1. Walking in Wisdom Session 9

2. Knowledge Objectives  Explain the role of the Holy Spirit in your obedience to God.  Understand that biblical obedience is not compliance with a rule but a submissive response to a Person.  Understand that biblical endurance is fueled by a relationship with God.  Explain how the hearing and doing are the hallmarks of mature Christianity.

3. Application Objectives  Respond by becoming increasingly sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in your life.  Respond by turning to God for help to obey and endure.  Respond by reflecting Christ to others around you by your servanthood.

4. Walking in Wisdom Session 9

5.  Doing versus being  The Holy Spirit is the key player.  “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:16-17). The Master Discipline of Doing

6.  The divine help from God is called grace.

7. The Basic Discipline of Obedience  Biblical obedience is not just compliance to some abstract law or rule. It is the submissive response to the Person of the Holy Spirit, who has revealed the will of God to us through His Word.  A love relationship is at the heart of obedience.

8. The Basic Discipline of Endurance  Endurance is continued obedience to God even under pressure.

9. Philippians 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,... “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,...

10. even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

11. The Basic Discipline of Endurance  Christlike endurance is submission to the One who loved us most.

12. Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with [endurance] the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with [endurance] the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

13. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12

14. Grown-up Christianity  Servanthood is grown-up Christianity.  Slaves were responsive to the needs of others—an attitude of otherness (diakonos).  Slaves were responsive to the will of another (doulos).

15. Mark 12:1-5 “And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vine- yard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. “And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vine- yard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

16. Mark 12:1-5 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent another: and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent another: and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.” and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.”

17. Conclusion  Responsiveness to the needs of others and to the will of another is the litmus test of Christlikeness.  By hearing and doing we will become living advertisements of Christlikeness.

18. Take Time to Reflect  Do you listen to what God says through His Word and your elders?  Do you remember what God and your elders say?  Do you do what God and your elders say?  Do you persevere/endure in what God and your elders say?