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FALL 2016: Personal Study Guide ESVEd Stetzer Gener a l EditorTrevin Wax M a naging Editor

God’s Word to You A Summary of the Bible

In the beginning, the all-powerful, personal God created the universe. This God created human beings in His image to live joyfully in His presence, in humble submission to His gracious authority. But all of us have rebelled against God and, in consequence, must suffer the punishment of our rebellion: physical death and the wrath of God.

Thankfully, God initiated a rescue plan, which began with His choosing the nation of Israel to display His glory in a fallen world. The Bible describes how God acted mightily on Israel’s behalf, rescuing His people from slavery and then giving them His holy law. But God’s people—like all of us—failed to rightly reflect the glory of God.

Then, in the fullness of time, in the Person of Jesus Christ, God Himself came to renew the world and to restore His people. Jesus perfectly obeyed the law given to Israel. Though innocent, He suffered the consequences of human rebellion by His death on a cross. But three days later, God raised Him from the dead.

Now the church of Jesus Christ has been commissioned by God to take the news of Christ’s work to the world. Empowered by God’s Spirit, the church calls all people everywhere to repent of sin and to trust in Christ alone for our forgiveness. Repentance and faith restores our relationship with God and results in a life of ongoing transformation.

The Bible promises that Jesus Christ will return to this earth as the conquering King. Only those who live in repentant faith in Christ will escape God’s judgment and live joyfully in God’s presence for all eternity. God’s message is the same to all of us: repent and believe, before it is too late. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved.

EDITORS

A Word from the Editors

Ed StetzerGeneral Editor—The Gospel Project Executive Director, LifeWay Research

When reading through the historical and prophetic books of the Old Testament, it is easy to question “What are these here for? What do these stories and books have to do with me?” We are so far removed from the distinctly different culture of the Old Testament people that these books can seem ancient and archaic. But when we give in to this sentiment, we are cutting ourselves off from our own history, for that is what the Old Testament is—the ancestral history of all those who by faith are in Christ. It is the story not only of the people of Israel through the generations but primarily the story of the God who created the world and continues to work in it and sustain it.

In the books of the kings, we see amazing stories of our God revealing His power and authority as well as His just and gracious character. In the books of the prophets, He warns His people over and over again of the judgment that will follow sin, but He also promises renewal, redemption, and restoration. Yet these stories do more, for they are part of the grand story of Scripture that points to Jesus Christ as the promised King of kings and the foretold Prophet to whom we must listen. And like the books of the prophets and kings, we are to proclaim the living Word of God that people would hear and believe in the One of whom all the Scriptures speak.

Trevin WaxManaging Editor—The Gospel Project Author of multiple books, including Gospel-Centered Teaching, Counterfeit Gospels, and Clear Winter Nights: A Young Man’s Journey into Truth, Doubt, and What Comes After

So many prophets, so little time. That’s the way I felt when editing this volume of The Gospel Project. The character of God as Revealer and Pursuer is seen throughout all the biblical storyline, but in the Old Testament, these characteristics are displayed most clearly in the ministry of the prophets. Consider the vivid picture of God’s pursuing love in the marriage of Hosea to his unfaithful wife, Gomer. Or God’s tearful call to “Return!” through the prophet Joel. From the majestic display of glory on Mount Carmel to the still, small voice that comforts and challenges a fearful prophet, we see God ministering to and through His chosen prophets.

As you work through this volume, keep an eye on all the different ways God reveals Himself and communicates His message of love. Fall to your knees in awe, and then stand up and boldly proclaim the love of this great God. God has most clearly revealed and pursued us through the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Now we pursue others with the good news of our Savior and His love.

WRITERS

The Gospel Project®Adult Personal Study Guide ESVVolume 5, Number 1 Fall 2016

Eric GeigerVice President, LifeWay Resources

Ed StetzerGeneral Editor

Trevin WaxManaging Editor

Daniel DavisContent Editor

Josh HayesContent and Production Editor

Ken BraddyManager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies

Michael KelleyDirector, Groups Ministry

Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0102; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com.

