“DILIGENCE” BIBLE STUDY WITH REVEREND CHRIS OYAKHILOME JANUARY 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2.0 TOPIC: DILIGENCE. 2.1 DEFINITION: 2.2 SYNONYMS: 2.4 SYNONYMS: 2.5 ANTONYMS:
3.0 DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE APPLICATION OF DILIGENCE. 3.1 GENERAL APPLICATION OF DILIGENCE. 4.0 DILIGENCE IN ENDEAVOURS 5.0 CASE STUDY: SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS’ DILIGENCE 6.0 BE DILIGENT 6.1 EFFECTS OF BEING DILIGENT 7.0 AREAS TO BE DILIGENT IN. 7.1. DILIGENCE IN CHRISTIAN CONDUCT – 7.2. DILIGENCE IN FULFILLING OUR PURPOSE. 7.3. ADVANTAGES OF DILIGENCE 7.4. QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL ATTENTION
8.0 ANNOUNCEMENTS. Pastor LanreAlabi – Recap of the past 4 Bible Study Classes. Rev Chris
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1.0 INTRODUCTION This class is to be shared in the classes in the month of February 2013 as January is already far spent. - It’s important that in the bible study classes we don’t treat the subject like we are preaching and rush through it. Every member of the class must understand the subject matter. So all teachers must ensure that all students have their bibles and the outline. The outline will be made available on the site where we can go through it. I am expected to write down my own outline today in this class and the thoughts that are coming to me today. - As I read each verse given to me here today, the idea is to get everyone to understand what the bible teaches. So I have to ensure that all the students go through the scriptures.
2.0 TOPIC: DILIGENCE. 2.1 DEFINITION: Paying proper attention to a task, giving the degree of care required in a particular situation. It has to do with care, persistence, determination, achieving a goal and handling a matter; the exercise of carefulness, persistence and determination in any endeavour. :
2.2 SYNONYMS: meticulousness, assiduousness, contentiousness, carefulness, thoroughness, attentiveness, persistence, industriousness .
2.3 ANTONYMS:SYNONYMS: Indolence, carelessness, negligence, imprecision, inattentiveness, sloppiness, laziness, slothfulness. The Lord speaks to me in a language that I can understand. Understand that he relates to me in a language that I understand and that other around me can understand. It applies to the names he gives us. Example is Moses. There are words in the Bible used to express the thoughts of God. So when he uses certain terms, we want to understand what he is saying especially in key areas of life. In the Bible Study classes we must open the scriptures with the students and teach them and show them the Words so they can search and read them themselves. Deu6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: Deu 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
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God was referring to the people of Israel. He wanted them to teach his Word/commandments to their children DILIGENTLY. God cares whether or not I am doing what he asked me to do diligently. He expects me to do it well and right. Deu6:17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. I must be careful, persistent and determined to do what God asked me assiduously. I must keep his Word diligently. Not just keep them: But diligently. I must pay attention to the subject.
3.0 DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE APPLICATION OF DILIGENCE. Understand that this has to do with spiritual instructions: it’s concerning our vocation and our personal improvement; whatever our concerns are (our sports, bodies, interests etc.). God measures our progress as He wants us to be progressive and he tells us what to do to make such progress.
3.1 GENERAL APPLICATION OF DILIGENCE. 2Co 8:22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. 1Pe 5:2 Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.[ 2Pe 1:5 So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, 2Pe 1:6 alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, 2Pe 1:7 warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. 2Pe 1:8 With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. 2Pe 1:9 Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. 2Pe 1:10 So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, 2Co 8:7 You do so well in so many things--you trust God, you're articulate, you're insightful, you're passionate, you love us--now, do your best in this, too. “All The Diligence”: (2 Corinthians 8:7) In passing, God is giving us the key to all lifestyles. God wants us to put some care and attention and persistence and determination in the things that make progress and that He tells us to do. Success is not an accident and it is easy because there are principles for success. It’s easy because we’ve been told what to do. Example: as a student I am told to go to class, attend lectures, do my assignments which are what causes me to be definitely
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successful. Remember, there are things we have to be to be successful. In His Word, God shows us the choices to make as to what to do to be successful because he is interested in our success. The reason for failure would be a lack of Knowledge and a stand of ignorance. We must pay attention and listen and not reject knowledge. LISTEN!!! Being a successful God, he wants us to be successful as we are his child. Pro 4:23 Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. The Lord is telling us that all the things He has planned for us, everything connected with our life is deposited in our Spirit, in our heart. Example of the orange seed. We carry all the potential programmed in our spirit, to cause us to progress. Don’t allow things to come into our heart to change the programming and destroy it. But allow things that would enable that programming of success to come to completion. Every information and thought that comes to our heart, we must mount guard about it; don’t allow it to cause us to live a different life than what God planned. God’s programming is enhanced by His own Word. We must take charge and keep guard. Don’t accept or dwell on anything or imagination that is inconsistent with the nature and the will and the purpose of God. That’s why we must know the Word for it has power. But it can lose its effectiveness in the life of the ones who stick to traditions. The Word is our checking system. 2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: We are born to be productive, have results and produce fruits. Our effort has been ruled out as these things MAKE US not to be barren or unfruitful. Our calling and election has been made sure provided we do these things diligently. God has called, elected and chosen us for a purpose to be established and also to be fulfilled so we must give diligence to make it happen. HOW? Proverbs 4:23; MOUNT GUARD AND CONTROL OUR MIND WITH THE WORD. Refuse to give expression to Satan’s manipulations and character. Refuse to give it vent through me.
