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98 Pages·2010·2.37 MB·English

The
LIVING FAITH
Series
Life Application Guide
Life-Changing Tools for the
Growing Christian
1-800-525-9000
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LIFE APPLICATION GUIDE 1
The
LIVING FAITH
Series
Life Application Guide
Life-Changing Tools for the Growing Christian
2 The LIVING FAITH Series
IMPORTANT
To begin — Please save this
workbook to your desktop
or in another location.
LIFE APPLICATION GUIDE 3
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Luis Palau — Go to the Ends of the Earth! .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Bill Hybels — Christianity 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Haddon Robinson — Don’t Doubt God’s Goodness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Os Guinness — A Faith That Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Ravi Zacharias — If the Foundation Be Destroyed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Stuart Briscoe — Why Christ Had to Die . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Dr. James Kennedy — Message from an Empty Tomb . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Bill Hybels — Understanding the New Age Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Life Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Scriptural Reference Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Add These Inspirational Titles to Your Listening Library . . . . . . . . . . 96
4 The LIVING FAITH Series
Introduction
We’re living in a culture where the evil just seems to be increasing around us. And,
our entertainment choices, finances, job stress, and ever-increasing schedules can
seem to divert us and pull us off in a hundred directions, forgetting what our pri-
ority needs to be. Therefore, it is more important than ever to gird ourselves and
our families with the study of God’s Word of Truth. David opens the Psalms with
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the
way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the
Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” (Revised Standard Translation)
Our hope lies in the Lord Jesus Christ, in strengthening our relationship with
Him, in establishing a walk with Him where nothing can jar us off course.
These selected sermons and life application guide have been designed to do just
that. Listen to the first introductory sermon by Bill Hybels on “The Mystery of
Unanswered Prayers.” Then you will be ready to dive into this study guide and
the sermon that follows by Luis Palau. Pray and work through the life application
guidelines for the sermons and study the Scripture references. Each will help you
gain deeper insights into God’s Word. Strong teachers of God’s Word such as
Haddon Robinson, Ravi Zacharias, and others will help guide you through the
daily challenges many Christians face today. You’ll learn throughout this series
how you can connect with the plan that Christ has for your life and gain a better
understanding of how to live and strengthen the choices you make daily. You’ll
learn to ultimately connect with our culture in a way that will make you a strong
witness for Jesus Christ. We pray you’ll get as much out of this series as we put
into it. May God richly bless you.
James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Our prayer for
you is that this series helps you in drawing nearer to our Lord and that your walk
with Him will grow even deeper.
LIFE APPLICATION GUIDE 5
Go to the Ends of the Earth
The missionaries that led
LUIS PALAU
my family to Christ made all the
Completing more than 30 years of mass cultural mistakes in the book, and
evangelism, evangelist Luis Palau has spo- then some. They were British,
ken to hundreds of millions of people in and I remember as a little boy
the 95 nations through radio and televi- they’d sit me in the front row
sion broadcasts, and face to face to 12 and I would watch this poor
million people in 65 countries. Since British minister. It was hot as
1990, the Luis Palau Evangelistic blazes in the summer, but a prop-
Association has led evangelistic crusades er Britisher wore a tweed suit, a
in 17 U.S. cities, including Chicago, vest and thick socks, and he
Kansas City, Grand Rapids, Miami, Tulsa, San Antonio, would stand there sweating and
Phoenix, Fort Worth, and the San Fernando Valley in LA. sweating. I remember looking at
the poor fellow and thinking,
Equally at ease in English and Spanish, Dr. Palau commands “Why doesn’t he take his coat
audience’s attention wherever he goes. His solidly Biblical, off?” But a proper Britisher in
practical messages hit home in the minds and hearts of listeners. those days kept his coat on and
toughed it out.They massacred
“Sometimes it seems I have been preaching all my life,” he says in the Spanish language, and they
his autobiography, Calling America and the Nations to Christ (Tomas had strange foreign habits, but my
Nelson Publishers, 1994). “Actually, although I began preaching father went to heaven, thank
in Argentina as a teenager, it really wasn’t until I was in my thir- God, for that fellow.
ties that God opened the door for me to pursue full-time mass I thank God for the mission-
evangelism.” aries who led me to the Lord
Jesus Christ, who have planted
During the 1970s, Dr. Palau and his team conducted evangelistic churches all over the world, and
crusades and rallies throughout Latin America. Invitations also now that there are missionaries
started coming from Europe and other parts of the world. By the from all nations to all nations, I
early 1980s, Luis Palau’s ministry had made a great impact in often tell the Hispanic missionar-
Britain, and new doors were opening all around the globe. ies and others, yes, we got a lot of
kicks laughing at the missionaries
Since then, huge crowds in countries as diverse as Argentina and — imitating their poor accents.
Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica, Denmark and Guatemala, Now our missionaries are going
Hong Kong and Hungary, India and Indonesia, Jamaica and to get it when they go to other
Mexico, New Zealand and Peru, the Philippines and Romania, countries.The Hispanics are
Russia and Singapore, and Thailand and the United States have going to go minister the Muslims,
packed concert halls, arenas, and stadiums to hear Luis Palau. Asians going to Latin America: the
More than half a million people have committed their lives to contrast is amazing.
Jesus Christ. Cities and nations have heard a clear-cut procla- But anyway, thank God for
mation of the gospel. the missionaries.What intrigues
me is that God uses individuals.
“I wholeheartedly believe in one-on-one evangelism,” says Dr. He uses his people. I think God’s
Palau. “But it can only be a complement to the greater move- choice would be you and I, his
ment of God within a nation. You can prepare the groundwork, people. But God also uses unbe-
but eventually it’s necessary to move the masses and sway public lievers to accomplish his purpos-
opinion. A nation will not be changed by timid methods.” es. The great thought this morn-
6 The LIVING FAITH Series
ing is this, that the purposes of this verse is so appropriate, character, that we go to other
God around the world will be and if we would all take it to nations and declare the great
fulfilled. No man can frustrate heart and say,“God, have you character of God.That God is a
the purposes of God. But God powerful God.That God is a
delights to use us, his people, Holy God.That God is a good
to accomplish his purposes. God.That God is a forgiving
God.
In Isaiah 49:6 God says,
“Is it too small a thing for you What a privilege if God
to be my servant, to restore ever takes you even on vaca-
the tribes of Jacob, and bring tion to other countries, when
back those of Israel I have you meet with people or
kept? I will also make you even the fellow who serves a
alike for the Gentiles, that you table in Italy or Greece or
may bring my salvation to the where ever you go on vaca-
ends of the earth.” It has been tion. To be able to start a con-
500 years since Columbus versation and say,“I am here,
touched the shores of the even on vacation, to declare
Americas. Do you know when the glory of God.” What a
made me one of those that in
Columbus took off to look for privilege. And that’s what God
some measure or other,
what he thought was India, his would have us do.Wherever
whether you ever take me
objective was the proclamation we go, our first duty is to so
overseas or keep me in
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? speak well of God so that his
America, could you use me
That is documented. glory is seen by other people.
God to take your salvation to
The thing I notice about
This verse was one of
the ends of the earth?” Either
declaring the Glory of God is
Columbus’ guiding verses to
in person, through another per-
that it says “declare his glory
leave the shores of old Europe,
son, a missionary, or another
among the people.”
Spain and Italy, where he was
servant of God, or by being
born, and he felt that his name, There’s authority here. All
used of God among foreigners
Christopher, which in Italian of us who know the Lord Jesus
who come to the USA who in
actually means “at the foot of Christ, we know God. Not
turn will take the Gospel to
the cross,” or a banner bearer enough, but personally.We
other places.
for the cross, and it also means have authority to speak with
Now let’s read Psalm 96:
“the one who carries the ban- authority about God. Not with
“Sing to the Lord a new song;
ner” in old Italian. He felt that arrogance, not overwhelming
sing to the Lord all the earth.
God had even inspired his other people, not offending
Sing to the Lord, praise His
mother to give him that name their religions, not pointing to
name; proclaim His salvation
because he was to take the their weaknesses, but lifting up
day after day. Declare His glory
banner of the cross to other the name of our living God.
among the nations, His mar-
nations. It’s exciting to me that
The Lord’s been good to
velous deeds among all peo-
God spoke to Christopher
me, my family and team.We’ve
ples.”
Columbus with this verse,“I
gone to over 60 countries
have made you alike to the Now there are three things
declaring the glory of God. It’s
Gentiles, to take my salvation that I see here that the Holy
when I first went to the
to the ends of the earth.” He Spirit is saying to us in New
Muslim nations and to the
wrote a commentary on Isaiah. England today. First of all, we
Hindu nations and the
are to declare the character of
Now, I’m not here to Buddhist-majority nations, I
God.Verse 3 says,“Declare his
defend Columbus, he can take was really with fear and trem-
glory among the nations.” The
care of himself when he gets to bling to do the right thing for
glory of God is multifaceted.
