TM

GOD CENTERED

WORLD VIEW

WINTER 2013-14: Personal Study Guide Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor

THE GOSPEL PROJECT FOR STUDENTS

PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE, WINTER 2013-14 VOLUME 2, NUMBER 2 PRODUCTION AND MINISTRY TEAM VICE PRESIDENT, CHURCH RESOURCES: Eric Geiger GENERAL EDITOR: Ed Stetzer MANAGING EDITOR: Trevin Wax CONTENT EDITOR: Andy McLean DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY PUBLISHING: Jeff Pratt DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY: Ben Trueblood Send questions/comments to: Content Editor, The Gospel Project for Students Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0174, Or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com Printed in the United States of America

The Gospel Project for Students (ISSN 1939-0742; Item 005508013) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail 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 LifeWays doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved. Photos: iStockphoto and Getty Images

TGP Personal Study Guide

SESSION 2

MAN-CENTERED VS. GOD-CENTERED LIVING

ave you ever wondered what is at the center of the universe? Whenever we consider our livesour universe we usually nd a center point around which everything revolves. It could be a relationship, a sport, a hobby, a dream, or an idea. The center of our universe can be something of grave importance or utter silliness. It probably goes without saying that most people place self at the center of their personal universes. We do so by default. It is, after all, our nature to be selsh. But the big question is this: does the center of your life line up with what is at the center of the universe? In other words, does your center line up with the center? This week we will contrast a man-centered view of the world with a God-centered view of the world by taking a close look at the glory of God. We will see that the glory of God refers to Gods manifest work, His excellent reputation, and His inherent beauty. Then we will look at how the glory of God impacts our lives today and fuels our mission as Christs ambassadors.

18

TGP Personal Study Guide

READY YOUR HEART

DIFFICULT DEFINITIONS
Exodus 33:19-23 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name The LORD. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But, he said, you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen. I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU, but I wasnt a fan of learning vocabulary words while in school. This was especially the case when it came to learning words that were difficult to dene and describe. For example, one day I was in a Physical Science class and one of the vocabulary words was air. At rst, I thought this is going to be easy, but on second thought, the task seemed a bit harder. Every time I started to write down a denition, I realized I wasnt explaining what air was; I was just explaining ways that I experienced it. I breathed it. I could feel it. I could smell it. But I really couldnt come up with a denition of what it is. Simply saying that air is the gaseous matter that surrounds the earth and is comprised of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide didnt seem like the complete denition. There is a lot more to air than just its substance. Just like air, the glory of God can be a difficult thing to dene in just a few words. Its a real thing just like the air that we breathe. In fact, in Exodus 33:19-23, Moses experiences the glory of God. Part of what we learn from this is that Gods glory isnt just something that we state in a sentence but something to be experienced by seeing His work, knowing His character, and taking in His beauty. Just like air, there is much more to the glory of God than just a simple denition. As the Bible testies, its way far more than that!

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Why is it important to know about the glory of God? How do you know about Gods glory? What are some examples of where you see Gods glory? How would you describe the glory of God to someone who doesnt know about it?

WINTER 2013-14

19

READY YOUR HEART

VISION CORRECTION
Exodus 34:5-9 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the childrens children, to the third and the fourth generation. And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiffnecked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance. WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I liked to sit in the front of the classroom (yeah, I am that guy). The reason being is that I can see the notes on the board, I can hear what the professor is saying, and it never hurts to show the professor that you care about what is happening in the class. The only downside is that you cant get away with napping. I have never had a problem nding a seat in the front of a class, probably because mostly everyone likes sitting in the back of the room. On one particular day I remember running late. Class had already begun and I didnt want to be a distraction so I just grabbed a seat in the back of the room. I got my notebook out and started to take notes, but I noticed something strange. I couldnt make out the writing on the board. In all my time of sitting in the front of the class, I never noticed that my eyesight was getting worse because I was always sitting at the front. That afternoon, I got an appointment for an eye exam and ended up getting glasses. I had no idea that my vision was off until I moved. Sometimes, the glory of God can be that way as well. There are times when we have a clear picture of it, but then something happens. And for whatever reason, we become distracted and lose focus on the goodness and glory of God. What are we to do? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that our corrective lenses come by focusing on the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. This means that the clearest picture of Gods glory is found by looking at Jesus. So if you are having difficulty seeing Gods glory, look to where it is clearestin the face of Jesus.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Have you experienced some vision loss of Gods glory? If so, explain why? In what ways does Jesus display Gods glory? Take a moment and think about what Jesus did on the cross for you. Pray that God would open your eyes to see the glory of His Son, Jesus.

