Experiencing God–Week 4
Take some time, right now, to email me the answer to this question: what has struck you the most so far from Experiencing God?
Reality #1: God is always at work around you.
Reality #2: God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
Reality #3: God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
Reality #4: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal himself, His purposes, and His ways.
DAY 1: God Speaks in Different Ways
Hebrews 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
1. According to this verse, how did God speak to the people in Old Testament times?
2. How does God speak in New Testament times?
But what is most important is not how He spoke but that He did speak!
3. Below are four examples of God speaking to men. Match each encounter with the following statements you find true in God speaking to each man. More than one statement can be used for an encounter.
A. God spoke.
B. The man understand God was speaking.
C. God got his attention.
D. The message was detailed.
E. The message was not detailed, but contained enough information to get the man to “the next place.”
__________ Genesis 6:13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
__________ Genesis 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
__________ Exodus 3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight–why the bush does not burn up.”
__________ Judges 6:11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
4. What strikes you most about any of these encounters?
5. Has God been speaking to you? If so, what do you think He has been saying?
DAY 2: God Speaks by the Holy Spirit
Reality 1-4 review: God works; God pursues; God invites; God speaks.
Reality #4: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal himself, His purposes, and His ways.
Hebrews 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
1. How does God speak to us in New Testament times?
2. When Jesus spoke directly to the disciples, who was speaking to them?
3. Jesus still speaks to us today, but He is not physically here to do that. How does He speak, then? Read each verse below and write down or underline the mechanism of how Jesus or God speaks to us:
Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
John 14:15-18 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 15:26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
4. Put a check mark by the statement below that strikes you from the verses we’ve studied:
___ When the Holy Spirit speaks truth to you, He is not leading you to an encounter with God. That IS an encounter with God!
___ Whenever you understand a spiritual truth, the Holy Spirit has revealed truth to you. You have encountered God.
___ Jesus can always speak to me, because the Spirit of Jesus (the Holy Spirit) is a permanent resident in me.
___ What the Holy Spirit speaks will always line up with the bible, and never contradict it.
5. What is your biggest takeaway from today’s study?
DAY 3: God Reveals
Reality 1-4 review: God works; God pursues; God invites; God speaks.
Reality #4: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
1. How did God reveal Himself/His character in the following verses? Jot down a note or underline key words:
Genesis 17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.
Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
Malachi 3:6-7 “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
2. How did God reveal His purposes in the following verses? What do we learn about His purposes and man’s purposes?
Psalms 33:10-11 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
3. What does God reveal about His ways?
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
4. The following statements pick up the ideas of God revealing His character, His purposes, and His ways. Which of the following statements strikes you the most?
___ God reveals Himself to increase my faith.
___ God reveals His purposes so that I will do His work.
___ God reveals His ways so that I can accomplish His purposes.
5. What is your biggest takeaway from today’s verses?
DAY 4: God Speaks through the Bible
Reality 1-4 review: God works; God pursues; God invites; God speaks.
Reality #4: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal himself, His purposes, and His ways.
1. We want God to speak to us about new things, but He has already spoken to us about all the important things!
2. Underline or jot down the kinds of ways God speak to us through the bible?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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.”
Psalms 119:21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.
Psalms 119:24 Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.
Psalms 119:35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalms 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Psalms 119:133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
Psalms 119:176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.
3. God desires to direct your life. He often uses the Bible to do so. What most strikes you from today’s verses?
DAY 5: God Speaks Through the Church.
Reality 1-4 review: God works; God pursues; God invites; God speaks.
Reality #4: God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal himself, His purposes, and His ways.
1. It is very easy to turn Christianity into an individual endeavor. This is a big mistake. God uses the people and leaders in a church to teach you, provide direction and EXAMPLES, provide encouragement and motivation, enabling you to grow with God and live as He wants you to.
The following verses all have to do with our responsibilities to “ONE ANOTHER.” Underline the essential role people in the church are to play with “one another:”
Ro 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Ro 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
Ro 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Ro 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Ro 15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
2 Co 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Eph 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Eph 5:19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
Eph 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Col 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
1 Th 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Heb 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Heb 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Heb 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
1 Pe 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
1 Pe 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
1 Pe 5:5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
2. What struck you most from these verses?