1. What plan did Jesus have for carrying His
work forward on the earth?
Matthew 16:24;
John 17:18
16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow me.
17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so
have I also sent them into the world.
2. How did Jesus save
sinners?
John
17:1-4
17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his
eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy
Son also may glorify thee:
17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh,
that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might
know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I
have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
3. Jesus came to
reveal His Father’s character and this is to be our first work. What are the
character traits or fruits of the Holy Spirit?
Galatians
5:22-23
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law.
“By the power of
His grace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be
convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround the human soul
has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in
favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.” White, The
Ministry of Healing, p. 470.
“The last rays
of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a
revelation of
His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their
own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for
them.” White,
Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 416.
4. What “fruits” are we to develop and
are they developed all at once?
2 Peter 1:5-10;
Ephesians 2:19-22
1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to
temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and
to brotherly kindness charity.
1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind,
and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old
sins.
1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];
2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
5. What will God do to those who do not bear
fruit? What about those who do?
John 15:1-2; James 1:2-4
15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
“To live such a life, to exert such an
influence, costs at every step effort, self-sacrifice, discipline. It is because
they do not understand this that many are so easily discouraged in the Christian
life... They pray for Christlikeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord's
work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil
of their nature... Trials and obstacles are the Lord's chosen methods of
discipline and His appointed conditions
of success... Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they
may be purified.” White,
Ministry of Healing, p. 471.
6. What connection must be maintained to bear
fruit to God’s glory?
John 15:4-8; Ephesians 3:17-21
15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,
except ye abide in me.
15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that
abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without
me ye can do nothing.
15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth
as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire,
and they are burned.
15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in
you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye
bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which
passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh
in us,
3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without
end. Amen.
7. How may we abide in Christ and grow in His
grace?
2 Peter
1:2-4
1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you
through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
1:3 According as his divine power hath given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge
of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
HOW? Through DAILY Bible study, prayer,
keeping Jesus in our thoughts, and praising God, even during the trials of
life.
8. Jesus set a
good example of how to live and looked for opportunities to share salvation with
others. What was His final “commission” to all His disciples?
Matthew
28:18-20; Mark
16:15-16
28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost:
28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
9. What will Jesus do for us when we share our
faith with others?
Matthew
10:32-33; Ezekiel
33:8-9
10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me
before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in
heaven.
10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
33:8 When I say
unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak
to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity;
but his blood will I require at thine hand.
33:9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10. Can we have a “neutral” influence for
Jesus?
Matthew
12:30; Matthew 6:24
12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
6:24 No man can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the
one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon.
11. Jesus promised
to send someone to give power to our witness. Who did He
send?
Acts 1:8; John
14:12, 16-18
1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth.
14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall
give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know
him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
12. After Jesus went to heaven, what condition existed among the disciples that made it possible for God to give them the power of the Holy Spirit?
Acts 2:1; Acts
4:32-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10
2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were
of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the
things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
4:33 And with great power gave the apostles
witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them
all.
4:34 Neither was there any among them that
lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought
the prices of the things that were sold,
4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet:
and distribution was made unto every man according as he had
need.
1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no
divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgment.
13. What was the result produced by the influence
of the Holy Spirit?
Acts
2:37-41
2:37 Now when they heard this, they were
pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles,
Men and brethren, what shall we do?
2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call.
2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
2:41 Then they
that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls.
14. The Holy
Spirit works to convict and convert all people, and after they are converted He
gives them various gifts for witnessing. How many receive these gifts and are all the
gifts the same?
1 Corinthians
12:4-7
12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit.
12:5 And there are differences of
administrations, but the same Lord.
12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but
it is the same God which worketh all in all.
12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal
15. Who decides what gifts a converted person
receives?
1 Corinthians
12:11, 18
12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12:18 But now hath God set the members every one
of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
16. What are the gifts listed Romans and how are
they to be used?
Romans
12:4-21
12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and
all members have not the same office:
12:5 So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ,
and every one members one of another.
12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the
grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the
proportion of faith;
12:7 Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our]
ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he
that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he
that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
12:9 [Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor
that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
12:10 [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with
brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit;
serving the Lord;
12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation;
continuing instant in prayer;
12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints;
given to hospitality.
12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and
curse not.
12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep
with them that weep.
12:16 [Be] of the same mind one toward another.
Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your
own conceits.
12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide
things honest in the sight of all men.
12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,
live peaceably with all men.
12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but
[rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord.
12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him;
if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on
his head.
12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Some of these
gifts are sometimes called “natural talents,” but even natural talents
have been given to us to be used for God, and when the Holy Spirit takes control
of these talents they become very effective for witnessing to and winning souls
to Jesus.
What abilities
do you have that the Holy Spirit can use to win souls? Some
suggestions: Using the telephone and
internet, visiting, giving Bible studies, encouraging the discouraged,
hospitality, giving literature, sharing your testimony, writing letters as a
witness, praying for others, musical abilities, working with children, bringing
others to church, financially supporting the work of God, gospel medical missionary
abilities, etc… See Matthew
25:14-30.
Jesus came as
a servant and as we are saved by Him we become His servants. Only through
service can we maintain a living, growing relationship with Jesus.
“It is not
merely the duty of the minister, but of every member of the church, to represent
Christ to the world. They are to catch the rays of light from Jesus, and reflect
them upon souls blinded by error and infatuated with false doctrines. They are
to hold up the only true standard of righteousness, which is God's holy law,
while the world is holding up a false standard. Satan is seeking to present
light for darkness, and darkness for light, the truth for error, and error for
the truth. He would extinguish every ray of light shining from the throne of
God, and in its place put his darkness. But the sons of God are here, every one
of them, for the purpose of irradiating the world. The more light is despised,
opposed, and condemned, the greater evidence they have in regard to their work
to let their light shine forth to others. They receive their orders from God to
guide souls to righteousness, truth, and heaven. The torch of truth must shine
to willing as well as unwilling eyes. When Christ ascended on high, the church
was to be the agent, or medium, through which light was to be communicated to
the world. "Ye are the
light of the world." Every
individual Christian is required of God to be a living, shining light in the
world. He must wrestle with God in secret prayer; then he will go forth in the
spirit of Christ to hold converse with men. Anointed for the mission, he bears
with him the atmosphere of paradise. His words will be well-chosen, and his face
will reflect the image of his Master. He will be the light of the world, a
living epistle known and read by all men.” RH Mar. 8,
1887.
Will you make
it your goal to work and witness for Jesus right now beloved?