Are You Doing What God Requires of You?
July 7, 2013
Joe Bitner gave the part... Are you doing what God requires of you?
Illustration, a boy has plans to play baseball but his father asked him to mow the lawn. the boy has to think about is he going to do what he wants or what his father wants.
The deplorable condition of the human society proves man is not doing what God wants them to do.
James 2:19... You believe there is one God, do you?
Matt 7:21... Not everyone saying to me "Lord, Lord" will enter into the kingdom of heavens but the one DOING the will of God will....
Not everyone knows what God's will is, wants us to do. Many think God will personally talk to them to tell them what to do. But he doesn't do that. We need to have the Bible and his Holy Spirit to understand what he wants us to do.
2 Tim 3:16,17... all scripture is beneficial...
If we consider how Jehovah dwelt with Isreal, we can see how what they did, and we do effects him.
Isa 48:17.,.. I Jehovah am your God...the one teaching you... in the way you should walk...
Mic 1:7... her graven images will all be crushed to pieces...burned in the fire...
We may not have any idols and feel we don't have a problem with this. But there are other forms of idolatry
Col 3:5...covetousness is idolatry.
Do we have an insatiable desire to have more of something? that is covetousness... idolatry.
Mic 2:1&2.... Woe to those who are scheming what is harmful...
Worship of Jehovah deserves the greatest prominence in our lives... is it?
Mic 4:1... The mt of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established... it will certainly be lifted up above the hills...peoples must stream
Mic 6:8... What is Jehovah asking back from you... exercise justice, love kindness, and be modest
First... exercise justice, ... do what is right and fair, giving Jehovah exclusive devotion.
Ps. 50:16-18 & 23... to the wicked...what right do you have... you keep throwing my words behind you... the one offering thanks giving ...glorifies God
Second... love kindness ... loyal love. Loyal as faithful, standing by and fighting for it. Jesus was loyal, up until he died. proving he will always be by God's side.
Ps. 119:... Abundant peace belongs to those loving your law...
John 6:68... if you eat my flesh and drink my blood.... no one understood and many walked out... but Peter said, where would we go? you have the sayings of ever lasting life.
Third.... be modest .... the boy fears his father's wrath, but he also loves his father, and he doesn't want to disappoint his father.
Jehovah will not fail in his purpose to destroy the wicked. So we must be regular in our meeting attendance and the ministry.
2 Pet 3:17 & 18... be on your guard....go on growing in the undeserved kindness of our Lord...
Our WT lesson is from May 15th mag. Page 3, study lesson, "Fulfill Your Role As An Evangelizer". 2 Tim 4:5, ..."Do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry".
Jehovah is the first and foremost evangelizer, because immediately after the rebellion of our first parents, Jehovah announced the good news that Satan will be destroyed. For centuries, Jehovah inspired faithful men to write down details of what is to come.
The lies told by those who are in a trusted position who are suppose to know, say that God is a mystery, unknowable, and cruel. It is just sickening!
Because of all the lies, many have closed themselves off from reaching out to God. So it will take effort on our part to reach the heart of our listeners so as to persuade them.
Jesus used questions to teach: 1) thought-provoking questions, 2) multiple- choice questions and 3) viewpoint questions
By using questions effectively, we 1) discover how we can best help people, 2) overcome potential conversation stoppers, and 3) teach humble ones how they can benefit themselves.
If a student just repeats answers without meditation on them, it is unlikely they will grow deep spiritual roots. We need to help them to come to the correct conclusions, we need to ask.... 1) how he feels about what he is learning. 2) if he agrees with the points being made. 3) why he agrees or disagrees. Then help them to reason on the Scriptures.
When we accompany another Christian in the ministry, 1) we want to look up the scriptures that our partner is using. 2) Keep our attention turned to our partner and the householder when either of them are talking. 3) Follow the discussion closely in case there is a need for you to assist your partner to overcome an objection. 4) Resist the urge to interrupt your partner. 5) Limit yourself to a brief comment or two then allow your partner to resume the lead.
This reminds me of one time when I was at a door talking to a woman, the woman had questions about why her religion was teaching certain things. the specific points I had not heard of before. I said, "being raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, my knowledge of your religion is very limited, and I am not sure what you are referring too." I then turned to my partner and asked her. My partner had formally been of that same religion and was able to address the woman's questions. When we left, my partner apologized for talking so much. I told her, "No, it Jehovah's direction that she was there that day so she could help her". I told her it would be fitting if she would take over that call, as she knows far better than I ever could of the woman's background.
My partner paid close attention. And she didn't interrupt even though she knew more than I did on that topic. She waited for me to turn to her. The sister would have just answered the questions, but the woman continued to ask more, and the sister glanced at me and I just smiled, assuring her to "go with it". If the sister hadn't been paying attention, she wouldn't have known how to answer the woman. It was a successful partnership that day!
