Character

Choose Character

• Pray
• Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering

1. Definitions – character

1. The sum of our traits that we are known by.

2. Reputation – How you are known
3. Faithfulness
4. Character is the total of what makes us up, or the “whole”. Integrity is the parts and pieces that make up the “whole” – We are going to talk about both. Many times the two are used interchangeably, but keep in mind the differences.

1. The milk of the Word vs. the meat of the Word

1. The milk is what Jesus or the Kingdom of God will do for you. – (Heb 5:12)

a) salvation

b) hope and comfort in troubled times

c) healing – physical, emotional

(all are benefits of Jesus’ work at The Cross or Atonement)

2. The meat of the Word is what you do for The Kingdom

1. Hebrews 5:12 (NIV)
   In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

a) baby food

2) James 2 : 8 (Mess) I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove

Show your faith – God expects it, from ourselves, show to family and friends benefit

1. an example - practical Christianity / meat of The Word
2. God does the supernatural – all miracles of past, present, and future – Jesus, conquering Love, re-establishing His Kingdom and making us part of it.
3. He expects us to do the natural (because of our faith – IN HIM) to show His Love to others – Shows Him to others (family, those around us) – perhaps we are the only God that person will see!

3) Character of God

a) Isaiah 11:5

5 Righteousness will be his belt
 and faithfulness the sash around his waist

note: faithfulness one of the deffs. Of character

2. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

c) Deuteronomy 7:9

9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands

The Word says to “Be like Him” – 1 John 3:2

Kids want to be like their father – they naturally emulate their parents

We are made in His image, since He is of character and it is a trait that we all can and should develop, He expects us to be of character for our own good as well as everyone we come in contact with.

4) Characteristics Traits Of The Saints

a) Bible says anyone who is saved is a saint. – We ARE people of character

2. There are many character traits we can identify
   • Blameless
   • Bold
   • Faithful
   • Just
   • Godly
   • Humble
   • Attentive to Christ’s voice - John 10:3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
   • Prudent - Proverbs 16:21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
           And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
   • If we are saved The traits are in us – Romans 12:3 – up to us to develop them by exercising and using.

The Example We Set

Example –noun

1.	one of a number of things, or a part of something, taken to show the character of the whole: This painting is an example of his early work.

2.	a pattern or model, as of something to be imitated or avoided: to set a good example.

3.	an instance serving for illustration; specimen: The case histories gave carefully detailed examples of this disease.

4.	an instance illustrating a rule or method, as a mathematical problem proposed for solution.

5.	an instance, esp. of punishment, serving as a warning to others: Public executions were meant to be examples to the populace.

6.	a precedent; parallel case: an action without example.

–verb (used with object)

7.	Rare. to give or be an example of; exemplify (used in the passive).

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME exa(u)mple < MF example < L exemplum, akin to eximere to take out (ex- ex-¹ + emere to buy, orig. take); r. ME exemple < L, as above ] —Synonyms 1. Example, sample, specimen refer to an individual phenomenon taken as representative of a type, or to a part representative of the whole. Example is used of an object, condition, etc., that is assumed to illustrate a certain principle or standard: a good example of baroque architecture. Sample refers to a small portion of a substance or to a single representative of a group or type that is intended to show what the rest of the substance or the group is like: a sample of yarn. Specimen usually suggests that the “sample” chosen is intended to serve a scientific or technical purpose: a blood specimen;

Greek

deiÛgma

from the base of (1166)

1. a thing shown

2. a specimen of any thing, example, pattern

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

• This verse tells us Jesus is exact image of God – He is God that we can see – “if you have seen Me, you have seen God”-Jn 14:6

• Jesus is our example –

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ

1. Jesus fulfilled every one of these offices – note the word edify /Word only builds up –
2. That is how God treats His Kids – that is the example He sets for us

3. Every account in Word is there to give us answers, build us up and to set an example. Mat 17:24-26 shows us is an example of submitting to authority weather we agree or not – that is what God calls doing right “just because”

24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the tax collectors for the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?"

25 "Of course he does," Peter replied. Then he went into the house to talk to Jesus about it.