Printed in the United States of America

The Gospel Project®: Adult Personal Study Guide ESV (ISSN 2330-9393; Item 005573553) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources.

For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, email subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, email orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address.

We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unit 1: Mary Jo Sharp (sessions 1,2,4) is an assistant professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University and is the founder and director of Confident Christianity, a non-profit apologetics ministry. A clear communicator with a heart for people, she finds great joy in sharing the deep truths of her Lord and Savior. She and her husband, Roger, have one daughter.

Adam Dooley (sessions 3,5,6) serves as the senior pastor of Sunnyvale First Baptist Church on the northeast side of Dallas. He is a two-time graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he has also served as an adjunct professor. Adam is married to Heather, and they have three sons and one daughter.

Trillia Newbell (provided the unit 1 session plans) is the author of Enjoy (forthcoming, 2017), Fear and Faith, and United. She is the Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Trillia is married to Thern, and they reside with their two children near Nashville, Tennessee.

Unit 2: Michael Kelley lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Jana, and their three children: Joshua, Andi, and Christian. He serves as the Director of Discipleship for LifeWay Christian Resources. Michael speaks across the country at churches, conferences, and retreats and is the author of three Bible studies and the book Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: A Boy, Cancer, and God.

About the Writers

Table of Contents

Suggested for the week of

Unit 1: God the Revealer (1–2 Kings, Isaiah)

September 4 10 Session 1 The God Who Answers with Fire

September 11 19 Session 2 The God Who Whispers

September 18 28 Session 3 God Reveals the Way to Be Healed

September 25 37 Session 4 God Reveals Himself to Isaiah

October 2 46 Session 5 God Reveals the Suffering Servant

October 9 55 Session 6 God Reveals the Coming Victory

Unit 2: God the Pursuer (Prophets, 2 Chronicles)

October 16 65 Session 7 God Pursues Israel

October 23 74 Session 8 God Pursues the Ninevites

October 30 83 Session 9 God Pursues Judah

November 6 92 Session 10 God Calls Jeremiah

November 13 101 Session 11 Jeremiah Prophesies a New Covenant

November 20 110 Session 12 The Great Fall of Jerusalem

November 27 119 Session 13 God Pursues Us with New Life

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Spring 2016 The Promised Land God the Savior (Numbers, Joshua) God the Judge (Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel)

Summer 2016 A Kingdom Established God the King (1–2 Samuel) God All Wise (1 Kings, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes)

Fall 2016 Prophets and KingsGod the Revealer (1–2 Kings, Isaiah)God the Pursuer (Prophets, 2 Chronicles)

THE GOSPEL PROJECT CHRONOLOGICAL A Journey Through the Storyline of Scripture

Fall 2015 The Story Begins God the Creator (Genesis 1–11) God the Covenant-Maker (Genesis 12–50)

Winter 2015-16 God Delivers God the Redeemer (Exodus) God the Lawgiver (Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy)

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Winter 2016-17 Exile and Return God the Sustainer (Daniel, Ezra) God the Provider (Esther, Nehemiah, Malachi)

Winter 2017-18 The Church on Mission The Spirit Who Empowers (Acts) The God Who Sends (Acts)

Spring 2018 Letters to God’s People The God Who Directs His People (Epistles) The God Who Changes Us (Epistles)

Fall 2017 Jesus Saves Jesus the Savior (Gospels) Jesus the Risen King (Gospels, Acts)

Summer 2018 Come, Lord Jesus God’s Prisoner (Acts, Epistles) The God Who Makes All Things New (Epistles, Revelation)

Summer 2017 Stories and Signs Jesus the Storyteller (Synoptic Gospels) Jesus the Miracle-Worker (Gospels)

Spring 2017 The Rescue Begins God the Son (Gospels) God Among Us (Gospels)

11Session 110 Date of My Bible Study: ______________________________

Session 1

Session

1 In this session we see how the prophet Elijah demonstrated the stark contrast between the demand placed on our lives by pursuing false idols and the resources God provides for us to pursue our relationship with Him. In the end, one pursuit leaves us bled out and used up; the other pursuit builds us back up and ministers to us so we can minister to others.

