JESUS QUICKENS FAITH
The following study is from a compilation created by Glenn A Coon entitled, "I Know Something Good" A soul winning manual for sharing the good news of salvation.
LESSON VIII
JESUS QUICKENS FAITH
The Law of Victory
I. The Kind of Men Jesus Chose as Leaders of His Church
1. How many apostles did Jesus first choose?
"Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve," John 6:70, first part.
2. How is one of the twelve described?
"And one of you is a devil?" John 6:70, last part.
3. Which one was a faithless doubter?
"Then saith he to Thomas . . . be not faithless, but believing." John 20:27.
4. Which one was a denier of Jesus?
"And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not." John 18:25.
5. What were James and John called?
"And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James: and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder." Mark 3:17.
6. What was often the condition of the twelve disciples?
"And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest." Luke 22:24.
II. Jesus had Faith in these Erring Men
1. What did Jesus do and say to quicken the faith of Peter?
"But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:32.
2. What words of Jesus to these men (excepting Judas) shows that He had confidence that they would let the Holy Spirit enter their hearts?
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Acts 1:8.
3. What world-wide commission did Jesus give these erring men?
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19.
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." Matthew 18:18.
Which authority was subject to the following simple rules which He laid down: Matthew 18:15-18; Matthew 28:20.
"Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve," John 6:70, first part.
2. How is one of the twelve described?
"And one of you is a devil?" John 6:70, last part.
3. Which one was a faithless doubter?
"Then saith he to Thomas . . . be not faithless, but believing." John 20:27.
4. Which one was a denier of Jesus?
"And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not." John 18:25.
5. What were James and John called?
"And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James: and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder." Mark 3:17.
6. What was often the condition of the twelve disciples?
"And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest." Luke 22:24.
II. Jesus had Faith in these Erring Men
1. What did Jesus do and say to quicken the faith of Peter?
"But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:32.
2. What words of Jesus to these men (excepting Judas) shows that He had confidence that they would let the Holy Spirit enter their hearts?
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Acts 1:8.
3. What world-wide commission did Jesus give these erring men?
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19.
"Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." Matthew 18:18.
Which authority was subject to the following simple rules which He laid down: Matthew 18:15-18; Matthew 28:20.
4. How great was the faith of Jesus in His human followers?
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." Isaiah 53:11.
III. Christ Wants to Break Down Our Prejudice of One Another
1. When Christ calls a man to service, what are we liable to say?
“I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done." Acts 9:13.
2. How does Christ reply to our prejudices?
"Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name." Acts 9:15, middle part.
"Feeling the terrible power of temptation, the drawing of desire that leads to indulgence, many a man cries in despair, 'I can not resist evil.' Tell him that he can, that he must resist. He may have been overcome again and again, but it need not be always thus. He is weak in moral power, controlled by the habits of a life of sin. His promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. The knowledge of his broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens his confidence in his own sincerity, and causes him to feel that God can not accept him or work with his efforts. But he need not despair."Ministry of Healing, pp. 174, 175.
3. If one errs from the faith, what are we to do?
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Galatians 6:1.
"You will watch over and encourage them, and your sympathy and confidence will make it hard for them to fall from their steadfastness."Christ's Object Lessons, p. 197.
"He honored man with His confidence, and thus placed him on his honor."Testimonies to Ministers, p. 190.
IV. Reward of Confidence
1. What wonderful, almost unbelievable promise has Christ left us concerning our erring brothers?
"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life." 1 John 5:16.
"Jesus sees His true church on the earth, whose greatest ambition is to cooperate with Him in the grand work of saving souls. He hears their prayers, presented in contrition and power, and Omnipotence can not resist their plea for the salvation of any tried, tempted member of Christ's body." Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 19, 20.
2. How fully will Christ's confidence in His people be justified?
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." Jude 24.
"For they are without fault before the throne of God." Revelation 14:5, last part.
"The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God . . . look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 18.
V. Practical Ways to Express Faith in Others
1. Parents express faith in young child who plans to be baptized, rather than expressing doubt by saying, "I don't know whether you realize what you are doing."
