Bible Study Notes 4/2/2024

Word Alive! Bible Study ©2024

Winter Series: God Never Gives Up On You!

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton

Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Tues., 2 April, Lesson 12, Part 1

Max Lucado, God Never Gives Up On You © 2024

Quiet Time: Max Lucado, God Never Gives (Reflection)

Conclusion – This study has helped us search the Scripture to understand the spiritual reality of the ever-present God. The God of the scriptures has divine attribute, which reveal His personal nature. God is not far removed from our daily lives; for the Lord participates with us in life’s arduous journey. While God is a Spirit, the scriptures often use human terminology to refer to God’s presence and concern for us. He “hears;” “sees;” “knows;” and “understands’ our needs and desires. God loves us unconditionally – “does not give up on us,” absolutely. While God told Noah that he “regretted He had ever created humans;” the human family was shown mercy, through the saving of Noah; his family; and animals, who were spared from the flood for repopulation through subsequent off-spring. Renewal and replenishing of the ecology, water-ways, and the environment – was God’s refusal not to give up on humankind and His creation. We can experience this throughout our human condition, throughout Biblical history, and in our personal journeys. In perhaps the first instance of God not giving up on the human family, is when we read of the primal break in the covenant relationship with God. Our human parents, Adam and Eve, became estranged from God because of the guilt they carried in disobeying God’s command not to tamper with fruit from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden. While their fellowship with God was broken, and their relationship was seared; we still observe God seeking to find them as they hid themselves. While God did not approve of their transgression, and there were consequences for their sin; the animal cloth God gave them was a sign of mercy, that would lead to reestablishing fellowship with Him (Read, Genesis 2:8-11; 20;23-24, NLT). The banishment of Adam and Eve from the garden, was a further sign of God’s grace, which barred them from an environment that had become harmful to their spiritual life and well-being. God said, “What if they reach out and take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it. Then they will live forever.” (See, Genesis 3:22b, NLT). Realizing how vulnerable and weak, humans had become; God knew if they violated His command again, they would be consigned to a sinful mortal life, forever. We see these instances of God’ redeeming love and abounding grace as the human family develops, and civilization are formed. God restored His relationship and fellowship with the human family, after the great flood in Noah’s time. In the covenant God made with Noah, He vowed to never destroy the earth through such a deluge. The perpetual appearance of the rainbow, became a sign of God’s forgiveness and grace. (Read, Genesis 9:12-15, NLT). “Not giving up on us,” is never to be understood as tolerance for sin. The persistent and perpetual love of God for us, speaks more to the divine nature of God for His creation. It is God’s redeeming love, that finds us! (Read, Psalm 34:17-19, NLT).

Key Idea:

What We Believe!

1. “God’s grace never quits.” – Max Lucado

Key Verses:

Genesis 3:8-11; 20;23-24, NLT

“When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So, they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked.  “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to?” “…The man-Adam – named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. And the Lord God made clothing from animal skin for Adam and his wife… So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden and sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And He placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

Genesis 9:12-15, NLT

“Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is a sign of the covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life.”

Psalm 34:17-19, NLT

“The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.”