1. The God who answers with fire is deserving of our loyalty (1 Kings 18:17-24).

As a young Christian, when I first read the story of the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, I thought, The Israelites must have been shallow to have fallen so easily into worship of Baal, a pagan god! Modern Christians, who have thousands of years of Jewish and Christian writings at their fingertips, are so much better educated and informed. We’d never fall into such a trap! Now I realize that people today are not that different from people thousands of years ago, especially when it comes to human disloyalty to God.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?”18 He replied, “I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father’s house have,

because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals. 19 Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers with fire, He is God.”

All the people answered, “That sounds good.”

“How long will you hesitate between two opinions?” Elijah asked. The Israelites, the people who should have adamantly opposed giving their loyalty to false gods, gave no answer. Their lack of response revealed their unfaithful hearts and minds. Beginning with King Solomon’s allowance of foreign religious and cultural influences and all the way down to the kingship of Ahab, the Israelite people had gradually strayed from the worship of God.

The God Who Answers with Fire

THEOLOGICAL THEME: False gods demand strenuous effort and sacrifice, but the true God is known by His grace and power.

As a kid, my husband loved to fish. I once asked him what happens when two fishing lines get entangled. He told me that even though the two lines eventually could be disentangled, it sometimes took so much effort that it was better to just cut the line, tie on a new hook, and start over. He also told me that even one line could get tangled up with itself.

Sometimes our lives are like fishing lines—easily entangled in a myriad of false ideas and worthless activities, leading us to exertion that demands our time and effort. And too often our struggle against falsehood can consume us and take us deeper into the entanglement.

What are some false ideas or worthless activities that can “entangle” the Christian?

What are the signs that we are exerting energy and effort on pointless things?

Voices from Church History“An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.” 1

–A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

39Session 438 Personal Study Guide

1. We see the living God as holy and glorious (Isa. 6:1-4).

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts;His glory fills the whole earth.

4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

List the different words and phrases Isaiah used to describe his vision of the Lord.

What do these words and phrases communicate? What kind of atmosphere is created by them?

In the presence of God, the seraphim (“fiery” winged creatures) surrounding Him covered themselves in humility and also cried out the truth of God’s character: “Holy, holy, holy!” Repeating the word “holy” three times is intended to express the great difference between God and His creation. “God’s holiness reveals how very separate, different, totally other he is in comparison to all other aspects of the created world.” 2 Furthering the awe-inspiring scene in Isaiah’s vision, the voices of the seraphim call to one another, rocking the very foundation of the building.

Voices from Church History“Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see; Only Thou art holy; There is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love, and purity.” 3

–Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

I have never experienced an earthquake, but I do remember what it was like when Mount St. Helens erupted. The blast was described as 1,600 times the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. 4 In the temple, these angelic creatures were proclaiming the holiness of God—the One who made volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens. Just the proclamation of God’s holiness was enough to shake the foundations! God’s revelation of Himself to Isaiah was awesome and terrifying.

What does this vision of the Lord convey about the nature of God?

What have you witnessed that reflects the power, majesty, beauty, and transcendence of God?

Some commentators suggest that just reading about God’s revelation of His holiness and power is enough to strike awe and wonder into our hearts. I wonder, though, if we are sheltered from being impacted so profoundly by Isaiah’s vision because of the society we live in, a culture that does not recognize God’s ultimate greatness and power.

We live in a culture that overlooks the glory of God displayed in the heavens because of light pollution. We mute the glory of God’s presence because of human-generated noise and busyness. We shortchange true intimacy with God through the perversion of intimate relationships and the sexual objectification of others. We drown out the awe that comes from even the gift of life itself through the destruction of the unborn and daily exposure to violent acts in film, television, and gaming. No wonder people walk away from God; their spiritual sensitivities have been dulled.

