Notes and Handouts

These notes and handouts are produced by Pastor Stiekes and often accompany the messages he preaches. A wide variety of topics are covered. Simply click the link below to read that note. If you have a question about something you read here, please email Pastor Stiekes.

God's Guiadance in the Believer's Life - Psalm 25  Added 7/27/2008

Psalm 25

1 A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD. 8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. 16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. 19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

We must live by the help and guidance of the Lord. The Psalmist:

• Trusted in the Lord (25: 1-2).
• Waited on the Lord (3).
• Asked the Lord for His leading (4-5).
• Prayed for His mercy (6-7), for the Lord's name sake (11).
• Listened to the Lord (14).
• Submitted himself to the Lord in meekness (9).
• Kept his eyes on the Lord (15).

Outline of Psalm 25

• David's Plea (1-7) - for guidance.
• David's Praise (8-15) - for God's upright character.
• David's Plight (16-22) - he prays for deliverance from difficulties.

God's Characteristics

• God is faithful (3).
• God is characterized by truth (4-5).
• God is his Savior (5).
• God is merciful and loving (6).
• God is good and upright (8).
• God is loving and faithful in all His ways (10).
• God is forgiving (11).
• God is always open with all His people (14).
• God is gracious (16).
• God is powerful to rescue His people: We can find refuge in Him (15, 20).

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The Lord's Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13

The Lord's Prayer
Prayer, in the life of a Christian, is an act of total confidence and assurance in the plan and purposes of God, recognizing that we were created and saved for His glory and pleasure.

The first part of this prayer shows our relationship to God (Adoration - worship). He is an awesome God - focus on Him and His agenda. The first three petitions are "Thy" petitions:

• Our Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
• Thy kingdom come.
• Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Our
Includes all Saints in the family of God.

Father
Indicates relationship and intimacy. He is a holy God and His name is the expression of His essence. It is to be held in reverence and awe of holiness. Our prayer: Be holy in my life, thoughts, and conversations today.
As part of your time with Him, sing the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy!" Recognize that when you worship Him, He will come to you and receive your praise.

• He is our Father in heaven and has adopted us into His family.
• He allows us immediate access to Himself (Hebrews 4:16).
• We can have a personal, initimate relationship with Him. The bond we have with Him is not based on our abilities or on any personal righteousness, but on God's great love, mercy, and grace.
• The Lord's Prayer is one connection we have between God and us (Father and child). He has given us the privilege of calling Him "Abba Father" (Romans 8:15) as did Jesus (Mark 14:36).
• We can share needs, admit weakness, and confess sin and know that He cares (I Peter 5:7).
• He makes His presence known during quiet times (John 14:21-23). He reminds me that He is always near (Hebrews 13:5).
• There are two families in the world - the family of God, which can call God "Father," and the family of the world - children who cannot call God "Father."

Hallowed be Thy Name
To reverence, venerate, adore, stand in awe. It is to pray that God's name (His character, attributes, and perfections) may be more known, honored, and glorified by all His creatures.

Thy Kingdom Come
Refers to the rule of God throughout all eternity. It is to pray that the usurped power of Satan be speedily cast down and all humankind acknowledge God as their lawful King. This is to pray for the Millennial Reign of Christ to come and recognition of God's majesty.
It is an expression of our submission to God's rule in our lives. We must choose to live today by His Kingdom rule and principles.

Thy Will be Done
First in our lives as He has planned it. The prayer is the conformity of our wills to His will and an expression of our submissiveness. We need to address Him as Lord (Power) and Master (His authority over us). It involves our giving Him His rightful place in our lives. In our community and worldwide, it is to pray that the number of conversions to Christ and obedient people to God on earth increase, that His enemies will be diminished and brought low.

The second half of this prayer shows our relationship to humankind. The final petitions are "Our" petitions:

• Give us this day our daily bread.
• And forgive us our debts,
• As we forgive our debtors.
• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
All the needs for my physical life so that I will be able to glorify God in my body and live for Him (do His will). This expresses my dependency on Him.

And Forgive Us Our Debts
Refers to sins which are moral and spiritual debts to God (I John 1:9). The wonderful joy of being cleansed.

As We Forgive Our Debtors
We are to seek forgiveness in the same manner as we forgive. Forgiveness is an evidence of a regenerate heart.

And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil
Deliver us from the evil one (reference to Satan). In Christ, we have overcome the wicked one (I John 2:13).

