Bible Study Notes 4/25/2023

Word Alive! © 2023 Winter/Spring Series Living and Thriving Again! Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor Tuesday, 25 April 2023, Lesson/Chapter 7, Part 1

Thom S. Rainer, Anatomy Of A Revived Church, © 2020

Quiet Time: Thom S. Rainer, Lesson/Chapter 7 (pp. 97-107)

Revitalizing A Meaningful Life – Our lives should have meaning and purpose. The Scripture tells the story of a God who creates life that is intended to be filled with perpetual purpose. Everything God creates is structured around order that is meaningful; and is intended to fulfill God’s divine purpose. When God surveyed His creation, he commented, “It was good.” The Hebrew word, tobh, as in the Greek and English, gives the sense of something that’s aesthetically appealing; but also, it’s content and design, is morally good. The trail of sin that follows the Human family, reminds us that we can be less than good, when we attempt to stray from the Creator’s purpose. This is why the concept of redemption is so common in the Scriptures. In our faith, we look to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, redemption, and renewal. The Scriptures observe our brokenness, but points us to the path or renewal and restoration. David’s epic prayer during a broken period in his life, bears witness to our dependence on, and trust in, God to help us again, live and thrive. We notice David’s trilogy of requests: Create, renew, and restore. (Read, Psalm 51:10-12, NLT; Also, Psalm 104:3-5, NLT)). Over the seasons of my life, I have found David’s personal petition useful in seeking change and renewal in life. We also must be aware, that what we seek for our personal lives, we should seek for the local Christian community or Church we call home. In his helpful book, Anatomy of A Revived Church, author and pastor Thom S. Rainer points out referring to our place in a local church as a “member” is not an unbiblical term. He points to the great analogy the Apostle Paul used in I Corinthians 12, where he used parts or members of the human body, as an analogy for the church. Paul’s vision of the church was seeing the body of believers in harmony; caring for each other; exercising their spiritual gifts; and to disciple believers, and to lead others to faith in Jesus Christ. (Read, I Corinthians 12:24b-27, NLT). While the term, members, should never be used to suggest some mutually exclusive organization; it should be used to help us understand and affirm what “meaningful membership” is about. Rainer says: “… Membership is not having your name on a roll, though there’s nothing wrong with keeping track of people…Ultimately, membership is about belonging and contributing. We belong to a local community of believers. And we are expected to be a contributing and serving part of the community.” Our path a church life that’s meaningful, and one which thrives, is to seek the perpetual filling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Great things will happen, and the witness of the church will bring miraculous change to many!

KEY IDEA

What We Believe!

“Christians should have meaningful personal, and church lives.”

1. A revived life has a deeper sense of belonging and obligation.”

KEY VERSES

Psalm 51:10-12 NLT

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loving spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your way to rebels, and they will return to you.”

Psalm 104:3-5, NLT

“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles!”

I Corinthians 12:24b-27, NLT

“So God has put the body t0gether such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”

Acts 4:30-35, NLT

“Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 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. All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified power- fully to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance there was Joseph. The one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (“which means Son of Encouragement). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.”