the judgment seat of Christ. the glory of God. But I talked
But I feel that it speaks of His
But I am here to tell you that to a fellow who was a Hindu
LIFE APPLICATION GUIDE 7
guru years ago and he said, when I went to Soviet Union “Someday I’ll finish my work in
“Luis, don’t ever use the the first time? I was going in the Philippines as a missionary,
Western style of arguing and the bus through the town and I so it’s good to have a house in
trying to show my religion is was saying,“Lord, what shall I San Jose.” His brother-in-law
better then your religion. My emphasize, what shall I empha- had it rented out so he could
Savior is superior to your reli- size?” The Lord seemed to say have a little income and when
gion. Just simply tell them who to me,“What do you think St. he was in the Philippines, he
Jesus is, tell them of his charac- Paul would do if he was here?” had a tremendous vision of a
ter, tell them who he’s like, let I thought,“He’d preach on the plan that is called The “DAWN
them do the comparing for cross,” so I just took three main Plan,” disciplining a whole
themselves.” points — the cross reconciles, nation. He was on fire.The
That was great advice. If the cross regenerates, the cross basic idea of the program is
you ever have people of other redeems. And then I explained that there should be a Bible-
religions that you minister to, all those heavy terms. But just preaching church within walk-
there’s no need to put down telling about the cross, you ing distance of every person in
anything they do. Simply speak could feel the gripping power the Philippines. Now it’s gone
well of Jesus Christ and the of the cross of Jesus Christ, and on to other nations of the
comparison will be done by so when we talk about him world.
the Holy Spirit. It’s amazing there is authority and power It was a grand plan, though
how attractive the character of around the world. it sounded over-idealistic. But it
Jesus is. It’s amazing how Thirdly, note the was burning in his soul, and he
Declare His glory among the nations.
Tell of His marvelous deeds
among all peoples.
appealing he is for those who scope of God’s strategy.You couldn’t get anybody to sup-
have a heart for God when notice he says,“Declare His port him because it sounded
they hear what he’s really like. glory among the nations.Tell of too big a deal. In fact, I am a bit
The second thing here is his marvelous deeds among all of a big dreamer myself, but I
the great works of God. It says, peoples.” In the last few years, thought that Jim was going
“Declare His marvelous deeds it’s amazing to see how God crazy. I mean, this is exaggera-
among all peoples.” It is fasci- has opened nations and then tion. But he had it burning in
nating to people around the when you scratch behind the his soul, and nobody would
world what Jesus Christ has surface you find the hand of give him money. He’d write
done. If you start arguing God working through men and prayer letters, but he’d never
Christianity verses Hinduism, women in obedience to the get any support. So one day he
you’re in hot water. But if you Holy Spirit. came back to California, got his
begin to tell about Jesus Christ For instance, I know a mis- house, sold it, and funded the
— his power to liberate peo- sionary, whose name is Jim the DAWN program himself.
ple, what he did on his earthly Montgomery. He was a high And he got rid of the house
days, raising the dead, healing school teacher in San Jose, that was sort of his security
the sick, feeding the multi- California. I remember when back in the USA.When I heard
tudes, and then his resurrec- we were young, when the Lord that way in the 60’s I knew
tion power, the great works of called him out, I was around. that the Lord was going to
God — there is a power. He owned a house in San Jose, honor Jim, one way or another,
You know what I found and he kept it, thinking, since he even gotten rid of the
8 The LIVING FAITH Series
one and only house he had. your heart there’s a burning breakfast two years ago, when
And has the Lord honored fire to win people to Jesus he testified of his faith in Jesus
Jim! The Lord has used that Christ.When the Holy Spirit Christ to heads of state, and all
concept of disciplining nations whispers to you,“Do this … do sorts of people, he never really
in Guatemala, in Africa, now this … do this,” yes, check with paid much attention to the
they’re going to the old Eastern your spouse … check with the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
European countries. He started elders of your church, be sure Everything was going his
out sacrificing, quietly, you’re not losing your mind, way.And then his first wife
unknown, as a missionary for but on the other hand if the came down with cancer, and
the cause of the Lord. But the Lord is really speaking to you, he really began to think about
Lord used him. So what if he do it. Do it. Obey the Holy death and eternity, and God,
doesn’t have a house — he Spirit. and why was he going to be
probably will never go back to The Virgin Mary preached left alone with all these chil-
San Jose. Maybe he doesn’t only one sermon, but it was dren and so on. But he still
even want to go back to San powerful. She said,“Whatever couldn’t get the key to eternal
Jose.Who wants to go to He tells you to do — Do it.” life.Then he remarried. His sec-
California? Therefore old Jim Nike stole it from her.You ond wife, Susan, came to know
When the Holy Spirit whispers to you,
“Do this … do this … do this,”
do it. Do it. Obey the Holy Spirit.
now knows the joy. Sure he got know,“Just Do it.” Whatever the Lord Jesus. She began to
rid of his house, but look at the Holy Spirit tells you to do, teach community Bible studies,
what God has done through just do it. Many of us sit there and naturally prayed for Jim
this man. with dreams that God has Baker, this is the Secretary of
You may not be impressed. given us for years, but we State, her husband.And she
Jim, humanly speaking, is not never get on to do it, and there- began to pray and pray.
impressive. But he’s the kind of fore we drool when we hear And then some of the
guy who always carries his these stories, and we wish that Senate members who know
own pure water all over the we could write this and that, Jesus Christ, they began to pray
place because all the water of but it never happens called to for him too.And then one day
the world is contaminated. us. And part of the reason may he said at breakfast in front of
And he wears a beard so be that we simply haven’t done the President and everybody
nobody can tell who he is. He’s it. else, he understood.The
a slim fellow — he used to be The second illustration that thought all his life he thought I
an athlete, but now he’s just I have is of Secretary of State, have to earn the love of God.
