Wednesday, March 24, 2010

An Army of One

The army came up with a slogan a few years ago "An Army of One". The commercials were always people doing extraordinary things on their own because of their job in the army. It made me think of some stories in the Bible where men of faith were all alone and still managed to glorify God in their lives. These stories in no way encourage us to try to be disciples on our own because God stresses unity and Jesus prays for it, but these men of faith were alone in their area and still fought the fight and were rewarded with life even when God wiped out all life.
Story 1: Lot
Setting: Sodom and Gomorrah
Neighbors: Sinful beyond belief. Even to the point of wanting to sexually assault the visiting angels.
Background: Lot was Abraham's brother. Abraham approached God after hearing about God's plans to wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah. Here is his request:
Genesis 18:26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"
"If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."
29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?"
He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."
30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"
He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?"
He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."
32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"
He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

Result: God wiped out the cities because there were not even 10 faithful, but spared Lot and family because of his faithfulness. The sad part was that Lot was alone in his righteousness. Although there had been an outcrying to God from many, Lot was the only life spared. Even his wife, after her life was spared, disobeyed God by looking back at her life in that sinful city and was killed.
Story 2: Noah
Neighbors: The whole world had grieved God because of their evil
Genesis 6:5-8 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Result: The whole world of humans was rebuilt through Noah and family.
In both of these stories, God found one righteous in the many. He found men of character who would stand up and be who he asked them to be even when no one around them would. Noah had to spend years building the ark. What do you think his neighbors felt? How do you think he felt as they (likely) ridiculed him while he knew he was doing GOD'S work? How do you think God felt when he had to wipe out mankind? The passage about Noah said God was grieved. I only use that word when someone dies. I'd imagine he felt much pain over the fact that he had to do what he had to do. He saw that man was sinful and unwilling to turn to him. He had to do something.
What does all this mean for us today?
Jesus' calling is radical. So radical that only a few were faithful after his death.
Does anyone know how many?
Look at Acts 1:15
In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty)
Jesus probably healed more than 120 and we know he fed and was followed by over 5,000. Why do you think there were so few?
Jesus' teachings are radical. Do you believe that? Have you let our country's lazy view of God and his expectations of us cloud your idea of righteousness? Don't be fooled! God won't be mocked. He sees how we live and is not fooled by outward appearances. He is fully aware of the ways we fall short and the excuses we make for them.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
People will believe anything that is confirmed by another. Are you willing to let your life rest on the testimony of people around you? Are you willing to invest the time in the Bible you must to truly understand all that God is calling you to to please him?
Matthew 7:13-14 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Jesus warns us that few will even find the road much less walk it. We must put in our best effort to be one of the few. Are you willing to dig into God's Word to save yourself and the lost around you? Lots of students here that you see every day are not going to make the ark. Are you going to work to get them on it? Let's be our own army of one and make a difference for God in the lives around us. We can leave a lasting impression on this world if we do things God's way!! Please work with us! Please help us! We have personal Bible studies aimed at equipping each member of the group with the tools necessary to help us and those around us find God. Please talk with the person who invited you for more information!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Practical Atheism

Lesson: Practical Atheism
By: Matt Atkins
Attendees: 11

What is Practical Atheism and what are some examples?
Saying you believe in God, but not doing what he says.
1 John 4:20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
Worrying about things God promises to take care of.(Matt 6:25-34)
You are basically saying, “God you don’t exist.” Or ,”You are not powerful enough.” By your actions even though you say God exist and he is powerful.
Let take a look at some example of “Practical Theism” or PROVING that you BELIEVE in GOD…
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: Explain backround of story from beginning of ch3.
Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O
Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
How must it have felt to be the only ones standing, to know that you were going to infuriate the king, then to stand before him as he went off knowing that he was going to send you to your death?
Galatians 6:12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
Circumcision was the mark of a person who belonged to God back then, but after Christ, Paul says in v 15 "Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.".
They were being circumcised to avoid persecution...
What do we do to avoid persecution?
2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
Not everyone who is persecuted is a Godly person, but everyone who is Godly will be persecuted.
Are you willing to be Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? To stand out and be different than your classmates? That is what being a disciple of Jesus is. We don't blend in just like he didn't blend in. So don’t try to blend in!! Stand out and PROVE you BELIEVE and KNOW GOD by what you DO
If you want to know how to do that let’s set up a Bible study this week to figure it out.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Chicken or The Pig 2

