God’s Draft – Wrong Social Status

God’s Draft – Wrong Social Status                        7-26-2020

Bottom Line: While God provides us with opportunities, we must make the right choices.

Introduction:

 A. Read together: Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

 B. God called us, we responded, and now we serve Him!

   1. Passage tells us that he directs our path –

   2. He makes us qualified to do what he drafted us to do

 C. Why do we hesitate, wait, avoid, postpone…resist?

   1. Excuses? Weak? Feel unqualified?

   2. Wrong age? Wrong gender? Is God wrong?

 D. Two brothers in two different Pig Pens – Luke 15:11ff

   1. Younger brother’s pig pen = choices & social status

   2. Older brother’s pig pen = choices & social status

   3. Only a relationship w/ the father can change things!

 E. God’s Draft, but the wrong social status?

1. Ruth was too poor!  (Ruth1-4)

 A. Hard life: famine, death, childless 10 yrs. Woman alone

 B. Her devotion to her mother-in-law Naomi, 1:16-17

 C. Hard worker – noticed, impressed Boaz, gave food & water, told workers to help her out – leave more!

 D. Humble obedience to Naomi – tradition & respect for Boaz! He became very interested – Kinsman-redeemer

 E. Son Obed was granddad of David – lineage of Jesus!

 F. Honesty, love, and hard work over social status!

2. Cornelius was too Roman!  (Acts 10)

 A. A Roman, a centurion of Italian Regiment = foreigner!

 B. To Jews: a gentile, unclean, and an oppressor

 C. Acts 10:2, devout, God fearing, giver, helper, prayer

   * Even the angel of God – his prayers & gifts to the poor were a memorial offering before God, vs.4 Touched God!

 D. Obedient (Roman officer?) to God & angel – get Peter!

 E. Called relatives and close friends to hear Peter!

 F. He was the door to the Gentiles – used by God!

  * Threatened social status to see God!

3. Too busy blaming!

 A. Sociologist see environment & and hereditary as causes for social problems! (Gen.3, Adam & Eve)

 B. Many people blame circumstances and difficult problems for their situation in life.

 C. Carl Jung, and Analytical Psychologist contemporary with Sigmund Freud – helped form AA, Myers-Briggs, etc.

   1. Unlike many in his field, saw faith as a positive

   2. Quote on my desk, “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.”

 D. Both troubles and blessings can be the excuse to ignore God’s call! (Jesus = new wife, death father?)

   1. You are not what happened to you! Unless you choose to let that define you and drive you!

   2. We are defined by the choices we make!

Conclusion:

A. Older brother’s Pig Pen – God should do more for me!

B. Younger brother’s Pig Pen – I need to get up and go to him and ask for forgiveness!

C. It’s not what happened to you but what you choose…  

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Bible Study for Sunday, July 26, 2020

God’s Draft – The Wrong Social Status

1.  Read Proverbs 3:5-6 and discuss how God “will make your paths straight”?

2.  Why is serving God not a matter of our qualifications?

3.  In the story of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15), what kind of pigpen did the older brother live in? It was self-made, but why?

4.  How would you describe Ruth’s social status in Moab at the beginning of the story? (Chapter 1)

5.  What do you think about her devotion to Naomi? (1:16-17)

6.  What was their social status once they arrived in Bethlehem?

7.  Why was Boaz so impressed with Ruth? How did he change her social status?

8.  What made Cornelius an unusual choice to be used by God?        (Acts 10)

9.  What made Cornelius a good candidate for the gospel?

10. Why is the conversion of Cornelius and his family so important to God’s plan?

11. What are some ways that we blame others for our situation rather than accept responsibility for our choices?

12. What does Carl Jung’s quote say to you? “I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.”