God, Our Helper Lesson Plan 66a6733efe3345ba03d7-82b2324fe35dff478b72a91d04c278b6.r74.cf2.rackcdn.co

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Bible Study Guide Sunday, October 21, 2018

God, Our Helper Sermon Text:​​ Psalm 25 Study Texts:​​ 2 Cor. 4:7-18 Sermon Recap​​: Psalm 25 is a lesson in teaching. David is teaching us to learn from God, the true Teacher. It is only through God that we find true life, true help and true salvation. Throughout the Psalm, we find David reflecting on two great truths: the glory of God’s goodness and the wickedness of man’s sin. He leads us to think upon the topics of our enemies and the guilt of our sin. But, we also find David reflecting on God’s gracious guidance and a deep-rooted trust in God’s goodness toward His people. David’s cry at the end puts the entire Psalm into perspective, “​Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.​” And as we have seen in His goodness, God provides the needed help of redemption for our weary and broken souls. Sermon Connection:​​ As David reflects on God’s goodness in teaching us to walk in His paths of righteousness, we find Paul reflecting on the experience of God-given suffering in 2 Cor. 4:7-18. The hardships and sufferings of the Christian life are not haphazard and random experiences that God merely responds to. Rather, Paul develops the idea that God brings such experiences into the lives of His people for the purpose of godliness; they are moments of teaching. Just as God led Christ down the path of suffering that led to victory, so we too are led down the path of suffering and hardship that leads to victory through Christ. In walking through hardship, we are reminded that God is God, and we are not. We are also reminded that while we might be pushed to the limit of ourselves, God is more than sufficient because we do not measure God’s goodness by the world. Rather, we measure God’s goodness by His Word, His promise, and the fact that He renews our souls day-by-day.

Lesson Plan Lesson Goal: ​To see how God intends His people to both understand and experience suffering and hardship. Lesson Points: Point 1: Our Weakness for His glory ​(vv. 7-15) Point 2: A Godly Experience of Weakness ​(vv. 16-18) 1

The Context: ​In 2 Corinthians, Paul develops the idea that Christian suffering and hardship is a gift from the Lord. Paul shows that our hardships and sufferings are ultimately redemptive and are meant for our good and for the good of others. Specifically in chapter 4, Paul develops 2 themes: 1) Mankind is frail and weak and prone to hardship, and 2) Not only is God in control of such hardships, He is using them for the sake of the gospel in our own lives and in the lives of others. Point 1 - Our Weakness for His Glory​​ (vv. 7-15) ● In using the phrase, “​jars of clay,”​ what does Paul intend for us to understand about ourselves? Another translation is “​earthenware pots​.” How is this instructive? ● What do vv. 8-9 teach us about our experiences of suffering? How is this connected to 2 Cor. 1:3-5? ● How do Paul’s reflections on his experiences of sufferings in vv. 8-9 compare with David’s in Psalm 25? ● Do the sufferings and hardships of Christians glorify God? See also Ps. 25; Phil. 1:29. ● Verses 10-12 develop the idea that Christ is the central focus of the Christian life. What does Paul say is the main purpose of this for the Christian? ● Paul and Timothy have suffered much for the sake of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 1:5-10). In vv. 13-15, how is Paul understanding the purpose of his suffering? ● How does this instruct us in our understanding of our own suffering and hardship?1 Point 2 - A Godly Experience of Weakness​​ (vv. 16-18) ● Having reflected on the reasons for suffering and hardship, Paul now turns to the experience of suffering for the godly. What promise(s) lies in v. 16 for the Christian? ● What must be true of us for v. 17 to be a true comfort? Is this something we grow in? ● How do we have a godly experience of suffering and hardship? See v. 18. See also Ps. 25:8-15. The Big Picture The Bible is not silent on the issues of hardship and suffering. In fact, as we have seen, the Bible speaks to the reality of hardship in the lives of Christians, and also to how Christians are to experience such hardships. Psalm 25 is a Psalm of teaching. In the midst of many hardships, David pleads with the Lord, on the grounds of God’s covenantal promises, to sustain and guide him. He is asking God to teach him how to be faithful in the midst of hardship. We find the same thing happening with Paul in 2 Cor. 4. Paul reminds us that we ourselves are not glorious, but rather it is the gospel of God within us that makes us glorious. And as we face hardship and suffering, we are reminded of God’s faithfulness, His sustaining mercies, and our mission to go with the gospel even while enduring hardship. In the end, our

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John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Cancer, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/dont-waste-your-cancer.

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confidence is in God because even though our earthly life may be fading away, our inner selves, our souls, are being sustained and nourished by the eternal God. And so we ask... Application Questions ● In what ways am I asking God to teach me in the midst of hardship and struggle? ● Am I struggling right now? How so? How am I seeking God? ● How am I seeking the discipleship of my growth group as I struggle? ● How can we as a growth group embrace Paul’s words in 2 Cor. 4:13-15? ● How are we teaching ourselves and others these deep promises of the gospel?

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