Doxology
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

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Presuppositions Conerning Prayer

1. We are completely dependent for everything we have, including those things accomplished by our planning and laboring with our lives. This would include:
   • With regard to our daily living - our homes, jobs, families.
   • With regard to our church - all our ministries.
2. Personalizing the first presupposition: I am completely dependent. Everything I have, including those things I have earned with my hands and my brain traces back to Jesus Christ and is a gift from God (John 15:5). "I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." We must recognize ourselves as a needy people.
3. We walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 4:17-18; Hebrews 11:1-6).
4. We are allowed to approach God boldly because of what Jesus Christ has done on Calvary's Cross for us (Hebrews 4:16; 7:19; James 4:8).
5. We approach God recognizing that He alone is able (Luke 5:12; Mark 9:23, 24; John 13:13; Romans 10:12; Ephesians 3:20-21).
6. We approach God recognizing that He specializes in things that are totally impossible (Genesis 18:14; Luke 1:37; Luke 18:27).
7. We approach God recognizing that He is able to fully understand our needs, having totally identified with us in the incarnation (Hebrews 4:14-15).
8. We come to God, as His children by faith in Christ, knowing that He delights in His children coming to Him in prayer (Proverbs 15:8; Romans 8:16-17; Hebrews 11:6).
9. We come to God understanding the ramification of our relationships:
   • God is our Father
   • Jesus Christ is our Saviour
   • The Holy Spirit of God is our Indweller (Who helps us to pray - Romans 8:26-27)
   • Every believer is either a brother or sister in the Lord
10. We pray to God through Christ Jesus, Who is to be the central focus of our lives and our church (Colossians 1:17-18).
11. We pray recognizing that all spiritual victory is directly related to the quality of our prayer lives.
12. We pray with the knowledge that God's truthfulness and integrity never waver. We can count on Him to keep all His promises.
13. We pray recognizing that because of our faith in Christ, we are the recipients of a very special inheritance (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:3, 11, 14, 18; Colossians 1:12).
14. Others ought to be a primary focus of all our praying (Daniel 9:15-16; I Timothy 2:1-4).
15. God's glory is the ultimate goal of every prayer request made (Isaiah 43:7; Daniel 9:16-19; Romans 2:24; Epehsians 1:6, 12; I Corinthians 10:31).

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Discerning Genuine Love

Characteristics of Love	Amplification
Slow to lose patience (I Corinthians 13:4).	It doesn't demonstrate irritations or reflect anger or have a quick temper. It fully accepts the character of the one being loved.
It looks for a way of being constructive (I Corinthians 13:4).	Love is actively creative and able to recognize needs. It doscovers successful methods of improving or contributing to the other's life. It is kind (Ephesians 4:32).
It is not possessive (I Corinthians 13:4).	Love does not hold exclusive control.
It is neither anxious to impress (I Corinthians 13:4).	It doesn't seek to make an impression for personal gain.
It does not cherish inflated ideas of its own importance (I Corinthians 13:4).	It is not self-centered. It has the ability to change and to accept change. It is flexible.
Love has good manners (I Corinthians 13:5).	Has respect for others, resulting in Christ-centered standard. It knows what is proper and when.
It does not pursue selfish advantage (I Corinthians 13:5).	It does not have primary concern for personal sensual appetites or social status, but concern for the needs of others (Galatians 5:13).
It is not touchy (I Corinthians 13:5).	It is not hypersensitive or easily hurt. It does not take things too personally. It is not emotionally involved with personal opinions so that to reject ideas is to reject the one giving them.
It does not keep account of evil (I Corinthians 13:5).	It does not review wrongs which have been forgiven. It does not dwell on past evil. It destroys evidence of past mistakes when possible.
It does not gloat over the wickedness of other people (I Corinthians 13:6).	It does not compare self with others for self-justification. It does not use other's evil to excuse personal weakness (Romans 14:21). It does not say, "Everyone's doing it!"
It is glad with all godly men when truth prevails (I Corinthians 13:6).	It desires active fellowship with other Christians. It is occupied with spiritual objectives.
Love knows no limits to its forbearance (I Corinthians 13:7).	It has the ability to live with the inconsistencies of others. It has empathy for the problems of others.
It knows no end to its trust (I Corinthians 13:7).	It believs in the person and the person's worth without question. No reason to doubt the person's integrity.
There is no fading of its hope (I Corinthians 13:7).	It is not fickle. It has perfect peace and confidence that God is primarily responsible for introducing the right partner at the right time.
It has unlimited endurance (I Corinthians 13:8).	It endures all obstacles, even unreturned love.
It is sacrifical (Philippains 2:5-8; John 3:16; I John 3:16).	The greatest test of love is the willingness to sacrifice for the opportunity to do what is right by someone else.
It demonstrates our love for God (John 14:21; Romans 13:8).	It fulfills our constance debt of love (Luke 24:48; John 14:15).

