GOD WHO SPEAKS

THE

FALL 2012: Personal Study Guide Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor

THE GOSPEL PROJECT FOR STUDENTS

PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE, FALL 2012 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1 PRODUCTION AND MINISTRY TEAM EDITORIAL PROJECT LEADER: Chad Jordan CONTENT EDITOR: Chad Jordan SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST: Edward A . Crawford GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Charles Long CONTRACT GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Susan Maywald PRODUCTION EDITOR: Scott Latta STUDENT MINISTRY SPECIALIST: Paul Turner Send questions/comments to: Content Editor, The Gospel Project for Students, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 372340174; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY PUBLISHING: Jeff Pratt DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY: Ben Trueblood DIRECTOR, SUNDAY SCHOOL: David Francis

Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project for Students (ISSN 1939-0742; Item 005508013) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWays doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

These Christian leaders were part of a team who consulted on the creation of The Gospel Project.
James MacDonald Eric Mason Joe Thorn

Senior Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel, Chicago, IL

Daniel Akin

Pastor of Epiphany Fellowship, Philadelphia, PA

Kimberly Thornbury

Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship, St. Charles, IL

Juan Sanchez

President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC

J.D. Greear

Dean of Students at Union University, Jackson, TN

Jay Noh

Pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, TX

Collin Hansen

Pastor at The Summit Church, Raleigh, NC

Director of Missional Leadership and Mobilization, Chicago Baptist Association

Editorial director, The Gospel Coalition / editor-at-large, Christianity Today

SESSION 3

GOD IS NOT MUTE

ACEBOOK IS A GOOD THING. It makes staying connected with each other easy. It lets us brag about things we do and then post for all to see. One downside about Facebook is it creates another category of relationships for us. Having Facebook friends is not the same thing as having real friends. Many times, you dont even really know your Facebook friends. You know some info about them and you can make some general statements about them by the things they say and the pictures they post. But do you really know them? The same can be said about God. We can learn a lot about Him through His creation. We can even make some general statements about what He is probably like. But to actually know Him, we have to dig deeper than what He has revealed generally through His creation. Thankfully He has done more than post some pictures and leave us guessing. God has given us His actual words and left us without an excuse. Not only can we learn about Him personally, He also reveals our purpose. The Bible, Gods special revelation, His telling of His story, has given us all we need to know about Him.

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READY YOUR HEART

HE INSPIRES
2 Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD. To use the theological word for it, it is an inspired book . That doesnt mean that the writers of the Bible fell into a trance and then woke up several hours later with pages in front of them . It means instead that God chose to use, as His instrument, these men, complete with their own personalities . Think about it in terms of a text . If you want to be really particular and specific in what you communicate, you might use an emoticon . Or a different color . Or all capital letters . In the same way, God not only chose the words, He also chose the instruments He would use to communicate those words . Have you ever wondered why there are four gospels? Wouldnt it be simpler if there was just one? But think about the differences in those gospels . Matthew was a former tax collector . He had a Jewish background . So His gospel includes these elements . Mark appears to write from a Jewish perspective but to a gentile audience . Luke was a physician by trade . He had an organized and logical mind . His gospel displays that organization and logic . John started following Jesus when he was a teenager . His gospel has that mindset of imagination and creativity to it, complete with the flowery language . Four different men . Four different perspectives on the same story . All inspired by one God . There is great hope for us in this fact . It means, among other things, that God has wired you, too, very specifically . He has given you talents and abilities, ingraining them into your very DNA . If God used these four men, along with the other writers of Scripture, according to their own personalities, then Hes sure likely to use you, too . Hes likely to use your creativity . Your love of sports or animals . Your physical makeup and being . God can use you . He is, after all, the One who made you .

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Have you ever wondered why you have the gifts and abilities you have? What ability do you secretly wish you had? How does knowing that God allowed men to write the Bible and used their uniqueness to accomplish His mission impact the way you look at how He has gifted you?

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READY YOUR HEART

HE INSTRUCTS
Psalm 19:7-11 The instruction of the LORD is perfect, renewing ones life; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the LORD are right, making the heart glad; the command of the LORD is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are reliable and altogether righteous. They are more desirable than goldthan an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey, which comes from the honeycomb. In addition, Your servant is warned by them; there is great reward in keeping them.

WHAT IS GODS WILL FOR MY LIFE?

Its a popular question that most every Christian (hopefully) asks at some point . Usually its around a time of big decisionwhere to go to college, who to seriously date, what studies to pursuesomething like that . The question is a good one . It shows that we really want to do what God wants us to do; otherwise, we wouldnt really be asking the question . The truth is that for most everything, God has already revealed His will for our lives . There are certain things you can do that you absolutely know are Gods will for your life, because theyre the same for every believer . These are things like:

Study and memorize Scripture Pray on all occasions

Avoid sexual immorality Seek to make disciples of all nations

No one has to ask about Gods will in these matters; Hes already revealed it . In fact, if most of us would seek to commit ourselves fully to the aspects of Gods will that He has already revealed, then the other aspects of Gods will might not be so mysterious to us . Say, for example, you are trying to choose where to go to college . You know that its Gods will for your life to share the gospel and commit your life to bringing glory to Him in all contexts . The question then becomes Where can I best live out what I know that God wants me to do? The only way we grow in this area is through reading, meditating on, and memorizing Gods Word . This is how we learn Gods will for our lives .

