DISOBEDIENT
G O D HOW TO TRUST A GOD T H AT GOES OFF SCRIPT
A L B E RT TAT E
Copyright © 2016 by Fellowship Monrovia ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Published by LifeTogether. Copyright and use of the curriculum template is retained by Brett Eastman. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotes are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 and 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ISBN Printed in the United States of America
2
TA BL E OF CON T EN T S Introduction 04 Endorsements 06 Using This Workbook (Read This First) 08 Outline for Each Session 10
SESSIONS Session One: What are you reaching for? Session Two: Replacing Him Session Three: Running from Him Session Four: Performing for Him Session Five: When Black Friday meets Good Friday Session Six: Rest in Him Session Seven: Confess to Him Session Eight: Reach for Him
12 28 44 60 76 92 108 124
APPENDICES Frequently Asked Questions LifeGroup Agreement LifeGroup Calendar Memory Verse Cards (Clip and Review)
142 144 145 146
LIFEGROU P LE A DER S Hosting an Open House Leading for the First Time Leadership Training Prayer and Praise Report LifeGroup Roster
150 151 152 154 155
3
INTRODUCTION The last thing that we associate God with is disobedience. God is meant to be the place that we go for refuge, consistency and peace. But life is not consistent. Life is messy. Many Christians claim to be reaching for God, but really they are just trying to fill the void with whatever is the most convenient. When the people of Israel grew tired of waiting for Moses to come off the mountain, they reached for their gold. What things are we reaching for in our life? Are we reaching for porn when we long for intimacy? Reaching for success when we long for security? We would never say that we have replaced God, but our actions tell a different story. Whether we are trying to replace God, trying to run away or trying to perform for Him, we have no mindset to deal with a disobedient God. We live in a time of passive Christianity. There are many people who live out their faith every day but there are many more who are just comfortable. They don’t want God outside the box that they have put him in and if all of their prayers were answered it wouldn’t make a difference in anyone else’s life. Disobedient God is a book for people that don’t realize they need it. It is a book for people who no longer have God as the focus of their life. Throughout Disobedient God, Albert Tate delivers a fresh perspective, not only on familiar Biblical stories, but also on life experiences that are common to everyone. When the people of Israel made their golden calf, Moses was on the mountain getting the 10 commandments from God. The first one preaches against idolatry. This is a book that shows that in order to break any of the other nine commandments, we must break the first one and in order to keep any of the other nine commandments we must keep the first one. It is not a book about golden calves in the front lawn but instead it is a book about the calves, the images and the idols that show up in our hearts. And how to rid ourselves from them all and focus our desires on a relationship with God.
A L BER T TAT E
Founder and lead pastor of Fellowship Monrovia 4
“
T he G od we have
e x p er ienced is too
g reat to stay i n a ny
box , e sp ec ia l ly one of ou r ow n c reat i ng.
”
5
ENDORSEMENTS
6
It’s been my joy to journey with Pastor Tate for the past several decades, and you need to know, these words are not academic gesticulations, or forays into the theoretical. Oh no, Albert Tate, pastor of one of the fastest growing multiethnic churches in the country, leans heavily into community, weekly diving head long into the lives of those who don’t look, think or vote like him. His words are refreshing, inspiring and prophetic.”
Every time I’m in the same room as Albert Tate, I learn from him. You will too as you journey with him in exploring some of life’s toughest--but most important--questions that matter not just to you, but to everyone you know.
I am excited to hear about Albert Tate’s new series Disobedient God. If God always stays on your script for your life, it’s probably not the God of the Bible that you are following. When God takes an unexpected detour, it’s often the times when He reveals Himself in even greater ways amidst our confusion, pain, and even doubt. May God use this series to reassure you that though God at times will stop being obedient, He will never stop being good.
BRYA N LOR I T T S
Lead Pastor, Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, Silicon Valley President of The Kainos Movement Author, Right Color/Wrong Culture
K A R A POW ELL , PH D
Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute
TOM HUGHES
Lead Pastor, 412 Church, Menifee CA
7
USING T H IS WOR K BOOK T O O L S T O H E L P Y O U H AV E A
GR E AT LI F EGROU P E X PER I ENCE!
