Student Notes 7 There's Never Plenty of Time


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SERIES: LOSERS, LOVERS AND LEADERS

SESSION SEVEN, FALL 2016

THERE’S NEVER PLENTY OF TIME Marcus Antonius Felix Slave who became a governor Married three times, each time to a princess Brutal and unscrupulous Heard the case against Paul presented by the High Priest and the elders Acts 24.24-27: Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus … While Paul was in custody, Felix and his wife call for Paul to talk to him about what? Not about his defense but about ____________________. Acts 24.24-25: … He spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

FELIX HAD TWO REACTIONS: 1. _________ Why was Felix afraid? Because he realized that what Paul was saying might very well be ________. Paul was preaching about righteousness and judgment. And Felix was coming under ____________. John 16.8: And when he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of its sin, of God’s righteousness and of the coming judgment. 2. _________________ Act on what Paul was telling him, and Felix would have to change his life. Give into the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and he could no longer be the brutal, lustful man he had become. His response: Maybe later. Felix sends for Paul and talks with him on many later occasions. But never again does he come under conviction or feel terror over the peril that his soul is in.

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The lesson we learn from Felix: When God convicts you and you fight it off, it will be _________ to fight if off the next time. Every time you resist the power of God, it’s like being inoculated. Every time you fight if off, you become less sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Every time you refuse to change makes it harder to hear the _______________ or feel his presence. The lesson we learn from Felix: no matter how many days you have left, there’s never _____________________ to respond to the voice of God in your life.

SEIZE THE MOMENT TO 1. MAKE YOUR _________________ RIGHT One of the constant themes of the New Testament is that being right with God means we must strive to be right with others. Matthew 5.23: … If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. If our relationships with other people are the most important part of our lives, other than our relationship with God, we must do all we can to “be reconciled to your brother.” Your responsibility in your relationships is to clean up ________ side of the street. There’s something more important than getting your way or getting someone else to treat you better. It’s getting your _______ right.

GETTING OUR RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT OFTEN ENTAILS A. _______________ Telling the other person, “I’m responsible for what I did and I’m sorry.” We do this not after the other person admits their part and not ____________ the other person to apologize. B. ____________________ Our sins create wreckage in the lives of others. And the best we can, we need to make things right. Romans 13.8: Owe nothing to anyone – except for your obligation to love one another.

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Making amends is important for two reasons: 1. Justice for the person we harmed demands it. 2. The ___________ of our souls requires it. C. _____________ Someone Who Hurt Us Until we forgive, there will be a toxic mixture of anger and bitterness eating away at our souls. Ephesians 4.32: Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Matthew 6.12: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgiveness does not mean ___________ what the person did, denying how badly we were hurt, or deciding we will get back into the same kind of relationship we had before. Forgiveness means letting go of our ________ on the other person. It’s saying – you did me wrong, but I no longer require an apology or an explanation from you. I don’t need you to make amends. I let you go. I wish you well. When you let the person who hurt you go, you discover that you’re the one who is set _______ of the poison that has been harming your soul. We do not fix the pain in our hearts by fixing the person who put it there. We fix the pain in our hearts by forgiving the person who put it there. 2. CHANGE HOW YOU USE YOUR __________ The time we are absolutely free to control is small and precious. It’s the time we have to develop our friendships and our marriage and to devote to our educational, physical, emotional and spiritual growth and health. That means we need to be _____________ about what we do with that time. Two hours a day spent on the computer or watching TV equates to ____ days out of the year. Is the pattern of how you use your time helping you grow or is it insuring that you stagnate? My suggestion: make ___ change. Make one change with what you do with your time that will help you grow.

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3. CHANGE HOW YOU HANDLE YOUR __________ Stress is painful. People will do almost anything to get out of pain. It’s when we are stressed out that we often make big ___________. Some typical patterns for dealing with stress: Drinking too much Becoming dependent on drugs Eating too much – or the wrong things Looking at pornography or having affairs Spending money on foolish things Vegging out in front of the TV or the computer – becoming _____________ to our wives and children You will not be available to God or to how he wants to use you if you handle your stress in ways that are _____________ and inauthentic. Better ways to handle stress: Prayer Memorizing and contemplating God’s promises ___________ to someone about what you’re going through Exercising Serving others If you’ve gotten into a bad pattern with how you handle your stress, change your pattern and change it today. 4. BEGIN HAVING A ______________WITH GOD 5. ACCEPT __________ You are on this planet for a short time. It’s too short to play games with the truth or to put off life’s most important decision. A. You were created to be in a relationship with God. B. You are guilty of sin. Romans 3.9, 23: No one is righteous – not even one. … For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. C. Your sin has __________ your relationship with God. Isaiah 59.2: Your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you. D. The result of your sin will be _________. Romans 6.23: The wages of sin is death.

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E. God has provided a substitute, an atoning sacrifice for your sins. 2 Corinthians 5.21: For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. F. It is ________ in Christ that will make you right with God and restore your relationship with him. Ephesians 2.8-9: For by grace are you saved through faith … It is the gift of God not by works. The Woodlands United Methodist Church www.thewoodlandsumc.org