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Do you find Gods ways more desirable than gold or sweeter than honey? What areas of your life right now may be hindering you from finding His will for you? What prevents you from living out what you already know to be true?

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READY YOUR HEART

HES ALWAYS BEEN THERE

Luke 24:25-27 He said to them, How unwise and slow you are to believe in your hearts all that the prophets have spoken! Didnt the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory? Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. BIBLE STUDY WONT CHANGE YOUR LIFE. OK, that may be a bit of overstatement to get your attention, but just because you know the Bible doesnt mean the Word will bear fruit in your life . It is possible to know the Scriptures, read the Scriptures, revere the Scriptures, and study the Scriptures and miss the point entirely . Way too often Bible study is more about us than Christ . We commonly begin with us at the center and bring God into our world to address our already-defined needs and problems . We look at the Bible as a book of divine instruction, a manual for succeeding in life, or a map for making sure we get to heaven when we die . Studying the Scripture like this will not result in life transformation . Why? Because it is missing something . Better put, it is missing Someone . Bible study alone is not what transforms your life . Jesus transforms your life . Its possible to amass great amounts of biblical knowledge, to impress people with your mastery of Bible trivia, to creatively apply the Bible in ways that seem so down to earth and practical, to dot your theological Is and cross your exegetical Ts and still miss Jesus . Scary, isnt it? The purpose of our Bible study is to know God and make Him known . The Bible unveils Jesus Christ as the focal point of human history . All creation exists by Him, through Him, to Him, and for Him . Our Bible study should exist for Him too . Thats the only kind of Bible study that will change your life .

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Why is it important that all of the Bible is pointing to Christ? What is the difference in knowing things about Jesus and actually knowing Him? Which would you say best describes you: Knowing about Him or actually knowing Him?

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Scripture...

God has not left us to figure out all we need to know from His general revelation alone. He also gets straight to the point by providing what we call special revelation. Special revelation is different from general revelation because it refers to the way God reveals specific things about Himself and His plan for the created worldincluding usin His written Word. The general revelation of creation is reflecting Gods glory, but in the special revelation of the Bible, God is proclaiming His glory Himself.

Is Inspired by God.
That God inspired the Scriptures does not mean that men wrote the words of the Bible completely of their own devices merely as an act of honor to God. On the other hand, the inspiration that the Spirit provided did not turn the human authors into writing robots. God used men to write the Bible, but He did so without overriding their personalities.

What does the truth that God chose not to override the personalities of the Bibles authors say about our own personalities? In what ways can God use our circumstances and personalities in our proclamation of His truth?

The words complete and every mean

there is nothing necessary for us to know that the Bible lacks to show. We should neither need nor want to look outside of the Bible to find out what God deems as need to know knowledge. In what ways might Christians be tempted to supplement the Bibles authority with something else? How can we demonstrate our belief that the Bible is sufficient to guide our lives?

The Bible isnt just a message for us, it is ultimately a message about God. All that God does in the great history of redemption He does chiefly for His own renown. Do you agree with the statement In all God does, His first aim is to glorify Himself? Why or why not? What are some ways that Gods glorifying Himself is a benefit to us?

Reveals His Expectations.

God does not want us to fumble
around in the shadows, trying to figure out the meaning of life. He tells us where we stand in relation to Him (sinners deserving wrath), how we got there (through Adams sin, which we both inherit and embrace), and best of all, how we get out of it into a right standing with Him (through Christs sinlessness, culminating in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection).

Even though we see the imprint of the gospel in general revelation, we do not receive His specific word to us regarding what He expects from His relationship with us. In fact, while general revelation reveals there is a God to know, special revelation reveals that God wants to be known personally.

Reread Psalm 19:11

How is there great reward in keeping Gods commandments? How does your answer to the above question relate to the truth that we are saved by faith, not by works (Eph. 2:8-9)?
Many of us are not used to thinking of Gods commandmentsand Scripture in generalas sweeter than honey, or something that is delicious. How in the world do we get to that perspective?

In what ways can Gods instructions make the heart glad? How can Gods commandments make our eyes light up? Are His ways sweeter than honey to you?

Glorifies Christ.
The point of special revelation is to reveal the gospel. Gods written Word points to Jesus, the Living Word. As Jesus claimed implicitly and explicitly throughout His earthly ministry that He is the true Messiah long awaited by the people of God, He was asserting Himself as the culmination of human history.

Reflecting on Jesus revelation to His traveling companions in Luke 24:25-27, what might have been some of the things concerning Himself He showed them from the Old Testament?