8
1. Notice in the Table of Contents there are three sections: (1) Sessions; (2) Appendices; and (3) LifeGroup Leaders. Familiarize yourself with the Appendices. Some of them will be used in the sessions themselves. 2. If you are facilitating/leading or co-leading a LifeGroup, the section LifeGroup Leaders will give you some experiences of others that will encourage you and help you avoid many common obstacles to effective LifeGroup leadership. 3. Use this workbook as a guide, not a straightjacket. If the group responds to the lesson in an unexpected but honest way, go with that. If you think of a better question than the next one in the lesson, ask it. Take to heart the insights included in the Frequently Asked Questions pages and the LifeGroup Leaders section. 4. Enjoy your LifeGroup experience. 5. Pray before each session—for your group members, for your time together, or wisdom and insights. 6. Read the Outline for Each Session on the next pages so that you understand how the sessions will flow.
9
OU T LI NE OF E ACH SESSION A typical group session for the Disobedient God study will include the following sections. Read through this to get a clear idea of how each group meeting will be structured: WEEKLY MEMORY VERSES. Each session opens with a Memory Verse that emphasizes an important truth from the session. This is an optional exercise, but we believe that memorizing scripture can be a vital part of filling our minds with God’s will for our lives. We encourage you to give this important habit a try. The verses for our five sessions are also listed in the appendix. INTRODUCTION. Each lesson opens with a brief thought that will help you prepare for the session and get you thinking about the particular subject you will explore with your group. Make it a practice to read these before the session. You may want to have the group read them aloud. SHARE YOUR STORY. The foundation for spiritual growth is an intimate connection with God and His family. You build that connection by sharing your story with a few people who really know you and who earn your trust. This section includes a simple question to get you talking—letting you share as much or as little of your story as you feel comfortable doing. HEAR GOD’S STORY. In this section, you’ll read the Bible and listen to teaching, in order to hear God’s story—and begin to see how His story aligns with yours. When the study directs you to, you’ll pop in the DVD and watch a short teaching segment. You’ll then have an opportunity to read a passage of scripture, and discuss both the 10
teaching and the text. You won’t focus on accumulating information but on how you should live in light of the Word of God. We want to help you apply the insights from scripture practically and creatively, from your heart as well as your head. At the end of the day, allowing the timeless truths from God’s Word to transform our lives in Christ should be your greatest aim. STUDY NOTES. This brief section provides additional commentary, background or insights on the passage you’ll study in the Hear God’s Story section. CREATE A NEW STORY. God wants you to be a part of His Kingdom—to weave your story into His. That will mean change. It will require you to go His way rather than your own. This won’t happen overnight, but it should happen steadily. By making small, simple choices, we can begin to change our direction. This is where the Bible’s instructions to “be doers of the Word, not just hearers” (James 1:22) comes into play. Many people skip over this aspect of the Christian life because it’s scary, relationally awkward, or simply too much work for their busy schedules. But Jesus wanted all of His disciples to know Him personally, carry out His commands, and help outsiders connect with Him. This doesn’t necessarily mean preaching on street corners. It could mean welcoming newcomers, hosting a short-term group in your home, or walking through this study with a friend. In this study, you’ll have an opportunity to go beyond Bible study to biblical living. This section will also have a question or two that will challenge you to live out your faith by serving others, sharing your faith, and worshiping God.
FOR ADDITIONAL STUDY. If you have time and want to dig deeper into more Bible passages about the topic at hand, we’ve provided additional passages and questions, which you can use either during the meeting, or as homework. Your group may choose to read and prepare before each meeting in order to cover more biblical material. Or, group members can use the additional study section during the week after the meeting. If you prefer not to do study homework, this section will provide you with plenty to discuss within the group. These options allow individuals or the whole group to expand their study while still accommodating those who can’t do homework or are new to your group. DAILY DEVOTIONS. Each week on the Daily Devotions pages, we provide scriptures to read and reflect on between sessions. This provides you with a chance to slow down, read just a small portion of scripture each day, and reflect and pray through it. You’ll then have a chance to journal your response to what you’ve read. Use this section to seek God on your own throughout the week. This time at home should begin and end with prayer. Don’t get in a hurry; take enough time to hear God’s direction.
11
1
W H AT A R E YOU R E ACH I NG FOR?
You’ve gotta love a good Christian cliché. So often when people are dealing with hard things, well-meaning believers will say, “You can either let this make you bitter or make you better.” Like all clichés, this one is rooted in a truth—we can allow difficulties to poison our hearts and our approach to life, or we can choose to grow and learn from our hardships. However, these churchy sayings also make things seem really easy, and if it’s difficult to overcome bitterness when the people in our lives disappoint us, it’s even harder when we think God has let us down. In this study, we’re going to be looking at why God so often goes “off-script” and behaves differently than we think He should—and how we should respond in relationship with Him.
