Introduction
Let me begin with a discipleship question: how will you follow Jesus in prayer and dependence on God this week?
Main Points
In this lesson shaped by Calvary Boise's teaching on BREAKTHROUGH: Checklist for Breakthrough, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Prayer and Dependence
We're in second Corinthians because of a little series that we've been doing in this entire book called breakthrough this letter was written by. The Apostle Paul to a church in Corinth the 1st century Church trying to encourage them to not give up in the heart for.
- That God has for the church to be in unity together to love one another to continue in the midst of all of our.
- Different preferences and circumstances and challenges to relationship there are obstacles that we overcome by the power of God's Spirit and this is a.
- Letter that points us in those directions and we're going to look at this for the final time next week we'll start a new.
- Study of Scripture in the book of Galatians so I find us to be in a passive scripture that works very well to summarize.
What we've been talking about and also give us some things to think about as to how this can be more than a series. But something that we apply to all of our lives for what God has for us moving forward and a good place to start.
Understanding the Heart Issue
About your life that don't seem very exciting so they in some way are trying to avoid the leadership and authority of Paul by. Disqualifying himself by him so he says to them you better make sure that you've examined yourself before you examine me and that's a.
- Very important biblical principle for how we overcome circumstantial difficulty frustration and obstacles with people and relationship it's sometimes tempting to look at the.
- Exterior things and think they're the problem to look at our season of life and be frustrated by things that if they just went.
- A little bit different or if they were just removed or changed then things would be fine and we can do that not only.
- With external circumstances but also with each other man if you were just a little bit different if you acted in a different way.
If you treated me differently if you worked on your stuff then we could finally come together and what Paul is saying is it's. Important for us to examine ourselves before we examine one another look what he says a couple of chapters previously in 2nd Corinthians chapter.
Sin and Salvation
45 minutes from here called bogus Basin that is a draw for some of us as to why we love Boise it is it. Is a more of a hill than a mountain it's not too extreme but it'll get the job done we're waiting in line and.
- As I get on the chairlift I'm Perry with someone who is very frustrated by the weight there's been seasons of our city where.
- You could go to bogus basin on a weekday and just go right through the line and sometimes you still can and sometimes you.
- Can't and he told me why and here's why the lines happen in our city now he said you know why we have to.
- Wait in line now you know why the traffic is bad now do you know why prices are going up in our houses and.
Sometimes it's getting the locals are getting moved out because so many people are moving from out-of-state into our city and he had one. Particular state that he was picking on by the way and by the way if you're from that state you are welcome to be.
Grace and Justification
Only you were like me and we tend to forget that we ourselves all of us who are in the kingdom are people who. Have been won by the power of God's grace in our lives into the kingdom so it's strange for us to accept God's grace.
- And then not extend God's grace to look at our lives and say we're here and now we're a local to the kingdom and.
- You newcomers to the faith or people haven't got a figured out or quite as mature you're kind of frustrating me on my way.
- To heaven if you don't mind moving you're in my way and you're causing me to slow down you're in my line so what.
- Paul's saying is examine yourself did you get God's grace are you being cleansed by his blood and his great and his sanctification in.
Your life is he working in and through you then assume he's doing the same for other people and Paul is actually going to. Give us a perfect model of him not just preaching this message but also in the previous chapter 2 chapter 13 chapter 12 he.
Persevering with Hope
Four of these that I want to share with you starting what we find in Paul's example chapter 12 verse 5 he says of. Such a one I will boast yet of myself I will not boast except in my infirmities now he's saying of such a one.
- Because the chapter starts by Paul sharing a story of a guy he once knew that had these incredible visions of heaven in fact.
- He said he saw the third heavens and most commentators believe that's a picture not of the atmosphere which is a name for heaven.
- In the in the ancient times or not the starry heavens but the presence of God the third out of this universe heaven that.
- This man had seen and he says you know this guy had a story this guy had a moment with God that really can't.
Even be can he be explained where we are now so I'm not gonna boast in that stuff sometimes we wish that we found. Ourselves hearing the preaching or the visions or the prophetic words of people who have visions that really don't fit into the lane of.
Grace and Justification
Was given to me a messenger of Satan to buff at me or to wrestle with me lest again he says this again 2mm. Ffice eyes the point we're about to make lest I be exalted above measure lest I find myself in a high place of esteem.
- Or popularity or influence that I really don't belong in God has given me this thing in my life that keeps me low it's.
- A thorn in his flesh which gives us spiritual checklist number one which is humility we must stay humble as we persevere in relationship.
- Together and wherever there is pride there will be division and Paul says I will not boast in the big things I'm gonna boast.
- In the way that I have been kept low this is something that we need to remember for day 1 of salvation because God.
Says that he gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud and it's something that we have to remember as we walk towards. What God has for us because wherever there is pride destruction will follow look what it says in proverbs chapter 16 pride goes before.
Grace and Justification
To teach you the beginning of grace which is humility so let me share my own story which I should share more often the. Ways that God humbles me because this is really all I can share and ways that I am ever exalted above measure will not.
- Only be bad for me but it'll be bad for our church that we would exalt the wrong person to an elevated place where.
- Only God belongs so I remember about a year ago going through one of those seasons as a family where things just feel stretched.
- You know my wife is pregnant we've got kids who don't really care to give her grace so they're just they're just going full.
- Throttle as if she doesn't need a little extra rest in time so on this particular night I've to say to my wife Daniela.
You don't cook we won't have to worry about a mess we won't have to worry about finding the things to cook and then. Prepare the meal and then clean up the dishes so on my way home I will pick up some food and so I do.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.