99 Essential Christian Doctrines15. God Is Holy

God’s holiness refers to His uniqueness in being separate from all He has created. The Hebrew word for “holy” means “separate” or “set apart.” God’s holiness also refers to His absolute purity. God is unstained by the evil of the world. His goodness is perfect, and the moral code we find in the Scriptures is a reflection of His holy nature. As people made in God’s image, we are called to holiness.

1918 Personal Study Guide Date of My Bible Study: ______________________________

Session 2

Session

2

1. What are some idols of mind, heart, and hands that we may need to confess and lay aside in order to be more loyal to our God?

2. What are some ways we can engage in community activities in a manner that is constructive and missional, not wasteful and idolatrous?

3. Write a prayer asking God to provide opportunities for sharing the gospel and to open people’s hearts so that He may be glorified in and through us.

HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION

MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us not to hesitate or be hindered by idolatry but to join in His mission of turning people’s hearts back to Him. The God Who Whispers

THEOLOGICAL THEME: God is gracious to reveal Himself to His people.

I once had a good friend tell me, “My life isn’t what I expected at all. It is much more disappointing than I would have imagined. Over the years, I became angry with God for my situation. So I walked away from Him and from the church.”

Often in speaking with Christians and non-Christians, I have heard stories of exhaustion and disillusionment, stories that lead to a distorted perspective on life. What’s more, people often feel confused when they realize that many of their victorious moments with God, or “mountain-top experiences,” take place right next to some of the hardest and most painful experiences of life.

What circumstances in your past have led you to periods of disappointment or disillusionment?

What impact did these circumstances have on your relationship with God?

Voices from Church History“Faith in Christ is far from simple and easy because he is an astounding king, who, instead of defending his people, [seemingly] deserts them…He is a strange king who is nearest when he is [seemingly] far.” 1

–Martin Luther (1483-1546)

8 Personal Study Guide

How to Use The Gospel Project

1Read the session in preparation for group discussion. Record any insights or questions you may want to discuss during the group experience.

2Gather with your group to discuss and learn together what God has to say. Contribute to the conversation and activities.

3Apply the truths of the session by working through “His Mission, Your Mission” with your group or by yourself.

Visit GospelProject.com/Blog for additional content related to the study. Visit GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources for links to podcasts, articles, and blog posts related to each session.

9

Memory Verses

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

–Isaiah 53:4-5

Unit 1

God the Revealer 1–2 Kings, Isaiah

Writers

Mary Jo Sharp (sessions 1,2,4) is an assistant professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University and is the founder and director of Confident Christianity. Adam Dooley (sessions 3,5,6) serves as the senior pastor of Sunnyvale First Baptist Church on the northeast side of Dallas.

10 Date of My Bible Study: ______________________________

Session 1

Session

1The God Who Answers with Fire

THEOLOGICAL THEME: False gods demand strenuous effort and sacrifice, but the true God is known by His grace and power.

As a kid, my husband loved to fish. I once asked him what happens when two fishing lines get entangled. He told me that even though the two lines eventually could be disentangled, it sometimes took so much effort that it was better to just cut the line, tie on a new hook, and start over. He also told me that even one line could get tangled up with itself.

Sometimes our lives are like fishing lines—easily entangled in a myriad of false ideas and worthless activities, leading us to exertion that demands our time and effort. And too often our struggle against falsehood can consume us and take us deeper into the entanglement.

What are some false ideas or worthless activities that can “entangle” the Christian?

What are the signs that we are exerting energy and effort on pointless things?

Voices from Church History“An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand.” 1

–A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

© 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

11Session 1

In this session we see how the prophet Elijah demonstrated the stark contrast between the demand placed on our lives by pursuing false idols and the resources God provides for us to pursue our relationship with Him. In the end, one pursuit leaves us bled out and used up; the other pursuit builds us back up and ministers to us so we can minister to others.

