Thought Provoking Bible Studies

Thought Provoking Bible Studies

Lesson 0349 ? 2011 My Name ___________________________________ Date __________

THOUGHT PROVOKING BIBLE STUDIES are written by Fred D. Whitelaw. Download free of charge but only from our website: bible- Make as many copies as you desire. Use them freely. These lessons are designed to promote independent thought in classroom and individual studies. Hole punch and organize in 3 Ring Binders. Copyright is to preserve integrity. Each lesson must be reproduced in its entirety with no changes or partial reproductions. Unless otherwise noted all quotes are from the KJV for consistency.

THE NEGATIVE vs THE POSITIVE

1. A Fact The Bible is the mind of God revealed for and to man. It is man's roadmap--his blueprint. It contains The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. That's the title of TPBS Lesson #0343. Take time and study it. The Holy Canon is a measuring rod. It tells us (#1) what to do and (#2) what not to do. It is for "_____ and to ______ children for ever, that we may do _____ the _______ of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29). This applied to Jews under Moses; the same now applies to us under Christ.

2. Under Christ The condition laid down on Pentecost Day (Acts 2) for entrance into the NT Church was to "Repent, and be __________ every one of you in the _______ of Jesus Christ for the ___________ of ______" (Acts 2:38). This applies to all men, to Jew and Gentile alike. Let's separate out the recipients of this "promise" of salvation by virtue of a spirit-enlivened life: It is "unto you" (V39), meaning those Jews present in Jerusalem, "and to your __________" (Ibid), meaning future generations of Jews. It includes "all that are ______ off" (Ibid) meaning the Gentiles: "even____ ______ as the Lord our God shall _______" (Ibid) and that's every accountable human being.

3. Will All Obey? Have All Ever Obeyed? NO! Paul talked about faith and concluded that "they have _____ all _________ the gospel" (Romans 10:16). He cited the centuries old prophecy of the rejection (by most) of Christ in (Isaiah 53). IF it is positive to obey the gospel then it is negative not to obey the gospel. Jesus said in (Matthew 7:13) that ________ enter the wide gate and broad way of ____________ but ______ find the strait gate and narrow way of life--(V14). Jesus gave a classic example of the positive and the negative in these two salient verses.

4. Heaven And Hell We recommend study of TPBS Lessons #0059 and #0060, Hell: Abode of the Lost. We have graphic word pictures by Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46) of the horrors of everlasting Hell and the joys of eternal Heaven. Jesus used the same Greek word ainios to describe both:

"And these shall go away into _____________ punishment: but the righteous into life __________."

(V46). Hell is negative and heaven is positive. Truly every action requires a reaction. 5. Brother, Accentuate The Positive! The words of Johnny Mercer's lilting song, sung by Bing

Crosby in the popular yesteryear movie, accurately mirrors the "gushy" feelings of many today:

"You've got to accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative, Latch on to the affirmative, Don't mess with Mister In-Between"

This is fine and well in the glitzy world of Show Biz but man's struggle with the forces of Good and Evil is an undeniable reality. Positive = ONLY preaching--Negative = ONLY half-preaching. 6. Preach Realistically Job said that man "is of _____ days, and full of ___________" (Job 14:1). Paul plainly stated: "Yea, and _____ that will live ______ in Christ Jesus _______ suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12). Sadly, "the negative" will always be just around the corner. We'll have to deal with it time and again. Dear friend, stand up and "Quit _____ like ______" (1 Corinthians 16:13). 7. An OT Example God told young Jeremiah, "I have this day set thee _______ the __________ and over the __________" (Jeremiah 1:10). Explanation: Society had again become very wicked, forgetting that God had once destroyed the old world (Genesis 6) with the ________. God commissioned this young prophet to do four negative things and two positive things-- (Jeremiah 1:10). He uses familiar agricultural and architectural expressions: (#1) "to _______ out," meaning to dig the sin out by the roots; (#2) "to _______ down," as in demolishing an antiquated

