OUTLINE FOR OPEN CELLS

(Week of 2 /14 – 2/20, 2010)

Icky World 7

"Communicating Our Experience; Us and Them?"

Subject - Since we are called to be "witnesses" (eye-witnesses) of what we have personally experienced in Christ, we must address roadblocks to our experience. This being done, we press on into a hopefully fuller experience, and consequently a larger and more powerful witness or "testimony." How can we make the communication of faith effectual on a larger scale, involving more and more of the people we encounter?

I. Roadblocks to experiencing God.

A. Pride (Cultivate a meek and humble spirit. This is the nature of Christ. - Matt. 11:29)

B. Fear (Perfected love eliminates all fear. - 1 Jn. 4:18)

C. Holding on to experiences (What I have experienced in God is not God Himself. - Phil. 3:13)

D. Loneliness (We all need community on the journey, at least some who are journeying together.)

E. The great need? - Meekness (Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. Gentleness or meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will.) (Gal 5:23). Meekness is not weakness.

1. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matt. 5:5) The ones left standing . .

II. Are "we" witnessing to "them" or are we a witness among all men?

A. In creation - all blessed in Adam. (US)

B. In the fall - all disconnected in Adam. (US)

C. The dispensation of the Law - some reconnected through ritual observance. (US and THEM)

D. The dispensation of Grace - all reconciled through Christ. (US) (Eph. 2:14) No more walls!

III. Let the communication of your FAITH become effectual . . .

A. "You are generous because of your faith. And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to             work, for in so doing you will come to an understanding of all the good things we can do for Christ." (Philemon 1:6 NLT) Are you generous because of your faith? Are you putting generosity to work?

1. generosity/readiness or liberality in giving, freedom from meanness or smallness of mind or character, largeness or fullness (We can try to buy happiness or give it away!)

B. The fruit of the Spirit, made visible through generous living, must be desired to be cultivated. Meekness allows the Father's pruning to bring us to greater fruitfulness. (John 15:1-8)

1. " . . the vast majority of Christian believers do not exhibit the "fruits of the spirit" on a regular basis." (Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins) The works of the flesh are manifest. (Gal. 5:19-21)

C. How fruity are you? (Gal. 5:22-23) Which map do you find yourself on consistently?

1. love/agape/affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love

2. joy/kha-ra'/gladness

3. peace/a-re'-ne/national tranquility, harmony, concord, exemption from the rage of war

4. longsuffering/ma-kro-thu-me'-a/patience, endurance, constancy, perseverance

5. kindness/khre-sto'-tes/moral goodness, integrity, kindness

6. goodness/a-ga-so-thu'-ne/uprightness of heart and life

7. faithfulness/pistis/conviction of the truth, fidelity, belief, trust

8. gentleness/pra-o'-tes/gentleness, mildness, meekness

9. self-control/en-kra'-te-a/of the one who masters his desires and passions