Beforehand: Be sure to check out Pastor Ben’s message online if you were not able to catch it on Sunday morning.
Below is the outline of Pastor Ben's message.
The Deep Six Study follows.
Epic - “Choices”
1 – Am I Interested in God’s Peace? – Judges 6:36; Philippians 4:6-7
2 – Am I Willing to Hear? – Judges 6:37-38; Mark 4:23
3 – Am I Willing to Be Wrong? – Judges 6:39; Proverbs 15:22
4 – Am I Willing to Investigate and Wait? – Judges 6:40
Deep Six Study
Introduction
Philippians 2:12-15 – “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.”
It is striking that Gideon’s requests for confirmation do not involve questioning what God has in mind for him to do, but rather they are his way of making certain that it truly is God who is in the middle of it all. God being at the center of it all is the fundamental issue that each person must address. In the passage above we are told that God saves us in order that there would be an “outworking” to His saving us. Then we are told what that “outworking” is: our lives demonstrating that we are His children with Him living in us and through us so that He is the one that accomplishes His will and pleasure whereby we have lives that are blameless, innocent, above reproach and shine as lights in the midst of a dark and wayward world. Living for God is truly meant to be an “epic” experience such as this and not simply seeking His stamp of approval on whatever life we carve out of human experience for ourselves. Looking at decision making in this light is what this week’s Deep Six Study is all about.
Question # 1 – How have you understood the phrase “work out your salvation” and how has this shaped your approach to living for Christ?
____________________________________________
Part 1 - Corresponds to the first point of the message
Judges 6:36 – “Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised...”
Ph. 4:6-7 – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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.”
Proverbs 3:13-17 – “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace."
John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
Comment – God wanted to use Gideon to rescue Israel and He wants our lives to shine in a dark and wayward world in order to rescue people. There is a universal need to feel settled about the direction of our lives and the decisions we make day by day to that end. Everyone wants peace in their lives. When we want God’s stamp of approval on our decisions so that we gain peace about going the way we want to go we have reversed things. Colossians says that peace should rule our hearts. The word rule means to arbitrate. When we are surrendered to God and His presence in our lives to use us as lights to rescue people in a dark and wayward world, He will use His peace to guide us. There is no stamp of approval here because we want only what he wants as ones who are putting His kingdom first. God will communicate His will to us through His Word and by His Spirit. We will know it is God being in the middle of a course of direction that He is orchestrating by the peace He brings to our hearts. Peace as an “arbitrator” is so much different than peace as a “stamp of approval.”
Question # 2 – What role do you think peace should play in a person’s life and how would you describe its presence in your life?
______________________________________________
Part 2 - Corresponds to the second point of the message
Judges 6:37-38 – “...prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.”
Mark 4:23 – “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
2 Timothy 4:1-5 – “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Isaiah 29:13-16 – “Then the Lord said, ‘Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.’ Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, ‘Who sees us?’ or ‘Who knows us?’ You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, that what is made would say to its maker, ‘He did not make me;’ or what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding?’”
Comment – When we are in charge and used to calling the shots, it is hard for us to listen to anything that runs contrary to our will. When God gets in the mix and we haven’t settled the issue of surrender to Him and living for His kingdom the battle for our hearts becomes a major factor. If the issue of surrender is not settled and we keep trying to go forward with living for God in some measure, we will be very selective in what we are willing to hear and we will become more and more deceived about what God truly requires of us. We must learn to be clay in the Potter’s hands. There truly is not a better place to be or any better way to become what we need to become.
Question # 3 – What is one suggestion you have for others that you think is essential for them becoming one who is truly willing to hear?
_____________________________________________
Part 3 - Corresponds to the third point of the message
Judges 6:39 – “Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.”
Proverbs 15:22 – “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring
success.”
Proverbs 15:5, 12, 31 – “A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but he who regards reproof is sensible …. A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, he will not go to the wise …. He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise.”
Jeremiah 10:23-24 – “I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O LORD, but with justice; not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.”
Comment – We need others to speak good things into our lives. This is part of how God works to move us along in the way He wants us to go. If we find that we seldom allow the good words (encouragement or correction) of others to penetrate our lives we must take inventory. Perhaps we are still in control and not doing well at listening to God on any level. We cannot be right all the time; we desperately need the wisdom, insight, and advice of the Godly people the Lord places in our lives. (Amen to Small Groups)
Question # 4 – What has your journey been like in regard to becoming one who receives correction from others?
__________________________________
Part 4 – Corresponds to the fourth point of the message
Judges 6:40 – “So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.”
Ephesians 5:15-17 – “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.”
Psalm 62:5-8 – “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”
Comment – When we surrender to God we learn to abandon personal control and personal agendas. This is vital to our growing in our desire to know God and His presence. Our focus in coming to Him will be Him and not a stamp of approval on our agenda and will. Experiencing God in this way will produce in us more and more of an ability to be still before Him, to wait on Him, and to see Him and where He is at work in all that lies before us so that we walk in the way that He has in mind for us.
Question # 5 – Describe a decision in your life that was the product of investigating and waiting and one that was not?
____________________________________________
Conclusion
Jeremiah 8:11, 15, 22 – “They heal the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace …. We waited for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror! …. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?”
It is time for us to set aside all the superficial ways we garner peace for our inner person as we go about living the lives we live. We hear the message of “peace, peace” from all directions, but it only really comes from Christ who has a balm for our souls that He awaits to administer abundantly and lovingly. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” We must come! We must learn from him! We must submit to His yoke and burden. This is the pathway to rest and peace and living for God and His kingdom. This is the all important decision and is the key to all other decisions. All other approaches to life are extremely burdensome and devoid of true rest. May God be merciful and show us the path of peace and rest.
Question # 6 – What is one response to God that you sense he is calling you to make to Him right now?
____________________________________________
Related Scripture: Romans 11:33-36; Revelation 2:7,29; Hebrews 3:7-11; Mark 7:6-16; Acts 17:10-12; 2 Peter 1:5-11; Luke 14:25-35; Psalm 130:5-6
What are your thoughts on these passages and how they relate to our study?” Under “comments” in the Deep Six section of the church website post your thoughts, applications, and questions on these passages or anything from this week’s Deep Six Study.