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The
New Christian’s Handbook Part 9
Pray
at the start
Read
the material
Answer
the questions
Pray
again
Basic Christian Life
Prayer
B1 What is prayer?
C1 Talking to God, our God, in
Jesus’s name.
C2 Examples
D1 By evil spirits: Matthew
8:30-32 NKJV Now a
good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. 31
So the demons
begged Him, saying,
"If
You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."
32 And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out,
they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of
swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished
in the water.
[Edited by me]
E1 The evil spirits: demons
begged Him, saying
E2 Their prayer: "If
You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."
E3 The Lord Jesus gave them
their request, but they were destroyed along with the pigs. God gives
no blessing
to evil.
D2 By both evil and good
people: Luke 18:9-14 NKJV Also
He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and despised others: 10 "Two men went up to
the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood
and prayed
thus with himself,
'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice
a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 And the tax
collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God,
be merciful to me a sinner!'
14 I tell you, this
man went down to his house justified rather than the other;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles
himself will be exalted."
[Edited by me]
E1 The “holy” man, the
Pharisee, talked to God, but he was rejected and not justified by
God.
E2 The truthful man, the tax
collector, talked to God, but he was accepted and justified.
D3 By good people:
E2 Informal prayer by Peter:
Matthew 14:30 NIV But
when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried
out, "Lord, save me!"
B2 Principles
C1 Prayer is talking with God.
C2 God cannot be manipulated
with special language, ritual, following some author’s plan,
flattery, talking for a long time, etc.
C3 God will not answer us at
all if we
D1 Treat our wife badly (1
Peter 3:7)
D2 Refuse to forgive someone
(that is, not to seek revenge. If they have commited a crime, they
must, MUST, be reported, for there is no such thing as forgive and
forget. Forgive and forget is used by abusers to silence people)
Matthew 18:35, Colossians 3:13, etc.
D3 To satisfy our evil lusts
(James 4:3)
D4 If we are evil (Proverbs
15:29)
D5 If we have unconfessed sin
(Isaiah 59:2, John 9:31, Psalm 66:18)
D6 Hate the Bible and refuse
to obey anything in it (Israel has the ~613 laws of the Old
Testament, while Christians have over 1,000 rules in the New
Testament, for example, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22 NLT Brothers
and sisters, we urge you to warn
those who are lazy. Encourage
those who are timid. Take
tender care
of those who are weak. Be
patient
with everyone. See
that no
one pays back evil for evil, but always
try to do
good to each other and to all people. Always
be
joyful. Never
stop
praying. Be
thankful
in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to
Christ Jesus. Do
not stifle
the Holy Spirit. Do
not scoff
at prophecies, but test
everything
that is said. Hold
on to
what is good. Stay
away from
every kind of evil.
[Emphasis is mine. In the passage, in there are 14 rules]
D7 If we doubt His existence
or His ability to answer (James 1:6-7).
C4 He will answer our prayer
in his time and IF it is His will (1 John 5:14). Some prayers He will
answer for sure as:
D1 Asking for forgiveness of
sins (1 John 1:9)
D2 If we ask for wisdom (James
1:5). He does not say WHEN he will answer, but that He WILL answer.
D3 For salvation (Romans
10:13)
B3 Questions
C1 What is prayer?
C2 Do we have to follow a
formula?
C3 Does God always answer
prayer? (This is a trick question).
C4 Name some reasons God does
not answer prayer?
C5 If prayer becomes boring,
what should we do?
C6 Is praying with others
important?
B5 Answer to Does God always
answer prayer? Yes, the answer is yes, no, wait, or a different way
and time than we expect.
Fellowship
B1 Question:
Why did God create us? Answer:
To have fellowship with God and serve Him forever. (Fellowship: 1
John 1:3, Hebrews 10:25, 1 Corinthians 1:9, also see here
and here.
Serve Him: Colossians 3:23-24, John 12:26, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, also
see here).
B2 Are some types of
fellowship wrong? Consider
C1 1 Corinthians 10:20 NKJV
Rather, that the
things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not
to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.
C2 2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV Do
not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship
has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with
darkness?
C3 Ephesians 5:11 NKJV And
have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
expose them.
B3 Some things about
fellowship (Manser
Theme #7025)
Study the passages in one
of the following topics and share something you have learned. 7025
— church, unity and fellowship of
C1 The church is one in
essence, because it is founded on one gospel, united to one Lord and
indwelt by one Spirit. Its unity is under constant threat because of
the tendency to division that is inherent in fallen humanity, and
needs to be continually maintained and actively expressed in
fellowship.
C2 The unity of the church
D1 The church is one Romans
12:5 See also 1 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians
4:25
D2 The church transcends
all barriers Colossians 3:11 See also John 10:16; Acts 10:28-29, Acts
10:47; Acts 15:8-9; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14-16; 3:6 The great
divide threatening the first Christians was between Jew and Gentile,
but the church was able to unite the two into one body in Christ.