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today

• He is identified as the Spirit of God (II Chronicles 15:1; Matthew 3:16; 12:28; Romans 8:9, 14; 15:19). God the Father refers to HIm as My Spirit (Genesis 6:3). He is also identified as the Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2; 61:1; Luke 4:18), The Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9; Galatians 4:6), the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2), the Spirit of power (II Timothy 1:7; Romans 15:13), the Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17), the Spirit of eternity (Hebrews 9:14), the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29), and the Spirit of glory (I Peter 4:14).
• He teaches (John 14:26), testifies (John 15:26), convicts of sin (John 16:8), inspired Bible writers (II Peter 1:21), calls those who belong to the Lord to ministry (Acts 13:2-4), forbids certain actions (Acts 16:6-7), intercedes (Romans 8:26), comforts (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7), and He spoke directly to Philip the Evangelist (Acts 8:29).
• He possesses the attributes of a personality: a will (ICorinthians 12:11), a mind (Romans 8:27), knowledge (I Corinthians 2:10-11), language (I Corinthians 2:13), love (Romans 15:30), and goodness (Nehemiah 9:20).
• He is identified as God: Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit and was accused of lying to God (Acts 5:3-4). He is associated on a footing of equality with God the Father and God the Son (Matthew 28:19).
• Like God, He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), omniscient (I Corinthians 2:10-11), omnipotent (Luke 1:35), holy (Psalm 51:11; Luke 1:35; John 4:23-24; Romans 1:4), truth (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13), loving (Galatians 5:22), and faithful (Galatians 5:22).
• His major work in the life of the believer is as follows: He regenerates the believer (John 3:5-8; 6:63; Titus 3:5; I Peter 1:22), sets the believer free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2), seals the believer, guaranteeing security (II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13, 14), indwells the believer (Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20), strengthens the believer with power in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16), brings forth fruit in the Christian life (Galatians 5:22-23), guides the believer into the knowledge of truth (John 16:13), brings to remembrance the words of Christ (John 14:26), fills or controls the believer (Ephesians 5:18), comforts the believer (John 14:16-18), and He bears witness together with our spirit that we are the children of God (I John 5:6-10).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the work of the Holy Spirit by which the believer is brought into union with Christ and with other believers at the moment of salvation, resulting in the believer possessing all of the rights and privileges of these two relationships.

• This permanent indwelling of the Spirit never occurred in the history of humankind until Pentecost (I Corinthians 12:12-13; Romans 6:1-4).
• It occurs three times in the Book of Acts:
  1. Acts 2 - In the lives of Jewish converts at Pentecost.
  2. Acts 8:14-17 - In the lives of Samaritan converts after the preaching of Philip.
  3. Acts 10:43-48 - In the lives of Gentile converts after the preaching of Peter.

There are some who want to include Acts 19:1-6 as a fourth occasion. This is not looked upon as such because they did not know about the Holy Spirit or that Jesus Christ was the Messiah (Acts 19:4). They were disciples of John and were only previously baptized into John's baptism, not Christ's. They would have been considered Old Testament saints in transition from Judaism to Jesus.

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Witnessing to the Lost

The Dead Sea is called such because there is no outlet and yet it is saturated with rich mineral deposits The Body of Christ (the Church), though rich in so many ways, is evangelistically dead because it lacks an outlet, meaning that it has stopped giving out what it has received.

Sharing the gospel and leading others to Christ should be a top priority of the believer's life. This is the will of God for the believer - "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will acording to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in HImself" (Ephesians 1:9). The will of God is no mystery.

• "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every vreature" (Mark 16:15).
• "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
• "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (I Peter 3:9).
• God "is not willing that any should perishm but that all should come to repentence" (II Peter 3:9).
• "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (II Timothy 2:4).