Conclusion

Through His Word, God specifies His intentions for humanity and His expectations of us. He shows us how the glory of Christ is the purpose of world history. We are to respond to Gods special revelation by aligning ourselves with Gods expressed will. What part of your life is working counter to Gods intentions? Does Gods voice have a presence in your life? Are you instructed, rebuked, and corrected by the Word? Is it possible to revere the Word and not read it? How can you discipline yourself to spend unhurried time in Gods Word?

ENCORE

GOD IS NOT MUTE Scripture...

1. IS INSPIRED BY GOD (2 TIM. 3:16-17). Though the Bible has approximately 40 different authors, runs the gamut from history to law and prophecy to poetry, and includes 66 books written over the span of 1,600 years, it has one Author who made every word sure and every truth proclaimed. Paul reminds Timothy of this vital truth in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. That God inspired the Scriptures does not mean that men wrote the words of the Bible completely of their own devices merely as an act of honor to God. Certainly their work in writing the books of the Bible was an act of honor to God, but it was not merely that. So when we say God inspired men to write the Bible, we dont mean it in the same way that a guy may write a poem because he was inspired by a beautiful woman. The inspiration that the Holy Spirit provided in revealing the Word of God was direct, not indirect. On the other hand, the inspiration that the Spirit provided in the revelation of the Word of God did not turn the human authors into automatic dictation machines. They werent possessedat least not in the sense of losing control over their own faculties. God used men to write the Bible, but He did so without overriding their personalities. When Paul taught that his biblical words were inspired by God, he meant that God took whatever care determined necessary to make sure that what Paul and all the other biblical writers said was what God wanted said. God may have used a variety of means to inspire the human authors of the Bible, but He determined that the final result was His own supreme authorship. Paul tells Timothy that the Word of God contains all that we need to be complete and equipped for every good work. The words complete and every mean there is nothing necessary for us to know that the Bible lacks to show. And since the Bibles help for us in these areas is comprehensive and exclusive, it is therefore authoritative. We should neither need nor want to look outside of the Bible to find out what God deems as need to know knowledge. While the Bible is a message for us, it is ultimately a message about God. All that God does in the great history of redemption He does chiefly for His own renown. 2. REVEALS HIS EXPECTATIONS (PS. 19:7-11). In the general revelation of creation, we can discern Gods existence and the shape of some of His attributes. These leave us without excuse in our responsibility to seek God and obey Him. But even though we see the imprint of the gospel in general revelation, we do not receive His specific word to us regarding what He expects from His relationship with us. We do not worship the deists god, who leaves clues about himself scattered about the universe but then goes hands-off and leaves us to our own devices. No, we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We worship the God who interrupts us when were trying to mind our own business, and He tells us His name, His plan, and His complete set of instructions on what to do with them. The great I AM is not content to be discerned; He wants to be known.
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God does not want us to fumble around in the shadows, trying to figure out the meaning of life. He tells us where we stand in relation to Him (sinners deserving wrath), how we got there (through Adams sin, which we both inherit and embrace), and best of all, how we get out of it into a right standing with Him (through Christs sinlessness, culminating in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection). Thanks be to God that He does not expect us to piece these expectations together solely through the changing of the seasons or the pervasive injustice in the world or the metamorphosis of a butterfly! He tells us straight out. 3. GLORIFIES CHRIST (LUKE 24:25-27). Many of us are not used to thinking of Gods commandmentsand Scripture in generalas sweeter than honey, or something that is delicious. Even if we can reckon with the idea of loving Gods law, we may have trouble figuring out how not to think of it in the context of a religious duty or a chore chart (something followed but not particularly enjoyed). But the Psalms speak of Gods children delighting in Gods law. How in the world do we get to that perspective? The way we find Gods commands delightful and His instruction tasty like honey is by moving beyond what God requires of us and seeing what He has accomplished Himself. As we learned before, God Himself is the Hero of Gods story, and as it pertains to His desire to be known, He Himself bridges the communication gap we are unable to span ourselves. He does this first by speaking into the shadows of general revelation in the special revelation of Scripture. He does this savingly by speaking in the special revelation of Scripture the great announcement of the gospel of Jesus. The point of special revelation, then, is to reveal the gospel. Gods written Word points to Jesus, the Living Word. After Jesus was raised from the dead, He caught up with a couple of disciples making a trek to Emmaus. He walked alongside them and preached the greatest Christ-centered, expository sermon from the Old Testament ever preached in the history of the world. The point of all that, Jesus essentially said, pointing to the varied wonders of what we call the Old Testament, is Me. As Jesus claimed implicitly and explicitly throughout His earthly ministry that He is the true Messiah long awaited by the people of God, He was asserting Himself as the culmination of human history. Psalm 19:11 tells us there is great reward in keeping Gods commands. We cant do that. But Jesus can, and did. And there is great reward in Christs righteousness for all who will repent of their sin, trust in His work, and thereby receive His goodness credited to their account. CONCLUSION Through His Word, God specifies His intentions for humanity and His expectations of us. He shows us how the glory of Christ is the purpose of world history. We are to respond to Gods special revelation by aligning ourselves with Gods expressed will.

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