20

TGP Personal Study Guide

READY YOUR HEART

CHANGING FINGERPRINTS
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.. DONT RUN WITH SCISSORS! is what I should have yelled out to my friend several years ago. It all started out when a group of us was goong around with water balloons while we were decorating for Vacation Bible School. He was about to get nailed with a balloon, so all of a sudden he took off down the hallway holding a pair of fabric scissors. He missed the fact that the tile oor was soaked from the water balloon battle. As a result, he slipped and ran smack into a door frame. In the process, his thumb slid down the blade and was cut pretty deep. While it was pretty gross, thankfully it wasnt a serious injury. After a trip to the Emergency Room, he left with a few stitches in his thumb. And after everything healed up, my friend had a really neat and interesting thumbprintit now had a line with dots down the side. If my friend was going to be identied by his thumbprint, his thumbprint was now different in some respect. If this is the case, his identity changed, even if only a little. An event in my friends life changed his identity by leaving a scar on his thumbprint. Likewise, Paul describes what happened to Moses in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18. Moses was changed by the glory of God. And yet, its not just for Moses. Its for you and me as well! Paul writes, ...looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory... The impact of experiencing Gods glory results in a change of identity. We are being changed when we experience the glory of God. And the more we experience the glory of God the more transformed we will be.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

How do you think seeing more of Gods glory has changed you? Do you think others around you are able to tell if you are growing in personal transformation as you grow in your walk with Christ? Explain why or why not.

WINTER 2013-14

21

Gods Glory is Revealed In... In this lesson, we will contrast a man-centered view of the world
with a God-centered view of the world by taking a close look at the glory of God. We will see that the glory of God refers to Gods manifest work, His excellent reputation, His inherent beauty, and His transforming grace. Then we will look at how the glory of God impacts our lives today and fuels our mission as Christs ambassadors.

His Manifest Work.

Read Exodus 33:19-23; 34:5-9.
Moses asked to see Gods glory, but God described something different than what we might have expected. First, God reveals to Moses that a description of His glory is found in His character, in who He is. In other words, Gods glory is the physical representation of Gods perfect character. When Moses asked to see Gods glory, the Lords response was this: I will make all my goodness pass before you (Ex. 33:19). But goodness as a character trait cannot be seen unless it is expressed. Gods glory is dened in His manifest work. It is the representation of His character through His activity.
 What do you think of Moses request to see Gods glory? How might this change the type of prayer requests that you pray?  List some of Gods actions that show His glory. Why is it important for us to understand Gods glory in action?

In the story continuing from Exodus 33 to 34, a primary focus is on Gods character as it relates to compassion and forgiveness. The glory of God is most easily distinguished for us through His work. It is tangible. In 34:6-7, the Lord indicated that His glory is expressed through His love and justice. The work of God is the expression of Gods character through His perfect execution of love and truth. We experience Gods glory in every activity of His work.

His Excellent Reputation.

The second description of Gods glory is in the proclamation of His name. In the ancient world, a mans name held great meaning. Even today, in Eastern cultures, people are often given a name that signies something of their family lineage or their parents hope for the person he or she will become. In a word or two, a persons name represents ones public reputation.

  Think about the

name we bear Christian. What does this name communicate? What should it communicate? In what ways ought our life be different because of this name?

His Inherent Beauty. In Exodus 33:20 God said to Moses, You cannot
see My face, for man shall not see me and live. It was the intention of God to show up in front of the mountain. In His kindness, God wanted Moses to experience glory without it overtaking his life. And while the full force of Gods beauty is apparently too much for a person to survive, what we do see in this account is the fact that Gods inherent beauty is the radiant manifestation of His attributes and actions.

W  hat surprises you about Gods response to Moses request? How is Gods love and goodness on display in His response?

W  hat are some places people look for beauty and wonder? How do the traces of beauty in our world point us to the Creator?

His Transforming Grace.

Gods glory mattersnot only for God, but also for who we are in Christ. The apostle Paul often used the phrase in Christ to describe who we are and how we are to live. Our salvation has its origination and completion in Jesus the Christ. Thats why its not enough to think about Gods glory in general. Weve got to look at Gods glory in Christ in order to gain a proper understanding of our identity.

 What is the relationship between reecting Gods glory and engaging in His mission? What are some signs of self-centeredness in your life that keep you from reecting Gods glory?

Conclusion The glory of God isnt just an idea in a book on

 What are some signs that your life is becoming more God-centered rather than man-centered?

the shelf. It matters on Tuesday morning when you are listening to your teacher or taking a test. It matters when you are playing video games or watching a movie with friends. In other words, it matters every day of the week because Gods glory is to be pursued in everything we do. The glory of God gives us a God-centered perspective and God-centered priorities. Living by and for Gods glory causes us to see lifes circumstances and the people around us through the lens of eternity.

H  ow can you mirror and reect Gods glory at this stage of your life?

ENCORE

MAN-CENTERED VS. GOD-CENTERED LIVING Gods glory is revealed in...