Illustration, a boy has plans to play baseball but his father asked him to mow the lawn. the boy has to think about is he going to do what he wants or what his father wants.
The deplorable condition of the human society proves man is not doing what God wants them to do.
James 2:19... You believe there is one God, do you?
Matt 7:21... Not everyone saying to me "Lord, Lord" will enter into the kingdom of heavens but the one DOING the will of God will....
Not everyone knows what God's will is, wants us to do. Many think God will personally talk to them to tell them what to do. But he doesn't do that. We need to have the Bible and his Holy Spirit to understand what he wants us to do.
2 Tim 3:16,17... all scripture is beneficial...
If we consider how Jehovah dwelt with Isreal, we can see how what they did, and we do effects him.
Isa 48:17.,.. I Jehovah am your God...the one teaching you... in the way you should walk...
Mic 1:7... her graven images will all be crushed to pieces...burned in the fire...
We may not have any idols and feel we don't have a problem with this. But there are other forms of idolatry
Col 3:5...covetousness is idolatry.
Do we have an insatiable desire to have more of something? that is covetousness... idolatry.
Mic 2:1&2.... Woe to those who are scheming what is harmful...
Worship of Jehovah deserves the greatest prominence in our lives... is it?
Mic 4:1... The mt of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established... it will certainly be lifted up above the hills...peoples must stream
Mic 6:8... What is Jehovah asking back from you... exercise justice, love kindness, and be modest
First... exercise justice, ... do what is right and fair, giving Jehovah exclusive devotion.
Ps. 50:16-18 & 23... to the wicked...what right do you have... you keep throwing my words behind you... the one offering thanks giving ...glorifies God
Second... love kindness ... loyal love. Loyal as faithful, standing by and fighting for it. Jesus was loyal, up until he died. proving he will always be by God's side.
Ps. 119:... Abundant peace belongs to those loving your law...
John 6:68... if you eat my flesh and drink my blood.... no one understood and many walked out... but Peter said, where would we go? you have the sayings of ever lasting life.
Third.... be modest .... the boy fears his father's wrath, but he also loves his father, and he doesn't want to disappoint his father.
Jehovah will not fail in his purpose to destroy the wicked. So we must be regular in our meeting attendance and the ministry.
2 Pet 3:17 & 18... be on your guard....go on growing in the undeserved kindness of our Lord...
Our WT lesson is from May 15th mag. Page 3, study lesson, "Fulfill Your Role As An Evangelizer". 2 Tim 4:5, ..."Do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry".
Jehovah is the first and foremost evangelizer, because immediately after the rebellion of our first parents, Jehovah announced the good news that Satan will be destroyed. For centuries, Jehovah inspired faithful men to write down details of what is to come.
The lies told by those who are in a trusted position who are suppose to know, say that God is a mystery, unknowable, and cruel. It is just sickening!
Because of all the lies, many have closed themselves off from reaching out to God. So it will take effort on our part to reach the heart of our listeners so as to persuade them.
Jesus used questions to teach: 1) thought-provoking questions, 2) multiple- choice questions and 3) viewpoint questions
By using questions effectively, we 1) discover how we can best help people, 2) overcome potential conversation stoppers, and 3) teach humble ones how they can benefit themselves.
If a student just repeats answers without meditation on them, it is unlikely they will grow deep spiritual roots. We need to help them to come to the correct conclusions, we need to ask.... 1) how he feels about what he is learning. 2) if he agrees with the points being made. 3) why he agrees or disagrees. Then help them to reason on the Scriptures.
When we accompany another Christian in the ministry, 1) we want to look up the scriptures that our partner is using. 2) Keep our attention turned to our partner and the householder when either of them are talking. 3) Follow the discussion closely in case there is a need for you to assist your partner to overcome an objection. 4) Resist the urge to interrupt your partner. 5) Limit yourself to a brief comment or two then allow your partner to resume the lead.
This reminds me of one time when I was at a door talking to a woman, the woman had questions about why her religion was teaching certain things. the specific points I had not heard of before. I said, "being raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, my knowledge of your religion is very limited, and I am not sure what you are referring too." I then turned to my partner and asked her. My partner had formally been of that same religion and was able to address the woman's questions. When we left, my partner apologized for talking so much. I told her, "No, it Jehovah's direction that she was there that day so she could help her". I told her it would be fitting if she would take over that call, as she knows far better than I ever could of the woman's background.
My partner paid close attention. And she didn't interrupt even though she knew more than I did on that topic. She waited for me to turn to her. The sister would have just answered the questions, but the woman continued to ask more, and the sister glanced at me and I just smiled, assuring her to "go with it". If the sister hadn't been paying attention, she wouldn't have known how to answer the woman. It was a successful partnership that day!
Posted by Robyn Nelson.