1. The God who answers with fire is deserving of our loyalty (1 Kings 18:17-24).

As a young Christian, when I first read the story of the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, I thought, The Israelites must have been shallow to have fallen so easily into worship of Baal, a pagan god! Modern Christians, who have thousands of years of Jewish and Christian writings at their fingertips, are so much better educated and informed. We’d never fall into such a trap! Now I realize that people today are not that different from people thousands of years ago, especially when it comes to human disloyalty to God.

17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

20 So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.”

How long will you go limping between two different opinions?” Elijah asked. The Israelites, the people who should have adamantly opposed giving their loyalty to false gods, gave no answer. Their lack of response revealed their unfaithful hearts and minds. Beginning with King Solomon’s allowance of foreign religious and cultural influences and all the way down to the kingship of Ahab, the Israelite people had gradually strayed from the worship of God.

12 Personal Study Guide

Under King Ahab, the spiritual drought was so dire that his pagan consort, Queen Jezebel, actively and openly persecuted the prophets of God. The persecution of God’s prophets came from the governing house of the Northern Kingdom of Israel! It is no wonder that God allowed the land to suffer a physical drought reflective of Israel’s great spiritual disloyalty (1 Kings 17:1).

What are some of the things that attract a person’s loyalty in our current culture, thus compromising their loyalty to God?

Why is it difficult for people in our society to be loyal to God?

The people had strayed so far from the worship of the true God that King Ahab actually blamed Elijah as the troubler or destroyer of their nation! Elijah, in unwavering loyalty to God, would not bow down to but openly opposed the worship of the pagan storm/fertility god Baal. And so, Elijah was blamed for attracting Baal’s wrath. Ahab—the leader of the nation that was explicitly told to have “no other gods”—had gone so far astray that he could no longer recognize the problem of “having another god.”

Even today, people may blame Christians for any number of problems in society. But just as we see with Elijah, the real problem is our society’s spiritual disloyalty, which ultimately leads to spiritual drought and destruction. We constantly look for peace and love and grace of our own design and in our own power. Yet no matter how strong our belief, we cannot hope to find an answer in the worship of things of our own design. Only the true God, full of grace and power, provides the answer we seek.

Elijah stated in his challenge that the true God is the One who answers. Here we find an important reason why God deserves our loyalty in worship, even when our society adamantly opposes us. God not only demonstrated His ultimate power but also His ultimate grace by providing Israel a chance to turn back to Him. Yahweh is deserving of loyalty as the true God of grace and power.

13Session 1

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Based on Elijah’s challenge for how the true God would be known, what can we learn about God and His plan?

2. The God who answers with fire is different from false gods (1 Kings 18:25-29).

25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” 26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either

he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28 And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.

Notice the effort put forth by the prophets of Baal to provoke their god to action: shouting, cutting themselves with spears and knives until covered in blood, dancing, and raving, crying out, “Baal, answer us!” Note how much time and effort the false god took from the human worshipers.

14 Personal Study Guide

False idols use up our time and energy and deplete us, often demanding much of our physical and spiritual resources. The true God is the One who builds us back up and ministers to us so that we have the potential to be effective witnesses to the power and grace of God. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). God invests in us so that we can invest in others.

What are some “false gods” in our day that consume our time and effort (in reference to both Christians and non-Christians)?

How and why do these idols take so much of our time and effort?

The prophets of Baal brought ritual, tradition, ceremony, and religion into the call to Baal. Elijah brought trust when calling upon Yahweh. The prophets of Baal demonstrated their belief that the people must be for their god. However, Elijah showed that the God of glory is for us. What a vast difference between the two views! God wants us to be free to live in relationship with Him, free from the mindset that we must bleed out our lives in servitude to false gods, traditions, rituals, idols, and the worship of created things. It is the true God who gives humans true life.

How can Christians strike a balance between devoting time and effort to things of this world that are practical responsibilities (work, caretaking, parenting), things that are for pleasure, and things that are purposeful toward building relationship with God?