But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter*? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?"

26 "They tax the foreigners," Peter replied.

"Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free! 27 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a coin. Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us."

Mat 20:28

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many

Jn 13-17

13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

In Paul’s 1^st letter to Timothy he cites The Lord’s mercy and example to us all:

 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

 15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Examples to set (set for):

1. Our children – Godly , do the right thing always (do right just because it’s right) God wants you to do this because good for us – what comes around, goes around.

Eph 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

.family

2. believers and non believers – there watching you.

1 Tim 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an

example

1. Always build up
2. Don’t do things that are OK but don’t help or non-believers and many believers don’t understand - remember:

1 Cor 6:12 says - All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Set The Example - Do the right thing on purpose – just because it is the right thing to do!

Job vs. Psalms

Contrast between Job / Psalms

• Pray

• Job wealthy and feared God – Bible says complete integrity (Job 1:1-12)

• Satan tries to drive wedge btwn Job / God – convinces God to allow

Tests. (I’m always amazed at the access that Satan seems to have to The God Of The Universe. [remember, God is perfect, everything about Him is legal and organized because of His perfection] - supiror)

• Story progresses – Job loses: family’, possessions, health

• people that knew him are convinced that through sin, he brought this on himself
• his wife in essence tells him he may as well “end it”

• 4 friends come to talk – Job didn’t talk for days

Friends just sat with him – (sometimes we don’t have to say anything to someone hurting. Just being there is what they need?)

• when they finally could talk to him tried to convince him to repent – his bad fortune caused by God punishing unrepented sin.

• God rebukes Jobs friend for thinking he had something to do with this – good in us always about Him ~ bag always about us or Satan.

• Job makes the case that he is righteous toward God and better than the unrighteous.

• Job not so concerned about what he’d lost, but why he lost it.

• Job asks God, “why” - (God never answers that question – they want argument not answer)

• God, then rebukes Job tells him don’t worry about it I Am Sovereign – what I say goes – tells Job whats what. 38:1- 41:34 
• Job is restored (chapter 42)

• lessons Job learned

1. God is sovereign – ALL AUTHORITY
2. Bad things will happen to good people – Gen 3, Satan (always testing, hates God and His people, Satan has limitations)
3. not that bad things wont happen, how we act when bad things happen – God want us to rely on Him alone.
4. God then fairness…not fairness then God
   
   

   • Even though Job, as well as his friends had the wrong theology (God causes hardship and bad things to happen to "punish or to teach lessons" to people) Job none the less proves he got the point when he didn't reject God when his own (incorrect) theology told him to (Paraphrased from Gregory A. Boyd's Is God To Blame ? - pp 94).

• Psalms are praise, laments, some wisdom (proverbs) all over the place. Not one story…a collection of conversations from the hart.

• Written mostly through David and son Solomon

• All Psalms put God first – acknowledge His Sovereignty

• They never ask “why me, I’m a good guy”

• Job asks until God sets him straight, “I’m righteous, why me?” – ignore God’s Sovereignty

• Psalms always seem to say “you are God, WHY NOT ME?”

• Psalms will ask for help – in doing so acknowledge God is only help

Ask class to draw conclusions btwn Job and Psalms

God's Word: The Power Unto Salvation

• Pray
• Text - Rom 1:16 : For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,^[a] for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

• John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.& 1:14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth - (Who Word is) 

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. & Romans 10:9-10 ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation - (promises salvation)

• The Word – Jesus – God gave us Words to live by
• They are only words if Jesus not God (to us) – lower case
• If Jesus IS God to us, they are upper case – The power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

- As soon as He is God to me and you, then His Words are what they are meant to be – Life

• Duet. 30:19 , Josh 1:8, 14:6, John 14:21 - When you and I choose to do what God tells us to do (esteem His Word), He can be Way to Salvation – we can have good success.

Duet. 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;, Josh 1:8, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. John 14:21 - He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

His Kingdom can (and will, with or without you and me) be re-established – where? (in your heart) – He wants you and I to be integral parts of His Kingdom!

When and only when we choose to be a part of His Kingdom, can we rely on the Word being THE POWER TO SALVATION!