LET’S DIVE IN.
12
T he L ord is good to t hose whose hop e is i n h i m, to t he one who se ek s h i m. L a mentat ions 3: 25 13
SH A R E YOU R STORY
14
Before you start this first meeting, get contact information for every participant. Take time to pass around a copy of the LifeGroup Roster on page 155, a sheet of paper, or one of you pass your Study Guide, opened to the LifeGroup Roster. Ask someone to make copies or type up a list with everyone’s information and email it to the group during the week. Then open your group with prayer. This should be a brief, simple prayer in which you invite God to be with you as you meet. Take the opportunity at the end of the group time to take prayer requests and pray more specifically regarding the sharing of the group. As always, stay aware of times when someone may just need to be surrounded by prayer in the moment. We created a “Question of the Day” similar to our weekend services. Please take a moment to talk with someone you have not connected with yet. Answer the following question. Keep in mind that unlike our weekend we will give you a few more minutes and the question may be a little harder to answer. Here we go…
THINK ABOUT IT What expectations do you have for how God will treat you or what He will do? Where do those expectations come from?
Whether your group is new or ongoing, it’s always important to reflect on and review your values together. On page 144 is a LifeGroup Agreement with the values we’ve found most useful in sustaining healthy, balanced groups. We recommend that you choose one or two values—ones you haven’t previously focused on or have room to grow in—to emphasize during this study. Choose ones that will take your group to the next stage of intimacy and spiritual health.
If your group is new, welcome newcomers. Introduce everyone—you may even want to have name tags for your first meeting.
The LifeGroup Calendar on page 145 is a tool for planning who will host and lead each meeting. Take a few minutes to plan hosts and leaders for your remaining meetings. Don’t skip this important step! It will revolutionize your group.
15
WA T C H T H E DV D Use the Notes space provided on the next page to record key thoughts, questions and things you want to remember or follow up on. After watching the video, have someone read the discussion questions in the Hear God’s Story section and direct the discussion among the group. As you go through each of the subsequent sections, ask someone else to read the questions and direct the discussion.
16
17
HEAR GOD’S STORY
18
Use the following questions to guide your discussion of the teaching and stories you just experienced on the DVD and the Bible passage below.
R E A D E XOD U S 32 : 1- 6 .
THINK ABOUT IT
1
What does the response of the people tell us about their spiritual maturity?
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Why was Aaron, Moses’ brother and a leader, so quick to give into their desire for an idol?
2
Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 5
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
How could the people believe that an item made by Aaron was the same God who brought them out of Egypt? Can our feelings and our judgments be trusted when we’re disappointed with God?
What’s going on in verse 5? How can they worship both a golden calf and the Lord?
19
“
We usu a l ly won’t get to see what ’s
happ en i ng “ beh i nd t he scene s” w it h G od .
20
”
ST U DY NOTES Moses was on the mountain for forty days—about six weeks. Despite having been dramatically rescued from slavery in Egypt and led by God himself to this moment, it only took six weeks of separation for the Israelites to question both Moses and God. However, they didn’t know what was going on during those weeks. During Moses’ time on the mountain with God, he received instructions for how the people were to worship, what the tabernacle should look like, and how the people should live as the chosen people of God. This is pretty big stuff, and certainly worth waiting a few weeks for! But because the people didn’t know what they didn’t know, they jumped to conclusions, assumed Moses and God had abandoned them, and decided to worship other gods.
THINK ABOUT IT We usually won’t get to see what’s happening “behind the scenes” with God. Even when He has heard our prayer and is answering it, even when He’s working on our behalf at this very moment, it can seem as if He is not listening and not caring—and so we, too, assume the worst and stop our worship. What can we learn from this story? Are you willing to wait and see how God might be working?
21
22
CR E AT E A N EW S TORY In this section, talk about how you will apply the wisdom you’ve learned from the teaching and Bible study. Then think about practical steps you can take in the coming week to live out what you’ve learned.
THINK ABOUT IT Are you praying and waiting on God for something? Is there an area of life where you feel like God isn’t following your agenda?
What emotional reactions do you have to God in this situation?
What’s the difference between accepting a disappointment and sweeping it under the rug?