Voices from the Church“False gods push us to mutilate ourselves because we desperately want to win their approval. But only one God was ever mutilated for us—Jesus Christ.” 2

–J. D. Greear

15Session 1

3. The God who answers with fire is destined to receive glory (1 Kings 18:30-39).

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” 32 and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.

Elijah began by repairing the dilapidated altar to the Lord. In this place where humans had once glorified God, an altar to a false god had supplanted the altar of the living Lord. Doesn’t this passage reveal a great truth in the lives of God’s followers? When we neglect to give God our trust and neglect glorifying Him, we erect other “altars” on which we sacrifice our lives.

Why is it that we establish other altars when we neglect our relationship with God?

What do these altars communicate about who or what we are devoted to?

In the contest between Elijah and prophets of Baal, Elijah left no room for those prophets to continue misleading the people of God. He had so much water poured over the sacrifice that there was no way for the sacrifice to burn naturally. He left no excuse to exchange truth for a falsehood; no physical evidence for God’s glory to be denied.

16 Personal Study Guide

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36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and

licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

With no flashy dancing, no wailing or shouting, no self-mutilation, no extravagant religious routines or exertion, Elijah called upon God to show Himself as the true God. Elijah’s prayer was for God to receive the honor and glory of this redemptive act. The people, upon seeing God’s swift and powerful response, fell to the ground in repentance proclaiming that Yahweh is God.

No matter where we are in life, one thing is clear from this passage—God is for us. In this battle between truth and falsehood, we see that the falsehood enslaves us and bleeds out our lives. However, the truth frees us and gives back to us life itself. The prophets of Baal cut themselves and bled to gain the attention of their god. The true God of the universe, however, bled and died for His creation (Rom. 5:6-8).

99 Essential Christian Doctrines13. God Is Transcendent

God’s transcendence refers to the fact that He is distinct from and independent of His created world. He is transcendent over us in regards to His greatness and power as well as His goodness and purity. The implication of this doctrine is that God is inherently superior to humanity; His thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isa. 55:8-9). When God saves us, He restores us so we can fulfill our human purpose; this does not mean that we become God or that distinctions between God and humanity are obliterated. Understanding God’s transcendence evokes awe and wonder at His goodness and power.

17Session 1

How would you explain the difference between sacrificing your life to a false god and allowing God’s sacrifice to give you life?

Conclusion

It is no easy task to untangle ourselves from the deceptive falsehoods we encounter daily. Sometimes we are already so bled out that we feel as though we have nothing left to offer. So let’s ask God to reveal to us where we have sacrificed ourselves to the things of the world (or perhaps even just one area), and offer those things up to God, trusting in Him to redeem us even now.

And let’s go one step further, asking the Lord to show us how these things have possibly kept us from God’s mission of turning others’ hearts back to Him. May we find the redemptive power of God just as alive and full of grace as did the Israelites that day on Mount Carmel.

CHRIST CONNECTION: The prophets of Baal danced and slashed themselves before the altar, thinking they must bleed in order to express their devotion. But the true God is different than false gods like Baal. He expressed His devotion to us by sending His Son—Jesus Christ—who bled and died for us so that we could receive His grace through faith.

Voices from the Church“Elijah didn’t pray so that people would think he was a great prophet or talk about his power. He didn’t pray in order for his church to grow. He asked God to answer him so the people would know that the Lord was Yahweh, the Lord God.” 3

–Michael Catt

18 Personal Study Guide

1. What are some idols of mind, heart, and hands that we may need to confess and lay aside in order to be more loyal to our God?

2. What are some ways we can engage in community activities in a manner that is constructive and missional, not wasteful and idolatrous?

3. Write a prayer asking God to provide opportunities for sharing the gospel and to open people’s hearts so that He may be glorified in and through us.

HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION

MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us not to hesitate or be hindered by idolatry but to join in His mission of turning people’s hearts back to Him.

