WEEK 3 THE UNFORGETTABLE DAY

VICTORY through GOD’S POWER September 25 - October 1

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BEYOND our BORDERS A huge part of HARVEST FORWARD is our special relationship with Harvest Bible Chapel Grenada, the church plant we’re sponsoring as part of the Vision Caribbean initiative of the Harvest Bible Fellowship. As you contribute to HARVEST FORWARD, you’re taking part in paying living and church planting expenses for Caldon and Monique Charles. That’s no small thing. But our heart for Grenada has always been more than money, best exemplified by 1 Thessalonians 2:8: “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves because you had become very dear to us.“ Will you pray right now for Harvest Grenada? - QUANITITY OF DISCIPLES : Pray for growth in numbers for the core group. Pray that each core group member will add one more to the group, doubling the size of the group. - QUALITY OF DISCIPLESHIP: Pray that the core group grows towards God together, and understands Harvest culture. - GOD’S GLORY DISPLAYED: Grenada is a wait-and-see culture. Pray that God amazes Grenada with His power through His Church, specifically Harvest Grenada. - WHAT ELSE? How else are you led to pray for Grenada?

SMALL GROUP PULPIT CURRICULUM “THE UNFORGETTABLE DAY“ JOSHUA 10:1-15,24-26

REMINDER: Do not forsake “GOD AT WORK” testimonies. Be sure to provide time for your group to share how God has been working in their lives and the lives of those close to them.

APPETIZER Share the most unforgettable day of your life. (Try and share experiences other than your wedding day or the day your children were born. That’s easy.) What makes it unforgettable? Did you want the day to end or would you have liked to see it last a bit longer? Why/why not?

MAIN COURSE First...PRAY! Name some of the battles you have had to face in life. Were you able to see them coming or did they surprise you? If you saw them coming, how did you prepare? If you were not able to see them coming, what would you have done to prepare? Read through the passage together and share initial thoughts.

Until we are standing with the LORD in glory, the enemy will always be at work to tear down what God is doing in our lives. Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem, saw what he believed to be the might and power of Israel, and “he feared greatly”. Simple question: whose power did Adoni-zedek really see at work? What did Adoni-zedek’s fear drive him to do? As you experience victory in the battles you face, how have you seen the Enemy respond to your victories? In verse 8, The LORD says to Joshua, “Do not fear them”. As a result of the LORD’s work, Joshua saw both Jericho and Ai fall in miraculous ways. Do you think he needed to hear “do not fear” again? What about you? How have you seen the LORD lead you to victory in the past? Based on the victories you have experienced, do you still need to hear the Lord say, “do not fear”? Why or why not? Bigger question: ARE you able to look into your past and see the LORD victorious in your life? If so, how? How do you know when the LORD is calling you to fight and how do you know when He is calling you to flee? How does the battle, or the fleeing, go when you do not listen? Victory. What has it looked like in your life? The enemy is evil. The enemy is deceitful and cunning and wants nothing more than to see you fail. Now, imagine the LORD calling you over to his side and He instructs you to put your foot on the enemy’s neck. How would that feel? Would you be afraid to listen?

DESSERT What needs to take place in your life to strengthen you for battle against the enemy? What needs to take place to bring you boldness in the face of impending battles? Pray for one another. Ask that the LORD would embolden and strengthen you for life’s battles.

LESSON 1

POWERFUL ACCESS

READ: HEBREWS 4:14-16 The gospel writers Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention something about the death of Jesus that stands at the center of these powerful words from the writer of Hebrews. Jesus had just willingly laid down his life for sinners and let out a loud cry towards the heavens. And then something strange happened:

“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” - Matthew 27:51 This huge curtain — often called the veil — was about 60 feet tall and possibly even 4 inches thick; not exactly Grandma’s living room drapes. It separated the Holy Place in the temple from the Most Holy Place. And when Jesus died, it was torn from top to bottom as if God Himself ripped it open from the heavens. No person could do that. So what’s the significance?

OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY

Behind the veil was the Ark of the Covenant, upon which sat the Mercy Seat. The power and presence of God resided above the Mercy Seat.

No one was allowed to pass the veil and enter into God’s presence — except the High Priest. And even he was only allowed to enter once a year, to offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of his people. The veil separated sinful, tainted man from the presence of a pure and holy God.

ACCESS GRANTED

But the veil was torn permanently when Jesus died. No more sacrifices year after year. Nothing covering the power and presence of God. No more barrier between God and His people.

We have intimate and immediate access to God – any time, any place, under any circumstance – because of our great High Priest, Jesus. BENEFITS OF ACCESS

Unfortunately, many Christians still operate as though the veil is still there. Oh, we know Jesus gives us access to God — but we don’t act like it. We flinch and hesitate when we’re told we can boldly step up to the throne where God reigns and rules. We think we don’t have that right and don’t deserve that privilege. BUT — we have a great High Priest who’s stamped us with approval; He grants us VIP access. We come to God and say, “We’re with Jesus,” and God promises to grant us mercy and grace in our time of need. How great is that?! Through Jesus, we have access to the same power that stopped the sun for Joshua, the same power that tore the curtain in the temple, and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Be encouraged today that through Jesus, we have access to the power and presence of God.

APPLY Why is it important to understand the Old Testament sacrificial system and rules?

According to the text, how do you know God hears our prayers?

