The Bible Prayer Line – Bible Lesson
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Bible
Lesson: Marks Of Godly Character Versus Marks Of Non-Christian
Character: Boldness Versus Lifelessness.
Bible Texts:
Boldness:
I John 2:18-20 NLT
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such anti Christs have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.
19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for The Holy One has given you His Spirit, and all of you know The Truth.
Lifelessness::
Proverbs 6:6 NLT
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!
Boldness, The Word:
Joshua 1:9 NLT
This is My command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Psalm 27:14 KJV
Wait on The Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on The Lord.
Proverbs 28:1 NLT
The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the Godly are as bold as lions.
Acts 4:13,29,31 NLT
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in The Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
29 And now, O Lord...give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your Word.
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with The Holy Spirit. Then they preached The Word Of God with boldness.
Acts 14:2,3 NLT
2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas.
3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of The Lord. And The Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.
I Corinthians 16:13 NLT
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous
II Corinthians 3:11,12 NLT
11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!
12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
Ephesians 3:11,12 NLT
11 This was His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.
II Timothy 1:7 KJV
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of Power, and of Love, and of a Sound Mind.
Hebrews 4:16 NLT
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 10:19 NLT
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of The Blood Of Jesus.
The Word, Lifelessness:
Our Savior gave three reasons, why many remain spiritually lifeless.
Matthew 13:3-9 ,18-23 KJV
3 And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth The Word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of The Word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth The Word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth The Word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
(First-The Way Side.)
Matthew 13:4,19 KJV
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Mark 4:15 KJV
And these are they by the way side, where The Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away The Word that was sown in their hearts.
Luke 8:12 KJV
Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away The Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
(Second-Stony Places.)
Matthew 13:5,6,20,21 KJV
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth The Word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of The Word, by and by he is offended.
Mark 4:16,17 KJV
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard The Word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for The Word's sake, immediately they are offended.
Luke 8:13 KJV
They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive The Word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
(Third-The Thorns.)
Matthew 13:7,22 KJV
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth The Word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Mark 4:18,19 KJV
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear The Word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke The Word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Luke 8:14 KJV
And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Many Are Spiritually Lifeless Because They:
1) Lack understanding of The Word.
2) Receive The Word, with joy, but when Problems, afflictions or persecution comes because of God's Word, they fall away.
3) They hear The Word, but the cares of this world, such as the decitfulness of riches, or the pleasures of life, choke out The Word.
Often, individuals introduced to The Lord, fall away because of these 3 reasons.
1) It is our responsibility as Christians, not only to give The Word, but to carefully, lovingly “explain,” The Word, otherwise, of what use is it to them?
Luke 24:45 KJV
Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
2) It is our responsibility as Christians, to again, explain that being a Christian is like being in the army, for we are in the army of righteousness for our Lord! In the army, one learns one must be prepared to expect and endure afflictions and , persecution.
II Timothy 2:3 KJV (See also Ephesians 6:10-18 KJV)
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
3) It is our responsibility as Christians, to explain that the Christian life is one of self-sacrifice, and Cross bearing.
Matthew 16:24 KJV
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.
Prayer:
Hebrews 9:14 NLT
How much more shall The Blood Of Christ, who through The Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve The Living God?
James 2:26 KJV
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Jude 1:12,13 NLT
12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating The Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.
13 They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.