128 Personal Study Guide

SESSION 11. A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperOne, 1961), 8.

2. J. D. Greear, “Only One God Was Mutilated for You,” JDGreear.com [online], 10 July 2013 [cited 15 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.jdgreear.com.3. Michael Catt, The Power of Persistence (Nashville: B&H, 2009), 20.

SESSION 21. Martin Luther, as summarized in Here I  Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, by Roland Bainton (New York: Meridian, 1995), 171.

2. Paul Gerhardt, “Give to the Winds Thy Fears,” Indelible Grace Hymn Book [online; cited 21 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.hymnbook.igracemusic.com.3. Gary Inrig, 1,2 Kings, vol. 7 in Holman Old Testament Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2009) [WORDsearch].

4. Dane C. Ortlund, Edwards on the Christian Life (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 95.

SESSION 31. Larry Crabb, Inside Out (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2007), 216.

2. Oswald Chambers, Biblical Psychology (Oxford: Partridge, 1920), 208.

3. Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000), 25.

SESSION 41. Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day (Nashville: B&H, 2006), 229.

2. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, vol. 15a in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2008) [WORDsearch].

3. Reginald Heber, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), 68.

4. “Mount St. Helens: From 1980 Eruption to 2000,” U.S. Geological Survey [online], 1 March 2005 [cited 27 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.pubs.usgs.gov. 5. Trevin Wax, Counterfeit Gospels (Chicago: Moody, 2011), 48.

6. John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39, in The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986) [WORDsearch].

7. Gary V. Smith, Isaiah 1–39, vol. 15a in The New American Commentary [WORDsearch].8. Robert Speer, quoted in The Contemporary Christian, by John R. W. Stott (Downers Grove: IVP, 1992), 328.

SESSION 51. Anonymous, “The Epistle to Diognetus,” in The Apostolic Fathers in English, by Michael W. Holmes (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006), 298.

2. C. H. Spurgeon, “Expiation,” The Spurgeon Archive [online], 1864 [cited 28 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.spurgeon.org.

SESSION 61. Ken Hemphill, The Names of God (Nashville: B&H, 2001) [eBook].

2. Scotty Smith, Objects of His Affection (Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing, 2001), 29.

SESSION 71. Victor Hugo, Les Miserables, trans. Julie Rose (New York: Modern Library, 2009), 141.

2. Nancy Guthrie, The Word of the Lord: Seeing Jesus in the Prophets (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 72.

3. Philip Bliss, “I Will Sing of My Redeemer,” in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), 281.

SESSION 81. Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 152.

2. Trevin Wax, “Jonah and the Mission of God,” in The Mission of God Study Bible (Nashville: B&H, 2012), 937.

3. John Chrysostom, quoted in “The Prophet Jonah in the Writings of the Church Fathers,” Mystagogy [online], 21 September 2009 [cited 15 February 2016]. Available from www.johnsanidopoulos.com.

SESSION 91. Oswald Chambers, in The Quotable Oswald Chambers, comp. and ed. David McCasland (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 2008), 229.

2. George Whitefield, in Whitefield Gold, comp. Ray Comfort (Gainesville, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2006), 91.

3. David Prior, The Message of Joel, Micah, and Habakkuk, in The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 1998), 79.

4. David Wilkerson, “God Will Restore Your Wasted Years!” World Challenge Pulpit Series [online], 26 March 1990 [cited 15 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.tscpulpitseries.org.

SESSION 101. Mary Willson, “Tears in Memphis,” The Gospel Coalition [online], 11 September 2014 [cited 15 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.thegospelcoalition.org.2. Jerome, Six Books on Jeremiah, 1.4.1-2, quoted in Jeremiah, Lamentations, ed. Dean O. Wenthe, vol. XII in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) [WORDsearch].

3. Greg Laurie, Let God Change Your Life (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2011), 171.

SESSION 111. Ravi Zacharias, The Grand Weaver (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 82.