2. Wife or husband express faith in mate by saying, "I believe you want to decide for Jesus."
3. Church member to express faith in one who has fallen by saying, "God will bring you through."
4. For the sick, instead of saying, "You look bad:" rather say, "I believe you will soon be well."
5. To the apparently careless say, "Way down in your heart, I know there is a real longing to do right, and I will stick by you and not fail you."
VI. Our Appeal to God
1. What prayer should be ours for our brethren?
“'0 Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.” Isaiah 33:2.
"The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving, wrestling souls in every emergency, amidst the hatred of the world, and the realization of their own failures and mistakes."Acts of the Apostles, p. 51.
Reflection
Will you join the author in quickening faith in one another, even in those who have stumbled again and again?
"All dissension, all differences and fault-finding, should be put away, with all evil speaking and bitterness; kindness, love, and compassion for one another should be cherished, that the prayer of Christ that his disciples might be one as he is one with the Father, may be answered." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 279.
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." Isaiah 53:11.
III. Christ Wants to Break Down Our Prejudice of One Another
1. When Christ calls a man to service, what are we liable to say?
“I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done." Acts 9:13.
2. How does Christ reply to our prejudices?
"Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name." Acts 9:15, middle part.
"Feeling the terrible power of temptation, the drawing of desire that leads to indulgence, many a man cries in despair, 'I can not resist evil.' Tell him that he can, that he must resist. He may have been overcome again and again, but it need not be always thus. He is weak in moral power, controlled by the habits of a life of sin. His promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. The knowledge of his broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens his confidence in his own sincerity, and causes him to feel that God can not accept him or work with his efforts. But he need not despair."Ministry of Healing, pp. 174, 175.
3. If one errs from the faith, what are we to do?
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Galatians 6:1.
"You will watch over and encourage them, and your sympathy and confidence will make it hard for them to fall from their steadfastness."Christ's Object Lessons, p. 197.
"He honored man with His confidence, and thus placed him on his honor."Testimonies to Ministers, p. 190.
IV. Reward of Confidence
1. What wonderful, almost unbelievable promise has Christ left us concerning our erring brothers?
"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life." 1 John 5:16.
"Jesus sees His true church on the earth, whose greatest ambition is to cooperate with Him in the grand work of saving souls. He hears their prayers, presented in contrition and power, and Omnipotence can not resist their plea for the salvation of any tried, tempted member of Christ's body." Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 19, 20.
2. How fully will Christ's confidence in His people be justified?
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." Jude 24.
"For they are without fault before the throne of God." Revelation 14:5, last part.
"The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace. He is effecting transformations so amazing that Satan, with all his triumphant boasting, with all his confederacy of evil united against God and the laws of His government, stands viewing them as a fortress impregnable to his sophistries and delusions. They are to him an incomprehensible mystery. The angels of God . . . look on with astonishment and joy, that fallen men, once children of wrath, are through the training of Christ developing characters after the divine similitude, to be sons and daughters of God, to act an important part in the occupations and pleasures of heaven." Testimonies to Ministers, p. 18.
V. Practical Ways to Express Faith in Others
1. Parents express faith in young child who plans to be baptized, rather than expressing doubt by saying, "I don't know whether you realize what you are doing."
2. Wife or husband express faith in mate by saying, "I believe you want to decide for Jesus."
3. Church member to express faith in one who has fallen by saying, "God will bring you through."
4. For the sick, instead of saying, "You look bad:" rather say, "I believe you will soon be well."
5. To the apparently careless say, "Way down in your heart, I know there is a real longing to do right, and I will stick by you and not fail you."
VI. Our Appeal to God
1. What prayer should be ours for our brethren?
“'0 Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.” Isaiah 33:2.
"The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving, wrestling souls in every emergency, amidst the hatred of the world, and the realization of their own failures and mistakes."Acts of the Apostles, p. 51.
Reflection
Will you join the author in quickening faith in one another, even in those who have stumbled again and again?
"All dissension, all differences and fault-finding, should be put away, with all evil speaking and bitterness; kindness, love, and compassion for one another should be cherished, that the prayer of Christ that his disciples might be one as he is one with the Father, may be answered." Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 279.
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Tuesday, October 31, 2017
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