Choose someone who might be open to “doing life” with you at a deeper level and pray about that opportunity. This week how will you interact with the Bible? Can you commit to spending time in daily prayer or study of God’s Word (use the Daily Devotions section to guide you)? Tell the group how you plan to follow Jesus this week, and then, at your next meeting, talk about your progress and challenges. Stack your hands just like a sports team does in the huddle and commit to taking a risk and going deeper in your group and in your relationships with each other. Ask, “How can we pray for you this week?” Invite everyone to share, but don’t force the issue. Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer and Praise Report on page 154. Close your meeting with prayer.
Why isn’t it our default to talk in healthy ways about our emotions when we feel hurt by God? Would you be open to talking to God about these feelings?
Take a look at the Circles of Life diagram below and write the names of two or three people you know who need to know Christ. Commit to praying for God’s guidance and an opportunity to share with each of them. Perhaps they would be open to joining the group? Share your lists with the group so you can all be praying for the people you’ve identified. Also consider someone—in this group or outside it—that you can begin going deeper with in an intentional way. This might be your mom or dad, a cousin, an aunt or uncle, a roommate, a college buddy, or a neighbor.
FAMILY
(IMMEDIATE OR EXTENDED)
FAMILIAR (NEIGHBORS, KIDS, SPORTS TEAMS, SCHOOL, AND SO FORTH)
FUN
(GYM, HOBBIES, HANGOUTS)
FRIENDS
FIRM (WORK)
23
FOR A DDIT IONA L ST U DY
24
If you feel God nudging you to go deeper, take some time before the next meeting to dig into His Word. Explore the Bible passages related to this session’s theme on your own and jot your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. A great way to gain insight on a passage is to read it in several different translations. You may want to use a Bible app or website to compare translations.
R E A D ROM A N S 5:1-5. This passage gives us an alternative to bitterness, anger, or making bad choices when we don’t understand God. What does it mean to “glory in” these sufferings?
How does suffering produce perseverance? How does perseverance lead to character and hope?
READ 2 COR INTHIANS 4 :16-18 . How are we renewed inwardly?
Do you believe that the glory to come in eternity is greater than today’s problems? Does that change how you relate to God?
How can you fix your eyes on what is unseen?
How does the hope of salvation help us avoid disappointment? Can we trust God’s love?
25
DA I LY D E VO T I O N A L S
1 2 3 DAY
DAY
DAY
ISA I A H 4 0:31.
L A M EN TAT IONS 3: 25-2 6.
P S A L M 2 7:1 3-14 .
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Reflect: It’s okay to feel discouraged or even angry and upset with God. But those emotions will drain you if you don’t deal with them. Consider this week’s challenge to “do business with God” and renew your strength by connecting with Him.
26
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Reflect: It may not feel like it, but this verse says God actually blesses those who wait on Him and stay in relationship with Him. Ask God to help you seek Him and put your hope in Him.
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Reflect: This can be hard to read when we’re feeling abandoned, forgotten, or confused by God. Do you believe you will still see God’s goodness in your life? If not, what needs to change?
4 5 6 DAY
DAY
DAY
J A M E S 5:7-8 .
2 PE T E R 3:9.
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put in your heart and mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your Daily Devotions time this week.
Reflect: The Israelites couldn’t wait six weeks for Moses to return. We’ve been waiting our whole lives for Jesus to return. Yet the farmer knows the seasons will change, and we can “stand firm” because the Lord’s return and His blessing are just as certain.
Reflect: Perhaps God’s timing may involve something beyond you—for instance, perhaps He is waiting for someone else to believe in Him. Ask God to help you change your perspective on His timing, and wait patiently just as He is patient with us.
27
GOD DISOBEDIENT
HOW TO TRUST A GOD THAT GOES OFF SCRIPT
Disobedient God is a guidebook for what to do when God doesn’t give you what you want, revealing that the only way to trace the path of a God you can’t control is to reconnect with every hearts truest desire: a relationship with Christ.
A L B E RT TAT E Albert Tate is the founder and lead pastor of Fellowship Monrovia. Albert is a gifted and dynamic communicator who is passionate about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the local and global church. His unique and passionate style from the pulpit combines inspiration and challenge, laughter and tears as people are engaged at their core. His hope for Fellowship Monrovia is to cultivate a community of disciples that is unleashed to live out the Gospel by Growing in a life of worship, Gathering in community and Giving their lives away on mission. Albert is married to the love of his life LaRosa Tate who he calls God’s gift of amazing grace in his life – together they have three beautiful children Zoe, Bethany and Isaac.
made for
DisobedientGod.com