2. John Wesley, “The Deceitfulness of the Human Heart,” Christian Classics Ethereal Library [online], 21 April 1790 [cited 16 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.ccel.org.3. Rhett Dodson, “Our Hearts, Desperately Deceptive,” The Gospel Coalition [online], 18 March 2012 [cited 16 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.thegospelcoalition.org.4. Francis A. Schaeffer, True Spirituality (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1971), 15.

SESSION 121. Lesslie Newbigin, A Walk Through the Bible (London: Barefoot Ministries: 2011), 36.2. W. A. Criswell, “Is There Any Word from the Lord?” Criswell Sermon Library [online], 12 January 1964 [cited 16 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.wacriswell.com.

SESSION 131. Matthew Henry, “Ezekiel: Chapter 37,” The Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible [online; cited 17 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.ccel.org.2. C. H. Spurgeon, “The Restoration and Conversion of the Jews,” Spurgeon’s Sermons Volume 10: 1864 [online], 1 June 2005 [cited 17 February 2016]. Available from the Internet: www.ccel.org.3. Cyril of Jerusalem, Lecture XVIII, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. VII, eds. Philip Schaff and Henry Wallace (New York: Cosimo, 2007), 134.

Notes

129

To download this quarter’s recommended playlist of songs, go to LifeWayWorship.com/GospelProject.Get the following collection of great songs and artists:

“At Calvary”—Casting Crowns

“Psalm 46 (Lord of Hosts)”—Shane & Shane

“Glory”—Phil Wickham

“All Glory”—Vertical Church Band

“At the Cross”—Selah

“Resurrecting”—Elevation Worship

“Your Grace Amazes Me”—Passion

“No Longer Slaves”—Bethel Music

“This Glorious Grace”—Austin Stone Worship

“Holy”—Matt Redman

“The River”—Jordan Feliz

“Relentless”—Hillsong UNITED

PLAYLIST

130 Personal Study Guide

1. PROMOTE GOSPEL TRANSFORMATION, NOT BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

Every session points participants to the gospel of Jesus Christ as the source of life-transformation and the foundation for spiritual growth.

2. SEE HOW THE WHOLE BIBLE FITS TOGETHER

From Genesis to Revelation, understand how the entire Bible reveals God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.

3. UNITE EVERY AGE IN CHRIST-CENTERED STUDY

For churches that wish to align all ages, The Gospel Project provides Christ-centered study for babies through adults.

4. COMPEL MEN AND WOMEN TO LIVE ON MISSION

Every session challenges participants to consider how the gospel compels them to live on mission every day.

5. UNDERSTAND THE KEY THEMES OF CHRISTIANITY

Helps men and women identify and understand 99 essential theological doctrines of the Christian faith as they are found throughout the Bible.

The Gospel Project Core Values

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The Gospel ProjectProphets and Kings

After Kings David and Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel was split in two as a judgment of Solomon’s idolatry—the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. In spite of the idolatry that often marked both kingdoms, God continued to reveal His glory to His people through the words of prophets and signs of power. At a high point of revelation to the prophet Isaiah, God revealed how a humble Suffering Servant would accomplish salvation from sin and restoration of God’s kingdom.

Though God’s people continued to rebel against Him, He pursued them with an ever-faithful love. He demonstrated His commitment to them over and over again and called people to turn from their sin and back to Him, waiting with open arms. But rebellion cannot be ignored; God would be faithful to His word and exile His people from their land for their sin. Yet He promised that one day new hearts and new life would come to His people—a promise fulfilled by faith in Jesus Christ.

What’s Next? WINTER 2016-17Volume 6: Exile and ReturnGod the Sustainer (Daniel, Ezra)God the Provider (Esther, Nehemiah, Malachi)

SPRING 2017Volume 7: The Rescue BeginsGod the Son (Gospels)God Among Us (Gospels)

SOME OF OUR UPCOMING WRITERSDaniel AkinD. A. HortonMichael Card

Web: GospelProject.com Twitter: @Gospel_Project Facebook: TheGospelProject

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