1. HIS MANIFEST WORK (EX. 33:19-23; 34:5-9).

by Philip Nation

When Moses asked to be a witness to Gods glory, the Lord gave an odd answer: He said, I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name The LORD. And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. (Ex. 33:19). Moses asked to see Gods glory, but God described something dierent than what we might have expected. First, God reveals to Moses that a description of His glory is found in His character, in who He is. In other words, Gods glory is the physical representation of Gods perfect character. When Moses asked to see Gods glory, the Lords response was this: I will make all my goodness pass before you (Ex. 33:19). But goodness as a character trait cannot be seen unless it is expressed. Gods glory is dened in His manifest work. It is the representation of His character through His activity. When we want to know about Gods glory, we often try to picture something intangible. But Gods goodness is not an ethereal light. It is rooted in reality. Gods glory and goodness is worked out in the life of eternity and in the dirt of earth. Glory is made known in the manifest work of God. The glory of God is most easily distinguished for us through His work. It is tangible. In 34:67, the Lord indicated that His glory is expressed through His love and justice. The work of God is the expression of Gods character through His perfect execution of love and truth. We experience Gods glory in every activity of His work. 2. HIS EXCELLENT REPUTATION (EX. 33:19; 34:5). The second description of Gods glory is in the proclamation of His name. In the ancient world, a mans name held great meaning. Even today, in Eastern cultures, people are often given a name that signies something of their family lineage or their parents hope for the person they will become. In a word or two, a persons name represents ones public reputation. At the request by Moses to reveal His glory, God passed by the place where Moses was hidden and declared something specic: His name. In both 33:19 and 34:5, God spoke the name Yahweh as He passed by. It was the description of His own self to Moses. Names are normally just that... a name, a moniker, the word you call something. But with God, His name expressed something of His glory. The name Yahweh is a derivative of the Hebrew verb to be. At its essence, by attributing this name to Himself, God was expressing the idea that He is self-existent. In other words, no one and nothing else created Him or caused Him to come into being. Yahweh is eternal by His own power. The name communicated that Gods glory is eternal, His power is self-sustaining, and He is everlasting. The name Yahweh sets Him apart from all of the false gods of our own imaginations and the weaknesses of this world.

24

TGP Personal Study Guide

ENCORE

3. HIS INHERENT BEAUTY (EX. 33:20; EZEK. 1:28). Bright light is what most people think about when they consider the phrase the glory of God. It is the idea that God is clothed in unbearable brightness in heavens throne room. To some extent, that view of Gods glory has some merit to it. In Exodus 33:20 God said to Moses, You cannot see My face, for man shall not see me and live. It was the intention of God to show up in front of the mountain. In His kindness, God wanted Moses to experience glory without it overtaking his life. The full force of Gods beauty is apparently too much for a person to survive. The glory of God cannot be witnessed unless God is actually present. His inherent beauty is the radiant manifestation of Gods attributes and actions. Therefore, He shows up. Glory is not just an ideal. It is found in Gods arrival, His presence. 4. HIS TRANSFORMING GRACE (2 COR. 3:12-18). Gods glory mattersnot only for God, but also for who we are in Christ. The apostle Paul often used the phrase in Christ to describe who we are and how we are to live. Our salvation has its origination and completion in Jesus the Christ. Thats why its not enough to think about Gods glory in general. Weve got to look at Gods glory in Christ in order to gain a proper understanding of our identity. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul taught that when a person moves from the Law to the grace of Christ, the veil is removed. Through faith, they can fully see and experience the eects of Gods reputation in action, His work on their behalf, and His beauty in their lives. Even more, they become a mirror for others to see Gods glory as well. The glory of God at work in the life of a Christian brings freedom (v. 17). Our identity is now dierent. Before, we were spiritually blind. Now, we are mirrors for the radiance of God. Before, we were dead in sin. Now, we are being transformed into the image of Christ (v. 18). Believers need to understand the glory of God so that we can understand our identity in Christ. He shares His being with the Father and now shares their glory with us. CONCLUSION The glory of God isnt just an idea in a book on the shelf. It matters on Tuesday morning when you are listening to your teacher or taking a test. It matters when you are playing video games or watching a movie with friends. In other words, it matters every day of the week because Gods glory is to be pursued in everything we do. Because God has graciously moved us from being a slave to the Law to a child in His family, we are reectors of His glory. You can search the entire Bible and nd that there are no exception clauses as to when the reecting is done. If you are in Christ, you are a mirror, an ambassador, a carrier of Gods glory. So what is your response to this incredible news? The glory of God should instead give us a Godcentered perspective and God-centered priorities. Living by and for Gods glory causes us to see lifes circumstances and the people around us through the lens of eternity. Dicult circumstances are not temporary interruptions to our lives but potential platforms and scenery for Gods glory to shine through us.

WINTER 2013-14

25