Lesson: The Chicken or The Pig 2
By: Matt Atkins
Attendees: 10

One morning, on the farm, as the chicken laid a fresh egg, she had an idea. She would make her master breakfast! She didn't just want to make him eggs, so she approached the pig for some ham. The pig thought about the kind gesture the chicken was trying to make and replied, "Breakfast for our Master will mean labor for you, but will be a total sacrifice for me."

Some left confidently last week admitting they were the chicken in this story. Jesus does not just call us to be involved. He requires total commitment...DEATH.
Luke 9:23-26 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Luke 14:25-27 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Carry his cross? What did the cross mean to Jesus? What did the cross mean to the people hearing him? Do you think he was serious when he asked them to take up their "means of torturous death" and follow him? Jesus wants us to give everything like he gave everything. We must put aside our ideas of Christianity and what modern America or grandma or whomever has told us it is and dive into the radical truth that Jesus wanted us to die to who we are and live for him every second of every day!
James 1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
You see here that we are called to look into God's Word intently and not just that, but to obey it. This is part of Jesus' requirement of discipleship deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him! We would love to share with you ways you can better do this. Please let us help you by sitting down together and studying the Bible.
James 4:17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Chicken or the Pig

Lesson: The Chicken or the Pig
By: Matt Atkins
Location: Amphitheater
Students: 9

One morning, on the farm, as the chicken laid a fresh egg, she had an idea. She would make her master breakfast! She didn't just want to make him eggs, so she approached the pig for some ham. The pig thought about the kind gesture the chicken was trying to make and replied, "Breakfast for our Master will mean labor for you, but will be a total sacrifice for me."
Are you a chicken or a pig disciple for Jesus?
Are you a participant or are you fully committed?
Luke 14:33"In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."
Luke 9:23-24 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
What kind of a commitment do you think Jesus is calling us to?
John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
What were his teachings?
John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Who did Jesus call us to love?
Who did he love?
How did he love?
How should we love in response to his sacrifice?
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
This is Jesus' last charge to his disciples.
If you knew you were going to die in minutes, how cherished would your last words be? I would want them to say the most important thing to me.
How serious do you think he was about us carrying out his last instructions?
Disciples on Campus is not about "something to do on Wednesdays during lunch". It's not about having fun in the French Quarter on Friday night with other Disciples on Campus from around the country. We offer that, but that's not the point. This group we call Disciples on Campus is a group where we hope each member will be confident to live out the principles Jesus laid out for each of his disciples to accomplish. His last charge is that we make disciples. We offer personal Bible studies to help prepare each disciple for that task. We hope everyone here today will be eager to find new ways to share the gospel with others and will be eager to get in a personal Bible study themselves. Please let us know if we can help you on our journey to be a true disciple of Christ.
In your journey, are you a participant or are you fully committed?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

How serious is God?

Lesson: How Serious is God
By: Matt Atkins
Location: UNO Aphitheater
Students: 6

If you were going to choose a heart surgeon, how would you choose one?
What protective procedures do you think they have in place to keep you safe?
Would you expect your surgeon to follow those procedures and how closely would you expect him/her to follow them?

How serious do you think God is when he commands something?

2 Samuel 6: 1-7 Uzzah
David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.


God didn't take lightly his instructions to his people then and he doesn't take it lightly now. He is clear on how we can have a personal relationship with him. It is our responsibility to find his instructions and follow them just like it was David's, and after the loss of Uzzah, David took very seriously God's instructions on handling the ark.

How can this apply today? What instructions did God give that people today overlook or don't take seriously?

I John 3:17-18 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.


How serious are you about following God's proceedure or do you want to gamble with your salvation?

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