Hello Again!
I just can't seem to move on to next week's lesson until I put the final recap on this week's Bible study!!! I think this borders on the fanatical and obsessive!!
At the beginning of the week, each of us took four M & M's and did not eat them (at least not right then.) The first three M & M's determined what the ice breaker question was.
Yellow - Tell about a summer childhood memory.
Green - What is one life hack you have learned? (FYI: life hack means little tricky to make things easier.)
Blue - What is one thing that really, really annoys you?
Orange - Any vacation plans this summer?
Red - What is your favorite form of exercise? Do you do it?
Brown - Tell about a time you got in BIG trouble as a kid.
Interesting answers...I wish I could hear all the tables' answers!
So...last week we talked about Praising God. (Remember, our prayer acrostic is PRAISE.) This week we talked about Repentance.
Why is it important for us to repent?
1. Because we are sinners. All of us. Romans 3:23
2. Because God told us to repent. All of us. 1 John 1:8-9; Matthew 3:2; Mark 6:12
3. Because sin separates us from God. If you want to have your prayers heard, repent. Isaiah 59:2;Psalm 66:18
Why is this a big deal to God?
BECAUSE HE IS HOLY!!! 1 Peter 1:16; Revelation 4:8; Isaiah 6:3; Isaiah 59:1-14
What is "Holy" anyway?
According to Strong's Greek Concordance: 40 hágios – properly, different (unlike), other ("otherness"), holy; for the believer, 40 (hágios) means "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world."
The fundamental (core) meaning of 40 (hágios) is "different" – thus a temple in the 1st century was hagios ("holy") because different from other buildings (Wm. Barclay). In the NT, 40 /hágios ("holy") has the "technical" meaning "different from the world" because "like the Lord."
[40 (hágios) implies something "set apart" and therefore "different(distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord.]
It's so hard for us to comprehend "holy." Pure, set apart, bright white don't quite seem to cover it. We may not understand it, we may not always like it, but it is still the truth.
I was struck by the difference between 1) admitting; 2) confessing; and 3) repenting.
Admitting - "Yes, I did it. I murdered that guy."
Confessing - "Yes, I did it. I murdered that guy. And I'm sorry I got caught. But it might happen again."
Repenting - "Yes, I did it. I murdered that guy. And I'm so sorry for my actions and I am going to take steps to make sure it never happens again."
In a perfect world, confession would always lead to repentance, but it doesn't always work that way.
I did try to make a modern day example: Since my chemotherapy, I fall off my heels due to numb feet.
I showed my high heel (which, by the way, is no where NEAR as high as Rebecca Essink's cute heels!) I will admit I fall off my heels. But, I keep trying to wear them. Then I showed my little 3/4" wedge I bought to sort of flirt with heels--and I still fell off. And I was sorry that I bought them. But, I still tried to wear them occasionally. Then I showed my totally flat shoe. That was when I repented of wearing heels and put all the heels in a bag. (In a perfect illustration I would have burned (or at least given away) all the heels. I didn't. I just put them in the guest closet. Maybe in a few months... but this isn't a perfect illustration.)
Now, to demonstrate the icky power of sin, we played a game I invented: The Devil's Advocate. In this game I, unfortunately, play the Devil. Everyone had to look at their last M & M. This determined how bad a sinner you are.
Yellow - You speed. You maybe ate too many cookies once. Your number is 2.
Green - You lie sometimes. You don't tell the cashier if she undercharges you. Your number is 4.
Blue - You lie quite a bit more. You cheat on your income taxes. Your number is 6.
Orange - You are a thief, robber. Your number is 8.
Red - You are a murderer or kidnapper. Your number is 10
Brown - You are a terrorist or child molester. Your number is 12.
Now we went in to see my big Bucket o' Sin Fun. This bucket was filled with the gooey-est mud I could make myself. And, hidden in the mud was treasure!! Now, I have to add a caveat: if I was being totally truthful to the illustration, this bucket would be filled with gross manure and slime and maggots and centipedes and every other icky thing I could think of. But I took pity on you and bought potting soil. Hope you still got the idea!!
Each of you sinners had to stick your hand in my bucket for however many seconds your number said and pick out any prize you wanted. Each woman came up and stuck their hand in the mud to find their prize.
Here's what they brought out:
Broken flashlight - You can lead someone in the dark--oops. Guess you don't know where you're going either.
Broken glasses - You can see things clearly and know right from wrong. Oh, one lens is missing. Guess you're vision isn't totally accurate.
Lipgloss - You can say whatever you want--after all you're just being honest.
Condom - You can have sex with whomever you want.
Sponges - You can clean up the messed up lives of others. With a sponge soaked in mud.
Altoids - You're words will always be sweet - with mud-covered Altoids.
Handerkerchief - You're good at wiping the tears of others. With a muddy handkerchief.
Bugs - These were the little annoyances that just nag and nag at you.
Feather Duster - You can tell others to get those little dusty sins out of the way, while your feather duster is coated in mud. (This picture is after we tried to clean it up ourselves.)
(These next ones were the things still in there you guys never picked!)
Band Aid - You can help people heal. Never mind that your band aid is filled with germs.
Broken watch -You can tell others what time it is for them...time to straighten up, time to give up, time to think of yourself. After all, your watch is right twice a day.
Rock - Not worth anything.
Candy - You can eat whatever you want.
Flosser - You can pick out the faults in others.
Single earring - It's all about how you look.
After we were done, I MEANT to ask you all to clean up your arm on your own. No water, just use your other hand. Could you clean it up on your own? No, it just would have made your other hand dirty, or the floor dirty, or your clothes dirty. The sin would have spread.
Look at the arms. It didn't matter if you were in the mud for 2 seconds or 12...you were still dirty. We are the ones who give different levels to different sins.
Then, you all were sent into the bathroom to wash up with some yummy smelling vanilla soap and a nail brush (the nail brush was supposed to represent the Holy Spirit). And, when you came out, you got a dollop of creamy vanilla lotion to symbolize the restored fellowship with God.
We ended the evening with a couple songs and then prayed silently through Psalm 51, which I will post below.
Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3
For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
5
For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6
But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
7
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8
Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9
Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11
Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.
12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
13
Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
14
Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
15
Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.
16
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
17
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
18
Look with favor on Zion and help her;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19
Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered
in the right spirit—
with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.
