Beyond Sunday - Week 12
Beyond Sunday
Week of April 14, 2024
“The OT Law Leads to Jesus, not Judgement” When in Rome-Week 12, Romans 6:14
Thought: The law that God gave to Moses for the people of Israel was central to their existence, the perfect standard for their lives. God’s perfect law revealed how imperfect each individual was, and gave people the knowledge of sin but not the solution.
In the New Testament, the expression "the law" (the Greek word ‘nomos’, pronounced ‘nah-mahs’) is used to denote not just the Mosaic law (the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Bible), but also to include the Psalms and the books of prophecy. Jesus is the only person that ever lived who perfectly kept God's law, and therefore was able to become the perfect sacrifice for sin. Those who put their faith in Him are freed from the bondage of the ceremony and ritual of the Mosaic law and have become God's children.
William P. Young, in his book The Shack captures some of the essence of this when his central character asks God (the Father), "What exactly did Jesus accomplish by dying?” God responds, “Oh...nothing much. Just the substance of everything that love purposed from before the foundations of creation ... Like I said, everything is about Him. Creation and history are all about Jesus. He is the very center of our [the Holy Trinity’s] purpose...”
Will you make Jesus the very center of your purpose?
Read: Matthew 5:17-19, 22:36-40, Luke 18:31-33, 24:44, Galatians 4:4-7
Discussion Questions:
• In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, the Apostle Paul writes that, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” In your own words, what does that say to you about God.
• Pastor Lacey offered several questions for each of us to ask ourselves. Here they are for your consideration.
o What areas of immaturity do I need to let go of?
o Am I growing in my love, gratitude, and awe in my relationship with Christ?
o Am I leaning into legalism or license in any way? (As one example of this, consider how the older brother reacts in the story of the lost son, in Luke 15:11-32)
• Give some examples of how God has revealed His love, His purpose, and His character to you personally.
Pray: Start by praising God for His immeasurable love for you. Ask God for the resolve and the power to break free of any “chains” (hurts, habits, or hangups) that keep you enslaved to your old sin nature. Ask Him to reveal to you more of Jesus, and to help you follow Jesus more closely.
Next Steps:
• We are better together, and healing comes when we gather in a community of others who want to think and act like Jesus. If you are not already in a RHC Small Group, join one today by going to the website or the RHC App.
• Consider incorporating into your prayer life the Tabernacle Prayer method found below.
Tabernacle Prayer
Ephesians 6:18 (GW) Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is.
Exodus 25:8-9 (NLT) “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.”
Exodus 33:11 (NLT) Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
1. The Outer Court: Give God thanks.
Psalm 100:4 (NIV) Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
2. The Brazen Altar: Focus on the Cross.
Psalm 103:2-5 (NIV) Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
3. The Laver: Offer every part of my life to God.
Romans 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV) Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
4. The Candlestick: Invite the work of the Holy Spirit in my life.
Isaiah 11:2 (NIV) The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NLT) This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
5. The Table of Shewbread: Read God’s Word and let God speak to me.
Matthew 4:4 (NIV) Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… (Take) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
6. The Altar of Incense: Worship His Name.
Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
7. The Ark of the Covenant: Intercede for others.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV) I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
James 4:8 (NIV) “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Week of April 14, 2024
“The OT Law Leads to Jesus, not Judgement” When in Rome-Week 12, Romans 6:14
Thought: The law that God gave to Moses for the people of Israel was central to their existence, the perfect standard for their lives. God’s perfect law revealed how imperfect each individual was, and gave people the knowledge of sin but not the solution.
In the New Testament, the expression "the law" (the Greek word ‘nomos’, pronounced ‘nah-mahs’) is used to denote not just the Mosaic law (the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Bible), but also to include the Psalms and the books of prophecy. Jesus is the only person that ever lived who perfectly kept God's law, and therefore was able to become the perfect sacrifice for sin. Those who put their faith in Him are freed from the bondage of the ceremony and ritual of the Mosaic law and have become God's children.
William P. Young, in his book The Shack captures some of the essence of this when his central character asks God (the Father), "What exactly did Jesus accomplish by dying?” God responds, “Oh...nothing much. Just the substance of everything that love purposed from before the foundations of creation ... Like I said, everything is about Him. Creation and history are all about Jesus. He is the very center of our [the Holy Trinity’s] purpose...”
Will you make Jesus the very center of your purpose?
Read: Matthew 5:17-19, 22:36-40, Luke 18:31-33, 24:44, Galatians 4:4-7
Discussion Questions:
• In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, the Apostle Paul writes that, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” In your own words, what does that say to you about God.
• Pastor Lacey offered several questions for each of us to ask ourselves. Here they are for your consideration.
o What areas of immaturity do I need to let go of?
o Am I growing in my love, gratitude, and awe in my relationship with Christ?
o Am I leaning into legalism or license in any way? (As one example of this, consider how the older brother reacts in the story of the lost son, in Luke 15:11-32)
• Give some examples of how God has revealed His love, His purpose, and His character to you personally.
Pray: Start by praising God for His immeasurable love for you. Ask God for the resolve and the power to break free of any “chains” (hurts, habits, or hangups) that keep you enslaved to your old sin nature. Ask Him to reveal to you more of Jesus, and to help you follow Jesus more closely.
Next Steps:
• We are better together, and healing comes when we gather in a community of others who want to think and act like Jesus. If you are not already in a RHC Small Group, join one today by going to the website or the RHC App.
• Consider incorporating into your prayer life the Tabernacle Prayer method found below.
Tabernacle Prayer
Ephesians 6:18 (GW) Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is.
Exodus 25:8-9 (NLT) “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.”
Exodus 33:11 (NLT) Inside the Tent of Meeting, the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
1. The Outer Court: Give God thanks.
Psalm 100:4 (NIV) Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
2. The Brazen Altar: Focus on the Cross.
Psalm 103:2-5 (NIV) Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
3. The Laver: Offer every part of my life to God.
Romans 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV) Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
4. The Candlestick: Invite the work of the Holy Spirit in my life.
Isaiah 11:2 (NIV) The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NLT) This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
5. The Table of Shewbread: Read God’s Word and let God speak to me.
Matthew 4:4 (NIV) Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… (Take) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
6. The Altar of Incense: Worship His Name.
Proverbs 18:10 (NIV) The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
7. The Ark of the Covenant: Intercede for others.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV) I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
James 4:8 (NIV) “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
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Something that Pastor Lacey used Hebrews 10:1 in her sermon, and I would like to comment on that. It was VERY significant to the discussion, and yet it can be often overlooked in the context of some other topics people point to Hebrews for.
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming- not the realities themselves, Hebrews 10:1 NIV. We can read this with joy, knowing that we all fall short of the law and that we need the law to help us see our need for Jesus. But, in my own walk I need this as a reminder and a warning, the law is only a shadow, don't get stuck in the shadow, don't get caught up in the law and viewing others according to your view of the law. The shadow is not the light, the shadow is where uncertainty lies, when we focus on the shadows we put ourselves in a box that skews our perception of what God wants for us. I hear people say, God doesn't fit in a box. This is true, but my, our, bigger problem is that we put ourselves in a box when we try to put God in a box, and when we are hanging out in our box, it can sometimes be comfortable, we don't, may not, want to get out of that box. Hiding in the shadows of the law is another way we hide in our box.
It is important to understand the law on all three pillars as described by Pastor Lacey. But, I, we, need to remind ourselves that when we get stuck in the shadows of the law, we are trapping ourselves in a box. And as comfortable and spacious as that box feels, it can block your vision of something even more beautiful, and that is seeing what God's beautiful plan is in your life.