1. Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard www.GraceDoctrine.org Sunday, February 3, 2013

2. The Book of Proverbs Chapter 4 Vs. 18, In the Path of Righteousness You Shine Brightly!

3. Vs. 18, The “path” (ORACH) of the “righteous” (TSADDIQ), is the advancing believer with Bible doctrine in their soul. Isa 33:15-16

4. Prov 15:21, “Folly is joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight.” Cf. Gen 24:40; 48:15; 1 Sam 2:30; Psa 116:9; 119:3

5. 2 Kings 20:3; Isa 38:3, “Remember now, O LORD, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.”

6. “Light of the Dawn” Light was originally given in Gen 1:3, 18 to break up, (separate from), the darkness. God’s Word separates you from sin and evil.

7. Psa 43:3, “O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places.”

8. The word of God is a lamp to one’s feet, and a light to one’s path. Psa 119:105; Prov 6:23.

9. Psa 119:105-106, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances.”

10. Prov. 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.”

11. Wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. Ecc 2:13-14

12. Ecc 2:13-14, “And I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness.”

13. Isa 60:19, “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory.”

14. This “brightness” represents your holiness and Experiential Sanctification, being untainted with the corruption of the world, and walking inside G.P.S.

15. “Light of dawn”, is the “righteous” who are able to walk in the light of Christ on account of their relationship with God the Father. 1 John 1:5-9

16. “That shines brighter and brighter.” HALAK, הָלַךְ, “walk or proceed.” The Verb of OR, אוֹר, “to be or become light”

17. As you advance in the spiritual life you become a greater light, the grand luminary of heaven.

18. We obtain, maintain and expand this “illumination” by having wisdom (God’s Word) resident within our soul, Ecc 8:1.

19. Eccl 8:1, “Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.”

20. “Until the full day.” Figuratively, “the day of your death”, because the day you die is a perfect day for you, when you will be in your Ultimate state of Sanctification.

21. Therefore, we are commanded to keep advancing in the spiritual life reflecting more and more of the glory of Christ until God takes you home.

22. John 8:12, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life”.”

23. Communion Celebration

24. Being Drawn to Christ !

25. The Greek word for “draw” here is HELKUSOO. Its common use usually implies the non-violent dragging of an object, such as a fishing net toward a defined point. Here in John 12:32 its metaphorical usage is also in view which means to draw by inward power, by divine impulse, to impel, to lead.

26. John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

27. In the O.T., this word corresponds to the Hebrew word MASHAK Jer 31:3, “The Lord appeared to me from afar, saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”

28. This is a great analogy of our Lord Jesus Christ drawing us unto Him from a place of lifelessness, from the deadness of the sin nature, from the despair of Satan’s cosmic system.

29. Isa 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” The Hebrew word for “look” here means “to turn and look”, so by turning to face the cross you allow yourself to be drawn to Christ and are automatically turning away from whatever haunts you in your past.

30. PHILOS means a well known friend, loved one or someone dear to the subject. It is a person you associate with for whom there is affection or personal regard. It is a term of endearment.

31. One definition I particularly like is that a PHILOS is a member of a circle of friends gathered around their leader. It has the connotation of an intimate friend with whom one constantly shares.

32. Exo 33:11a, “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.” Isa 41:8, “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend.”

33. These unique examples applied to only a few Old Testament believers, but now in light of Christ’s life and sacrifice any believer who follows Christ’s commands is His friend; no one is shut out of that affectionate closeness to God if they desire to have it.

34. Certainly we like to share with our friends in matters of joy, but of much more importance is the willingness to share with them in matters of hardship. Friendship as viewed by Christ meant service, concern and sacrifice even to the point of death.

35. Oswald Chambers said “friendship is rare on earth. It means identity in thought and heart and spirit. The whole discipline of life is to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ.”

36. This intimate friendship is that defined point, that specific destination that HELKUSOO speaks of. It’s why we are drawn to the Cross, the very reason we are drawn to Christ. To learn His ways, understand His heart and soul; to embrace His nature and one day have Him say face to face to us as He did to the eleven apostles, “you are My friends”.

37. Communion Celebration

38. Grace Offering 2 Cor 9:6-15, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

39. Grace Fellowship Church Sunday, February 3, 2013 Tape # 13-013 Proverbs Chapter 4 You Shine Brightly in the Path of Righteousness Prov 4:18; Isa 33:15-16; 38:3; Psa 119:105-16; 1 John 1:5-9 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2013