4.0 DILIGENCE IN ENDEAVOURS Pro 12:24 Work hard, and you will be a leader; be lazy, and you will end up a slave. CEV Remember that one who is not diligent is slothful; he will have a hard life. This applied to all areas of life. When the Bible tells us to work hard in a given subject or field, it means be diligent. It means having authority. Being a slave as per the bible means you will be a slave to the system and to life. We must choose what we want so we do not stay with what we get. Encourage the members of our class to be diligent at work whether a journalist, sportsman, a teacher, a student or whatever we are. Make sure they understand this.
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The diligent will always be in charge and in control. But the slothful will be ruled and will be a slave. Do your homework on anything we want to achieve. It’s very important. Proverbs 22:29 KJV – Being diligent will place us and make stand before authorities and stand tall among them and make us known. God cares about what happens to us, the life we live and the things we become. Establish the tools that we require to achieve the goals that we have set. What are we going to do to achieve our dreams and what tools do we need. Once we establish them, how diligent will we be?
5.0 CASE STUDY: SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS’ DILIGENCE Joh4:34 Jesussaith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Jesus didn’t just want to do the will of the Father but He wanted to finish it; and because He completed his work, God raised him for the dead for OUR justification. If he didn’t finish it, our salvation would never be consummated. Because he finished, salvation is now available to all in the world and men can be saved. Jesus’ focus was on the Father’s will. Example: Always go to work on time. Be diligent about it. Following the rules is part of being diligent. --- Copy Jesus in His diligence. As a cell leader/ Bible Study Teacher: How diligent are we in studying the Word of God, in praying for our cell members and interceding for them, in being effective in the cell system?
6.0 BE DILIGENT In being diligent, we must ensure we pay proper attention to a task. Diligence is a quality of the human spirit so the Lord wants us to be a DILIGENT PERSON. Everything that is given to us to do should be handled from the perspective of diligence. We must make up our mind to become a diligent person and it must become a quality of our personality. In participating in this bible study, we are sowing seeds of diligence right now by sharing the word on diligence as the Word produces what it talks about. Diligence is deposited in our spirit and we are to allow our faith to gain predominance in our spirit and prevail thus we produce diligence as a result. Diligence employs commitment and perseverance to transform vision into reality. God’s Word is really not a book of instructions even though His Word gives instruction. But by study we discover that the Word is more than instructions, more than a guide. Understanding the Word brings us to one conclusion: The Word is Life. The more we study it, the more we discover it’s actually a mirror of our life. It is the spiritual mirror of God to show us our life and the picture of the ME that He sees. Get a hold of it to experience fulfillment and joy beyond normal. It changes our perspective of life. I see myself in God’s mirror and Word and act that way; I act, think and am God’s Word. The Father’s will is diligence. Irrespective of our place, rank and what we do, diligence will take us in a role of authority and slothfulness will take us under forced labour and a slave to a system and taskmaster. It is a spiritual law.