D3 The church’s unity
reflects the unity within the Trinity Ephesians 4:4-6 The unity of
the church is built around the persons of the Trinity: one Spirit,
one Lord, one Father. See also John 17:11; Romans 3:29-30; Romans
10:12-13; Galatians 3:27-28
D4 The church’s unity is
the work of the Trinity Ephesians 2:16-18 See also John 11:52; Acts
10:45-47; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:22; Ephesians 4:3
D5 The purpose of the
church’s unity
E1 To lead others to faith
John 17:23 See also John 17:21
E2 To lead believers to
maturity Ephesians 4:13
D6 The nature of the
church’s unity Philippians 2:1-2 Emphasis is placed on an inner
unity of mind and spirit rather than external uniformity. See also 2
Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 2:2
D7 Appeals for unity in the
church Ephesians 4:3 See also Romans 12:10; Romans 15:5, Romans 15:7;
1 Corinthians 12:25; Colossians 3:14; 1 Peter 3:8
D8 The church’s unity is
expressed in fellowship
E1 Fellowship with God 1
Corinthians 1:9 See also 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1; 2
Peter 1:4; 1 John 1:3,
E2 Fellowship expressed by
meeting together Acts 2:46 See also Acts 2:1, Acts 2:42; Acts 5:12;
Acts 6:2; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Hebrews 10:25
E3 Fellowship expressed
through sharing resources Acts 2:44-45 See also Acts 4:32, Acts
4:34-37; Acts 11:27-30; Romans 15:26; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2
Corinthians 8:2-5, 2 Corinthians 13-14; 2 Corinthians 9:13;
Philippians 4:14-18
E4 Fellowship through
suffering Revelation 1:9 See also Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:7;
Philippians 3:10; Philippians 4:14; Hebrews 10:33-34; Hebrews 13:3
E5 Fellowship through
shared spiritual blessings 1 Corinthians 9:23 See also Romans 11:17;
Philippians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 5:1; Jude 1:3
D9 Specific actions which
express fellowship and unity in the church
E1 Sharing in the Lord’s
Supper 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 See also Acts 2:46; Acts 20:7; 1
Corinthians 11:33
E2 Baptism as an expression
of unity Ephesians 4:4-6 See also 1 Corinthians 12:13
E3 Extending hospitality
Acts 28:7; Romans 12:13; Romans 16:23; 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 1:8; 1
Peter 4:9; 3 John 8
E4 Greeting one another
Acts 18:27; Romans 16:3-16; 1 Corinthians 16:19-20; Colossians 4:10;
Philemon 1:17
E5 Welcoming former
opponents Acts 9:26-27; Galatians 2:9; 2 Corinthians 2:5-8
C3 Divisions in the church
D1 Causes of division in
the NT church
D2 Personal ambition: Mark
9:34; Mark 10:35-41 pp Matthew 20:20-24
D3 Ethnic tension: Acts 6:1
D4 Differences of opinion:
Acts 15:37-40; Philippians 4:2
D5 Troublesome heretical
leaders: Romans 16:17; Jude 19
D6 Partisan spirit: 1
Corinthians 1:11-12; 1 Corinthians 3:3-4 1 Corinthians 6:1-6
litigation and disputes
D7 Greed: 1 Corinthians
11:18, 1 Corinthians 11:20-21; James 4:1-3
C4 Warnings against
divisions in the church 1 Corinthians 1:10 See also Romans 12:16;
Romans 16:17; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4:31; James 4:11
D1 Acceptable differences
in the church
E1 In secondary matters of
conscience, Christians are to respect rather than judge each other.
These things need not impair the essential unity that is in Christ:
Romans 14:1-3, 5-6; 1 Corinthians 8:9-13
E2 In varieties of
spiritual gifts: 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 1 Corinthians 12:14-25;
Galatians 2:7
D2 Necessary divisions in
the church
E1 Between the true gospel
and heretical alternatives: 2 Corinthians 11:2-6, 2 Corinthians
11:13-15; Galatians 1:6-9; Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:16-19; 1
Timothy 4:1-6; 1 John 2:18-19; 2 John 9-11; Jude 1:18-20
E2 Between those truly
committed to Jesus Christ, and those apparently part of the church
but living sinful lives: 1 Corinthians 5:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1
Timothy 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 3:2-9; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Peter 2:1-3;
Revelation 2:20, 24; Revelation 3:1, 4
E3 Over essential gospel
principles: Acts 15:2, Acts 15:5-6, Acts 15:19; Galatians 2:11
1
Peter 2:9-10 NKJV But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His
own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once
were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained
mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Adam
Clarke writes concerning this passage:
...they had these
privileges that they might show forth the praises of Him who had thus
called them; αρετας, the virtues, those perfections of the
wisdom, justice, truth, and goodness of God, that shone most
illustriously in the Christian dispensation. These they were to
exhibit in a holy and useful life, being transformed into the image
of God, and walking as Christ himself walked.
.