Jesus commanded His followers to advance the Kingdom of Heaven through witnessing and the genuine followers of Christ have done exactly that ever since. The methodology given to us in the Word of God is to "Go and tell." Somehow we have changed God's directive to "Come and hear!" No one is going to hear unless someone takes the initiative to obey the Lord (Acts 1:8; Romans 10:14). If we are to be obedient, we must get outside the four walls of the church with the glorious message of the Gospel. Note the following examples of obedience:

• John the Baptist saw Christ and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the wolrd" (John 1:29).
• Andrew and John heard this witness and followed Jesus Christ.
• Andrew then went and brought his brother, Simon, to Jesus (John 1:42-42).
• Later, Andrew brought a young bow with fives barley loaves and two fish to Jesus. From that small lunch, Jesus created enough food to feed the entire crowd (John 6:8-9). In modern history, a number of unbelievers were brought to Christ who then turned and brought thousands to Christ.
• Some Greeks who came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast requested to see Jesus. Philip took them to Andrew who then took them to Jesus. It seems Andrew was often taking soeone to Jesus - something every believer should be doing.
• When the early believers were scattered throughout the world because of persecution, everywhere they went they preached the Word - literally, "announcing, declaring, or gossiping" the gospel (Acts 8:4).
• In spite of the severe persecution, the early believers at Thessalonica sounded out the Word of the Lord throughout the known world of that day (I Thessalonians 1:7-8).
• Edward Kimball led a shoe salesmanto the Lord by the name of Dwight L. Moody in 1856. Mr. Moody in turn led thousands to the Lord in America, England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Witnessing Pointer 1 - Fear of Questions
This comes from a lack of preparation. Some Christians fear they will be hit with questions that they cannot answer. Some newer Christians fear being hit with questions that will cause them to doubt their faith thus revealing their insecurity.

• Actually, the questions asked by unbelievers should drive us to the Word of God, which in turn should strengthen our faith and make us bolder in sharing it with others. This is part of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). The more you grow in your relationship to Christ, the more you recognize that indeed, "Jesus Chirst is the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
• Most of those who object to the Gospel of Jesus Christ do so out of indifference as opposed to antagonism. Some oppose our witnessout of pride thinking that there is no way of anyone to be so certain of their faith or more enlightened about llife that they are.
• Some common questions you might face"
  1. If God created everything, who created God?
  2. Why do you not believe in evolution when it is so obviously true?
  3. How can anyone be raised from the dead?
  4. Why do you think your religion is better than mine?
  5. How do you know the Bible is the Word of God?
  6. What is the central message of the Bible?
  7. Christ was just one of many prophets. Why shouldwe trust Him more than others?
• Be willing to admit the fct that you do not have the answer. You can always say, "I'll look that up in the Bible and get back to you."
• Even when you don't have the answers, you must remain relaxed and unthreatened.
• Once you have witnessed to a number of different people, you will begin to recognize similar themes. Not only will you be hearing a number of these questions over and over abain, but soon you will be able to see the real questionthat needs to be answered.
• Suggestion: write out the questions that you are most fearful of facing. Go to the Word of God and get the answers. Don't be afraid to ask other Christians how they would answer them. Once you have mastered these question, you will find your own faith stengthened. Remember Peter's exhortation to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that we possess (I Peter 3:15). If you are repeatedly shot down by the same question, you may be failing in your own spiritual responsibility of taking the effort to dig out the answers. As a result, unbelievers will simply be confirmed in their unbelief.

Witnessing Pointer 2 - Ashamed of Jesus
the believer that possesses that "first love" experience is not ashamed of Jesus. It is when he leaves that "first love experience" that he begins to be ashamed of Christ (Revelation 2:4). He begins to fear ridicule, rejection, loss of recognition, and position. Paul states, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation..." (Romans 1:16). Paul was bold in his witness for Christ because he recognized the value of the gospel. Paul was eager to share it recognizing that by it, God had made every provision for man's past, present, and future needs. He was not ashamed of the gospel because of:

• The Person it signifies.
• The power it supplies.
• The pardon it secures.
• The people it saves.
• The problems it solves.

Paul would not and could not be ashamed of it. Not only had he personally experienced it, but he saw what it accoplished in the lives of others as well. Those who tend to be ashamed need to ask themselves if they really believe that Jesus is God incarnate in the flesh and that He accomplished what only God could do - living without sin - giving His life for us by the shedding of His blood, making provision for our salvation, and preparing a dwelling place with Him in glory for all eternity.

Check your own heart: are you ashamed or embarrassed of being a Christian - ashamed to pray, ashamed to testify, ashamed to speak on behalf of Christ? We must recognize that as Christians we bear the name of our Savior. If there is shame and embarrassment, repent of this as sin and ask God to give you a sense of holy boldness and loving confidence in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No Christian should ever be ashamed of anything concerning the Sovereign Majesty of the Universe.