pain

     2)            Sorrow

     3)            Loss

     4)            Heartache

     5)            stress


V.            Steps – M.O. – “How-To” of Delivery??

A.            Personal Inventory

B.            Conviction

C.            “Mind-change” – think differently

D.            “cry-out” “deliver me, O Lord!”

E.            Holy Spirit power

     1)            “… with God, all things are possible…”

     2)            “… apart from me, you can do nothing …”

     3)            (song) “our striving would be losing…” Mighty Fortress

     4)            Rom.7 -- > Rom.8

     5)            Have to wonder about Swaggert, etc.?

     6)            “my grace is sufficient …”

TOP TEN – SPIRITUAL BASICS

TOP TEN – SPIRITUAL BASICS

INTRODUCTION:

1.            David Letterman Show “Top Ten List” before going to bed?!

2.            “Boil-down”; “render”-(purify fat); “refine”; “prioritize” (“great commandment?”)

3.            “sine qua non’s” – that-without-which’s – mandatory-fundamentals (drives this list, mostly)

LESSON:  “Top Ten Spiritual Basics”

#10.  Ten Commandments

1.            Society’s foundation!

2.            Mankind’s map/navigator and his mirror.

3.            No Moore Ten-Commandment monument in Montgomery; but, a “Rainbow House” in DC?! Have we lost our “moorings”?!

4.            We NEED some “objective truth” “some standards” “some ancient landmarks”

5.            Memorize the list; LIVE the list!  “… that’s rule #7 …”  or, “… that’s rule #9…” (NCIS – Gibbs)

#9.  Hunger

1.            WHAT are our culture’s appetites?  Just look at media advertising.  Hint – it is NOT God.

2.            “as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after thee!”

3.            Mt. 5  “blessed … hunger and thirst … be filled!”

4.            Jesus gave the water, and not from the well!

5.            Our Daily Bread?!

6.            “passion” “intensity” “radical”

7.            “I Love To Tell The Story” (verse 4)

 I love to tell the story,

for those who know it best

seem hungering and thirsting

to hear it like the rest.

#8.  Humility & Honesty (two that work together, catalytically, feeding on each other, like two little brats, but for improvement, not destruction)

1.            Two basic, fundamental ingredients needed for spiritual growth/progress!

2.            Lk.18 P and TC illustrates this!

3.            Francesca Battistelli – “If We're Honest”

Truth is harder than a lie

The dark seems safer than the light

And everyone has a heart that loves to hide

I'm a mess and so are you

We've built walls nobody can get through

Yeah, it may be hard, but the best thing we could ever do, ever do

[Chorus:]

Bring your brokenness, and I'll bring mine

'Cause love can heal what hurt divides

And mercy's waiting on the other side

If we're honest

If we're honest

Don't pretend to be something that you're not

Living life afraid of getting caught

There is freedom found when we lay

our secrets down at the cross, at the cross

[Chorus]

It would change our lives

It would set us free

It's what we need to be

[Chorus]

4.            Who is the Father-of-lies?!

5.            We lie to ourselves; to each other; to God!

#7.  Holiness

1.            “w/o holiness, will not see God…” Heb.12.14

2.            Battling separation – from sin, secularism, selfishness, shallowness

3.            “set-apart” “special-purposed”

4.            Use wife’s family china in your skeet-shooter?

5.            Take wedding-reception goblets and use to clean out cat-litter box?

6.            For what, to whom are we offering ourselves for its use, abuse, misuse?

7.            A sense of “nobility”?!!!

8.            Our special purpose?  Worship, service to others, God’s purposes.

#6.  Spirit

1.            Segue/transition – HOLY Spirit?!

2.            “Zechariah 4:6 - So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. –

3.            Spiritual Enterprise?!

4.            Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

5.            Scripture, Prayer, Music, Study, Disciplines, Gifts

6.            A Mighty Fortress – Martin Luther

1. A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing;

our helper he amid the flood

of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

doth seek to work us woe;

his craft and power are great,

and armed with cruel hate,

on earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide,

our striving would be losing,

…

3. And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God hath willed

his truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

for lo, his doom is sure;

one little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly powers,

no thanks to them, abideth;

the Spirit and the gifts are ours,

thru him who with us sideth.

#5.  Fruit of Spirit

1.            “bucket-list”?!  LJPPKGFGS

2.            “pursue these more than the gifts”  (Butler, A of G, 1970’s)

3.            “I Want A Faith Like That”?!

4.            An inventory-checklist? “examine yourself …”

5.            “… bear much fruit …” Jn.15.8 -- fruitfulness

#4.  DBR – “death, burial, and resurrection”

1.            “think on things above” approach.

2.            Our real problems are not November wins; not pay scales; not even hair loss.

3.            “delivered, as of first importance …” 1Cor.15

4.            “determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ crucified”  1Cor.2.2

5.            Promise of OUR resurrection.  “first fruits” of crop to follow?!

6.            “grave, where is your sting?  Death, where is your power?”

#3.  FHL – “faith, hope, love”  -- Paul’s Triad, Paul’s Big-Three

1.            Watch the language of the NT master-theologian?!

(cf. Peter “many things Paul wrote … hard …” – but, hard to miss this cluster of words?!)

1 Corinthians 13:13; Colossians 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:8

2.            We NEED these – FHL! (they are the greatest heavenly gifts)

1)            We NEED faith – not cynicism, doubt

2)            We NEED hope – not despair, anxiety,

3)            We NEED love – not hatred, apathy, anger.

#2.  Love

1.            Email signature – “Love God, love each other, love NOT money”

2.            Ps.119.  “Love-the-word-of-God psalm”

3.            “what is the great commandment?”  Mt.22.36

4.            1Cor.13 “more excellent way”  “greatest of FHL”

5.            Golden Rule?! A better world?!

#1.  Jesus

1.            Jesus loves me;

2.            Jesus IS love?!  “LOVE” walked among us; will live within us even now! 1Jn.4.8

3.            Sarah; picture of Hindu temple in Fiji; “neat…(architecture)” “no! it’s awful … lost souls…”

4.            Jn.14:6  -- only one, of many, exclusive statements in Gospels.

5.            Jesus is the ANSWER!  Sin?  Death?  Role-model?!  Etc.

CONCLUSION:

1.            “at the end of the day …” what really matters?

2.            “the end of the matter … fear God, keep His commandments …” (Eccl.)

3.            KISS – “keep it simple, stupid”

4.            My “bucket list” (could make a good 13-week series?!)
5.            What would you add to this list?!  Obedience? Praise? Gratitude? Service?