Jim. If he walked in here you’d James Baker. I don’t know if And then he said,“I realized I
say, who is that guy? Why are you I knew that James Baker could never earn the love of
they putting him up there? But has become a truly committed God. God loved me before I
I tell you, there is power in his servant of Jesus Christ.This is was even formed in my moth-
life. the way it happened. He’s a er’s womb. God loved me
You may be here today and lawyer from Houston,Texas. when Christ died on the cross,”
you’re the same way, you carry He’s Episcopalian, so he has a and so James Baker, the
your own water, and you grow good tradition of lots of Bible Secretary of State, about 3 and
your own beard, whatever your in his background, but as he a half years ago, bowed to the
stylistic thing may be, but in himself said at the Presidential knee to Jesus Christ, and
LIFE APPLICATION GUIDE 9
opened his heart to the Savior. his gift. It was an enameled Jimmy Carter was presi-
That was thrilling, but the picture, and what a surprise dent of the USA. I don’t know
immediate result was this: He Baker got. It was an enameled what your party affiliation is, it
was dealing as Secretary of picture of Jesus washing the doesn’t even matter whether
State with the foreign secretary disciples’ feet. And he said to he was a good President, bad
of the USSR, Edward him,“You see, Mr. Secretary, President — heaven will tell.
Schevernazi, and he had an even some of we Communists But what I do know is that
instinctive liking to are changing our minds about Carter really loves Jesus Christ.
Schevernazi. As soon as he spiritual things.” And he really shared his faith
became a believer, the first Baker thought to himself, wherever he went.
thing that crossed Jim Baker’s “Here I beat around the bush, I went to a presidential
mind was,“I’ve got to win and he gets straight to the dinner in Columbia, South
Schevernazi to Jesus Christ.” point.” So they went fishing at America, and for the first time
And he did! the lake on the ranch, and in Columbia, the president of
Baker has a ranch in instead of beating around the the Republic came to a dinner
Wyoming, and so when they bush, Baker began to share his put on by evangelical
had a diplomatic thing to do in faith. And it wasn’t long after- Christians, there to thank God
‘89, he had Schevernazi come wards that Schevernazi opened for the country, to pray for the
over to the States, to talk ‘inter- his heart to the Lord Jesus nation, and share the good
national diplomatic business,’ Christ. news.
but his personal goal was to Now, there is a vision for His cabinet was there,
lead him to faith in the Lord the world.There is a man who members of the Senate of
Jesus. comes to know Jesus Christ. Columbia, and these were days
So they took him to his Yes, in diplomatic circles you’re when there were still quite a
ranch in Wyoming, and if not supposed to meddle in per- bit of problems for the
you’ve been in connection sonal religion and all that, but Christians of Columbia.And
with Russians, you know when when you’re filled with the when finally the president
you meet a Russian, you throw love of Christ, you want other came, and we went through
a nice dinner, the best, and you people to come to faith in the whole ceremony and so
give each other gifts, and the Jesus Christ. on, suddenly he turned to me
When you speak in obedience to the promptings of the Spirit,
the Lord opens the doors.
men kiss three times, smooch Now, somebody could and he said,“Palau, that presi-
smooch smooch, and you really think,“Well yes, but Baker’s a dent of yours, that Jimmy
have to do it or else move your big man, he can afford to Carter, is something else —
cheek fast (that’s what I do!). throw his weight around.” On the reason I’m here tonight is
So they were throwing this the contrary.The more power- because of him.When we were
party, and Baker thought,“Well, ful you become politically, the there for the signing of the
I’ll slowly walk around more difficult it is “to go Panama Canal Treaty, all the
Schevernazi, like we all do, beat around.” It’s not diplomatically presidents of Latin America
around the bush, soften him kosher to do those things. except one were there. Some
up” and so on. Then he gave You’re not supposed to mix were dictators, some were left,
him some really good western politics with the spiritual life. some were right, but we were
cowboy boots, and then But when you know Christ, it all there.
Schevernazi came back with happens, and God opens “And on Friday Jimmy
doors. Carter said,‘Gentlemen, tomor