Do you struggle with the idea that as a Christian, you don’t have to jump through any hoops to have full access to God? Why or why not?

What currently prohibits you from having the confidence that Hebrews 4:14-16 describes? Is it an intellectual, emotional, or spiritual reason? Explain your thinking. With whom can you talk about these things?

LESSON 2

POWERFUL PRAYER

READ: various passages in NEHEMIAH Nehemiah was an exile from Israel. His homeland had been destroyed by the wicked Babylonians, and after many years away, his people had finally started returning home to rebuild it. At least 9 times in this book we read about Nehemiah praying to God. It didn’t matter if he was alone, in front of a king, or in front of enemies: Nehemiah prayed, reminding us of 3 truths about the power of prayer.

POWERFUL PRAYER RELIES ON GOD’S PROMISES (READ 1:4-10) When Nehemiah heard how bad things were in Jerusalem, he was heart-broken. He fasted and confessed the sin of His people — and he made it personal (v. 6). And then — he appealed to what he knew about God from Scripture. “Remember the word you commanded your servant Moses”, Nehemiah prayed, continuing later about his people, “They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.” Nehemiah prayed with power because He knew what God had promised. If you want to pray with power, nothing is better than asking God for things He has promised to provide.

POWERFUL PRAYER HAS DEEP ROOTS (READ 1:11, 2:4) Nehemiah’s prayer before the king in 2:4 seems spontaneous, but it was rooted in the power of his prayer in 1:11. When Nehemiah prayed quickly before the king, it was a continuation of a prayer that began well before that. Powerful prayer doesn’t come out of nowhere, it comes from a deep, continuous relationship with God. If you want to pray more powerfully, make sure you’re praying before “the heat of the moment.”

POWERFUL PRAYER ASKS FOR...POWERFUL THINGS (READ 4:4-5) Sometimes we get so focused on trying to “pray the right way” that we never get around to actually asking God to do anything. Or sometimes we just think, “Well...God’s going to do what God’s going to do, so what’s the point?” Maybe it’s fear of disappointment. Maybe it’s fear of what people will think if they know how powerfully we need God to work. Maybe it’s just wrong-thinking that recognizes the existence of God, but not who He really is. Whatever the reasons, we shouldn’t wonder why prayer feels powerless when we approach it without purpose. Nehemiah had absolutely no problem asking God to use His power. He knew what he needed, and that God could provide it, so he asked with confidence. Yes, we are called to ask with right motives. But if we don’t ask, we won’t have. Nehemiah was not afraid to ask. And you should not be afraid to ask either!

APPLY What common traits do you notice about Nehemiah’s prayers?

What motives drive your own prayers? How does God hear about your needs and desires?

Believing Firmly in the Power of Prayer is one of the 4 Pillars of Harvest West Olive. How can we collectively as a church focus more on this pillar? How can you personally help that collective effort?

What could you do today that you could look back on in 6 months and see as a pivotal point in your prayer life?

LESSON 3

POWERFUL FAITH

READ: Matthew 21:18-21 It would be pretty amazing to see God stop the sun like He did back in Joshua 10. We can’t even begin to fathom how He did it. Miracles blow our minds: turning water into wine, walking on water, controlling the weather, coming back from the dead, instantly killing fig trees... Wait...what? So the fig tree one is a little weird — but still, how’d He do it? That’s what the disciples wondered. Look at verse 20: how’d He do that? The easy answer is “Because He’s God”, but Jesus explained more than that. Jesus focused on the miraculous power of FAITH.

DOUBT DISTRACTS

Jesus told His disciples they could do the miraculous things he did — and more — if they only had FAITH and did not doubt. Doubt usually distracts in three ways: We doubt that God CAN: we view our problems as too big for God. We doubt that God CARES: we view God as too big for our problems. We doubt that God MATTERS: we view God as irrelevant to every day life. Doubt distracts because it takes our eyes off who God is. And when we lose focus and forget who God is, we lose FAITH.

FAITH FULFILLS

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Look at Jesus‘ promise in verse 22. To understand this promise, we need to understand what FAITH really is. Here are just some of the things the bible says about FAITH: FAITH saves (Luke 7, Ephesians 2, 1 Peter 1) FAITH believes God (Romans 4, Galatians 3) FAITH guides (2 Corinthians 5) FAITH hopes with certainty (Hebrews 11) FAITH drives (Hebrews 11) FAITH takes action (James 2) FAITH passes the test (1 Peter 1) FAITH overcomes (1 John 5) We are called to live and pray with FAITH. But it’s not like like doing your taxes. God isn’t looking at FORM 1040, SCHEDULE A, LINE 7: TOTAL FAITH and calculating if you’ve paid enough to get something back from Him. FAITH that drives powerful prayer is a life-changing confidence in who God is and what God does — not a way to earn favors from God. This week, ask yourself this: “Am I distracted by doubt or fulfilled by FAITH?” When we know who God is and believe what He says, our lives are driven by FAITH — and they reflect all we are in Christ Jesus. And when prayers come from hearts like that, they’re sure to be answered.

APPLY What drove Jesus’ to curse the fig tree? Does it matter?

Have you ever witnessed a miracle like the one Jesus performed? How did you respond? How would you would have responded if you were amongst the disciples for this miracle?

How do you want to see God’s miraculous power displayed in your life? Your family? Our church? This world?

How can your prayers today impact your previous answer?