1

building; (#3) "to __________," as in razing, burning, killing, and burying idolatry; (#4) "to _________ down" the reign of sin; (#5) "to _______" back the bulwarks of righteousness; (#6) "and to ________" the seeds of God's Word in their hearts again. The "old ______" (Romans 6:6) must die before we can "put on the ______ man" (Colossians 3:10). 8. More It is a much greater chore to undo false religious notions than to teach one who has no preconceived and prejudiced ideas. That was the case in Jeremiah's day: "For my people have committed ______ evils" (Jeremiah 2:13). (#1) "They have ____________ ____ the fountain of _________ waters" (Ibid). (#2) They have "_________ them _____ cisterns, _________ cisterns; that can hold _____ water" (Ibid). This is a double whammy and explains why Jeremiah was 2/3rds negative. 9. NT Example Look: "_________ the _______; be instant ____ season, _____ ____ season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all ________________ and ___________" (2 Timothy 4:2). These three items are all necessary, but 2/3rds of them (2 out of 3), would be perceived as negative by general society. (#1) To Reprove means to censure; express disapproval; (#2) To Rebuke is to reprove sharply; to reprimand with authority; (#3) To Exhort means to urge by sincere and appealing argument intended to persuade, not alienate. One cannot faithfully "preach the word" with scriptural conviction unless he employs these three commands, two of which the world automatically deems as being 100% negative. 10. Positive Thinking Motivational speakers have long touted the power of positive thinking. Norman Vincent Peale wrote a popular book entitled The Power of Positive Thinking. So thought Paul when he admonished, "Set your ____________ on things ________, not on things ____ the ________" (Colossians 3:2). The last thing we want is to diminish positive thinking and preaching. But we argue that "positive" preaching is described in Paul's words to the Ephesian elders when he said, "For I have not _________ to declare unto you _____ the ___________ of God" (Acts 20:27). That means the good, bad, and ugly; the negative with the positive--the whole nine yards. 11. The Symptoms These are the evidences (ie: the signs) of an ailment. In Isaiah's day this same wickedness permeated God's people, whom he called "____________ people, ________ children" (Isaiah 30:9). They said "to the seers, _____ ______; and to the prophets, ___________ _____ unto us ________ things" (Ibid). What did they want? "Speak unto us ________ things, prophesy ________" (Ibid). When people have "__________ ears" they "will _____ endure ___________ doctrine" (2

Timothy 4:2). These are the most difficult of cases for guilty brethren to admit their complicity. 12. Tough Love This is a demonstration of one's love for self, or another, in exhibiting genuine concern for their

greater good by using strict, but not necessarily pleasant, measures of discipline to quell undesired behavioral tendencies (eg: father spanks unruly child). Two lessons that may shed some light are #0264, Restoration of the Fallen, and #0330, A Generation Gap in the Church? Preaching on negative commandments invokes the ire of the self-righteous. Paul: "be ________ in season, out of __________" (2 Timothy 4:2). Keeble: "Preach it when they like it, and preach it when they don't like it." 13. Brethren, Live Positively The Corinthian church had many problems. Paul asked: "Shall I come unto you ______ a ______, or in ______, and in the spirit of ____________?" (1 Corinthians 4:21). There is a time and place for all things: "To every thing there is ___ __________" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Jesus "condemned _____ in the flesh" (Romans 8:3) yet Christian hearts must "be _______ together in _______" (Colossians 2:2). Jesus: "If ye ______ me, ______ my commandments" (John 14:15).

Read All Choices And Circle The Best Answer

14. Precious in sight of Lord? fasting and prayer death of saints persecution of church

15. Bodily exercise profiteth? little gastrointestinal functions blood pressure normality

16. The saved of God will receive? fabulous wealth

new body

skyline mansion

Memory Verse (Revelation 21:4) "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,

neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

2

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download