Taking it Home: Old Guys Rule Dr. Matthew R. St. John The personal message & application from ’s life is obvious; Trust Abraham Bethel Church Hebrews 11:8-9 June 12, 2011 God in everything. In what way(s) can you learn from an old sage like Abraham? Is his amazing life of belief and trust possible for the average Old Guys Rule Christian living today? (Cf. Heb. 11:1-3; Ps. 37:3, 5; Prov. 3:5-6; Col. 3:1- Abraham 2). Notes: Spiritually examine yourself; how’s your trust in God? When faced with a problem in your life do you attempt to solve it in your own human reasoning, or do you immediately go to God and seek Him for answers? (Cf. Prov. 3:5-6).

Personal PROJECT: Write out ALL your worries and problems on a sheet of paper, listing each one separately. Write on the top of your lists of worries: Worry or Problem List. READ Philippians 4:6. Cross out the word Worry or Problem and replace it with the word PRAYER. Repeat this process daily. God desires to hear from His children daily. When a believer prays their worry list to Him, He promises Philippians 4:7! Trust God daily and He will enable you to be in the image of an “Old Faithful Guy” like Abraham!

Growth Group Service Project this Summer I would like to encourage your Growth Group this summer to select an organization or ministry in Fargo-Moorhead and serve there together. Not only are you serving our Lord Christ when you serve joyfully from the heart, you are exhibiting the light of Christ through your life and actions, for Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, 16, “You are the light of the world . . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Here are some of the places your Growth Groups might consider serving in the Fargo-Moorhead area:

New Life Center Dorothy Day House Pink House YWCA Habitat for Humanity Churches United Salvation Army

For a restatement of Pastor Matthew’s sermon points, visit For more information about Growth Groups, Growth Group homework, pastormatthew.net and click on the “Write This Down” tab. and a podcast of sermons with homework, visit www.bethelfc.com. Growing Deeper: Growth Group Homework For the week of June 12, 2011 You’ve probably heard the old saying, “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.” Hebrews 11:8-9 Abraham was 75 years old when God approached him and told him to move from Ur to the land of Caanan. Abraham didn’t hesitate; he trusted God and he Quick Review: moved. You could say that even though Abraham was an older man, (a senior by today’s standard) Abraham had a “teachable spirit.” No matter how old a The narrative about Abraham in the book of Genesis and Hebrews 11 person is, they should have a teachable spirit when it comes to listening to God. is a theme about trusting God. Every leader must, at some time in his What is a “teachable spirit?” If I asked people who knew you really well, would they say you had a “teachable spirit?” If you do NOT have a “teachable spirit” or her life, decide whether or not to trust God. Until that moment, the how do you learn to develop a “teachable spirit?” READ & Interpret: Matt. leader’s faith in God will have been a convenient source of comfort 28:20; John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:12-13; 1 John 2:20; 27. and encouragement. When the test arrives, God’s demands may appear absurd. God’s test of Abraham in Genesis 22 forced Abraham Why do you believe God called an older, “gray hair” like Abraham (75 yrs. old) to to follow his own human reasoning and abandon God’s direction or to be the Father of Israel? Why not choose a younger guy who had more years to lead & live? What reasons did Pastor Matthew give us about why God uses “Old abandon his human reasoning and follow God’s direction. Such tests Guys” to teach and guide younger people? (Cf. Gen. 12:4; 16:16; 17:1 18:11; do not allow for compromise; Abraham had to opt for his way or God’s 21:5; 24:1). Way. In the narrative of Genesis and Hebrews, the wise old sage, Abraham made the decision to completely trust God; that is why What is the definition of Faith that Pastor Matthew gave us? READ Hebrews 11:1 The word FAITH in Hebrews 11:1 is the Greek word, Pistis: “trust; belief.” In Abraham is viewed as a giant of faith. the it means the idea of “trust and holy fervor born of faith and understanding divine things respecting man’s relationship with God,” (Thayer’s

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament). READ Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 3:9; Heb. My Story: 11:6: is it possible to have a “saving relationship” with God without “saving trust/faith” in God? Why? Why Not? Anyone who reads the narrative from the about Abraham’s life Throughout the Bible you can read narratives about the “Old Guys” God used will admire Abraham’s faith. Admiring Abraham’s faith is one thing, superbly as great examples for others to follow and learn from, i.e., , emulating Abraham’s faith is quite another. Following in his steps Abraham, Moses, etc. What are some of the values and examples that Pastor involves listening for God’s direction. Abraham’s mind was clear Matthew shared about what younger believers can learn from older believers? concerning what God wanted him to do. What about you? Share an (Cf. Prov. 16:31; 20:29; 1 Peter 5:1-3). incident(s) when it was extremely clear God directed you to follow His God expects believers to finish their lives “well.” We’ve read throughout the path, His direction for your life. Did it take tremendous faith to follow Scriptures those awesome “Old Guys and Gals” who finished their lives well. God’s direction for your life? Did God’s clearly directed path for you What did Pastor Matthew mean when he told us to follow the example of correspond with His Word? Did you first think about following your “older Saints” who’ve finished well? (Cf. Acts 20:24; 1 Cor. 9:24-25; 1 Timothy own human reasoning before deciding to follow God’s direction? 6:12-13; :6-8).

Share. What valuable lesson(s) are there from the life of Abraham for all ages of believers to learn, grow, develop and maintain a “teachable spirit”? Just like Abraham was “available” for God to use him in a powerful way at a very old age, are you available for God’s usefulness if you are an older saint, or does the modern American culture of “retirement” limit your availability for God?