March 11, 2018 – Kingdom Planting – Called

-            The

Called

Joshua 5:2-12 - New International Version (NIV)             

² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” ³ So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.

⁴ Now this is why he did so: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of military age—died in the wilderness on the way after leaving Egypt. ⁵ All the people that came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness during the journey from Egypt had not. ⁶ The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. ⁷ So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way. ⁸ And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.

⁹ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

¹⁰ On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. ¹¹ The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. ¹² The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

Why was Joshua to “make flint knives” (verse 2)?

Who had died in the wilderness (verse 4)?

What had not happened to all the people born in the wilderness “during the journey from Egypt” (verse 5)?

Who had promised to give the “land flowing with milk and honey” to their ancestors (verse 6)?

Why were the sons still uncircumcised (verse 7)?

How long did they remain “where they were” (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what did the Lord mean by “today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (verse 9)?

What did the Israelites do on the “evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal” (verse 10)?

When did the Israelites eat “some of the produce of the land” (verse 11)?

What changed after “they ate this food from the land” (verse 12)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Mark 1:16-20 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ¹⁸ At once they left their nets and followed him.

¹⁹ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. ²⁰ Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

What were “Simon and his brother Andrew” doing (verse 16)?

Who invited Simon and Andrew to follow (verse 17)?

What would Simon and Andrew be sent to do (verse 17)?

How did Simon and Andrew react to the invitation (verse 18)?

What were “James son of Zebedee and his brother John” doing (verse 19)?

How did James and John react when they were called (verse 19)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the circumcision of the Israelites in the promised land in Joshua 5:2-12 similar to the response of Simon, Andrew, James and John to Jesus in Mark 1:16-20?

Acts 2:37-41 – New International Version (NIV)

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

How did the people respond to after feeling “cut to the heart” by the words of Peter (verse 37)?

What did Peter tell them to do (verse 38)?

What “gift” will they receive (verse 38)?

Who is the promise for (verse 39)?

How did Peter warn them (verse 40)?

What did Peter plead for them to do (verse 40)?

How many “accepted his message” that day (verse 41)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the circumcision of the Israelites and God rolling “away the reproach of Egypt” in Joshua 5:2-12 similar to those who were escaping “from this corrupt generation” through repenting and being baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” in Acts 2:37-41?

In your opinion, how are Peter’s call to “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” in Acts 2:37-41 and Jesus’ call to Simon, Andrew, James and John to follow Him in Mark 1:16-20 the same?

Philippians 3:3-14 – New International Version (NIV)

³ For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Who puts no confidence in the flesh (verse 3)?

How could Paul’s confidence in the flesh compare with other people’s (verse 4)?

What does Paul list that would give him confidence in the flesh (verses 5 and 6)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean by “whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (verses 7 and 8)?

What “comes from God on the basis of faith” (verse 9)?

What does Paul want to attain through knowing Christ (verses 10 and 11)?

Why does Paul “press on” (verse 12)?

What “one thing” does Paul do (verse 13)?

Where has God called Paul (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how are the Israelites, who celebrated their first Passover in the promised land and then started eating the food of the land instead of the manna in Joshua 5:2-12, similar to Paul who is “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” in Philippians 3:3-14?

In your opinion, how is the magnitude of what Simon, Andrew, James and John gave up when Jesus called them in Mark 1:16-20 illustrated for us by Paul as he lists the things that he could have had confidence in in Philippians 3:3-14?

In your opinion, how is Peter’s call to “save yourselves from this corrupt generation” by repenting and being baptized in Acts 2:37-41 echoed by Paul in Philippians 3:3-14?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Joshua, Mark, Acts, and Philippians reveal to us about the difference between those who are of the “corrupt generation” and those who are pressing on to win the prize that God has called then heavenward in Jesus Christ for?

In your opinion, how do we react to God calling us today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)