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What will we do to be that Man or Woman that God sees in the mirror? He wants us happy, joyful and prosperous. Don’t be enslaved to our experience. A diligent person will always be diligent. Hard work does not mean you are diligent. They are 2 different things. One can put in a lot of effort and do it with errors. Struggle is an effort against a stronger force and you are trying to apply an effort to free yourself. Struggle is not a term used for work. It used for when you are in a position of disadvantage. Positive usage of the Word struggle is in politics, people fighting for liberty and their rights etc. Diligence is the quality of your personality. No matter who likes you or not, be diligent and make it successful because success cannot hide. There are not enough people to keep you down from the top, if you are diligent.
6.1 EFFECTS OFBEING DILIGENT Pro 10:4 Hebecometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. Pro 10:5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. Diligent people are the ones who make their company to prosper and their environment. Get rid of in-diligent people no matter how intelligent they are because they will bring poverty into the system. This also applies to soul winning. We inspire diligence in others by leading as a diligent person. If we are diligent and inspire others, we can spread diligence. God wants to point at us for others to see. It doesn’t mean a thing if others don’t recognize your diligence. God recognizes you and what He will do is to create an opportunity. You may not realize but someone is watching and the time of recognition will surely come. It may not come immediately but the Angel of God’s presence is watching. Only an in-diligent boss will feel threatened by a diligent subordinate; because every diligent boss will delight in his employee. His fear of you and insecurity is because he knows it’s coming for him to be cleared out of his position. Don’t take more work and responsibility than you can handle. Learn to say no and understand that you can go just that far. Don’t do more than you should and mess things up. If you can’t do something don’t go into it. When the time comes, you will be given more people to help you and you become a better manager. As a manager if you give lots of tasks to your subordinate, ensure they have all the tools they require to do it. Understand what your subordinates can take and maximize their potential. Learn the skill of maximizing potential. No one can be over diligent or over good. Practice diligence to become more diligent. Keep doing the Word. Don’t manifest in-diligence in church. - Diligence helps a man to recognize opportunity. - You can sustain diligence in a place that rewards mediocrity because wherever you are, a higher law of diligence is supersedes whatever is happening around you. Relate with that higher law and it will be just a matter of time before things change. Pro 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. Slothful people can desire what they like: they won’t get it. If they have something now: they will lose it. But diligent people attract what they desire.
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Pro 21:23 Whosokeepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. The pastoral work is a lot of hard work. It’s not child’s play. Cell leaders have elements of pastoral work in their functions delegated to them. The same applies to bible study teachers. 1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. One must understand and know they state of their cell/PCF/Church. It is very important and necessary. Paul was diligent; Moses was diligent; David was diligent. Hebrews 3:1-5 / Galatians 2:9-10 1Ti 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. 1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; The quality of our spirit matters. God deposits into our spirit: faithfulness. Faithfulness enables us to us to be diligent. By depositing this in our spirit, God trusts us. Yet we have to operate this quality of our spirit. Diligence is what you find with those people raised by God for excellence.
7.0 AREAS TO BE DILIGENT IN. 7.1 DILIGENCE IN CHRISTIAN CONDUCT – • • • •
Prayer; Study of the Word; (He will manifest Himself again and again in increasing glory – Hebrews 11:6) Ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18 – We have to preach the word of God.) Fellowshipping with other believers (Please go to Church and go to cell meeting!)
7.2. DILIGENCE IN FULFILLING OUR PURPOSE. • • •
Diligence in Being an example - 2 Peter 1: 10 – Hebrews 6:12 Diligence in Following Diligence in duty / service - Genesis 31:38 (Jacob remained diligent despite a lousy boss for 20 yrs)
7.3. ADVANTAGES OF DILIGENCE • • •
God rewards diligence Diligence brings blessing Diligence brings favour
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• • •
Diligence brings promotion Diligence brings wealth / In-diligence brings poverty Diligence brings Excellence
7.4. QUESTIONS FOR PERSONAL ATTENTION •
Diligence In Giving and Tithing, at work, in Business, In Study, Attending training programs/ classes/ lectures
8.0 ANNOUNCEMENTS. 1. The test is expected to be online and will be taking place on Monday January 14/2013 – More materials will be included in the outline which will be given to u. 2. February 11/2013 to February 15/2013 – PRC – Pastoral Refresher’s Course – Compulsory to all pastors and deacons of the ministry. 3. Remember to download the message INCREASE OF GRACE as it will be coming off the website as a promotion tonight January 12/2013 – 4. The New Year message – 2013 The Year of Favour - has been made available. 5. March 15/2013 to March 17/2013 The Higher Life Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Level of revelation is much higher than any other meeting we have had prior.
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