Obey Gods Word

CHRIST'S COMMISSION FELLOWSHIPWEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016

The 4Ws are a set of Bible study tools for individuals or groups based on the Sunday message. We
highly recommend watching the message on YouTube first.
You may also download the PDF version of the 4Ws here
WORSHIP
SUGGESTED WORSHIP SONGS:
Forever Oh Lord, For Your Glory, Rise and Sing, How Great Thou Art, Oceans Will Part
WELCOME
Life Verse. Share your life verse in your small group. How does it help you in your spiritual life?
WORD
Joshua 1:8
8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and
night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make
your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
True success and prosperity is knowing Jesus, loving Him and obeying Him. Gods highest good and
goal for us as followers of Jesus is to become more like Him (Romans 8:28-29).
Our response to the Bible depends on our view of God. Wrong views of Him result in wrong responses
and disobedience to His Word. We obey God because we have experienced His love, and we want to
love Him in return.
It is therefore most important for us to know God. He clearly reveals Himself to be loving, kind, just
and holy. He is righteous and makes no mistakes. He is consistent and always does what is right.
(Jeremiah 9:23-24). This is the kind of God that we have.
THIS BOOK OF THE LAW
After Moses died, God gave Joshua the tough task to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. He told
him that in order to succeed and to prosper, he must diligently obey everything that is written in the
Book of the Law, also known as the Torah.
Today, we are blessed to have the complete revelation of God in the Bible. If you are in a challenging
situation or at a crossroad of decision-making, do not fear. Instead, focus on God, and obey His Word.
Then it will be well with you.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training
in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:16
Gods fingerprints are all over the Bible, even in long genealogies or the interior design of the
tabernacle. In any passage of Scripture, you can get a glimpse into the character of God.
SHALL NOT DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH
A major part of Jewish tradition is recounting, reviewing and reading aloud the Word of God. It
reminds people of who God is, what He has done, what His promises are, and what He commands His
people to do.
Gods Word is not just intended for Sunday worship services. It has to be integrated in our daily
conversations, wherever we are (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 17:18-19).
If the Word of God dwells in the abundance of our heart, it will naturally flow from our mouth. Even
our admonitions to one another must be based in the Word (Colossians 3:16).
MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT
Meditating is about filling your mind with Gods Word. In the original Hebrew, the word for
meditation was used for expressions of delight, such as the cooing of a dove and a low, soft growling of
a lion when it has cornered its prey.

Meditation is engaging and immersing in the Word of God such that your emotions and intellect are
being drawn into the conversation.
The English word for meditate is ruminate. This is where a cow chews grass very slowly, without
hurry. So when we meditate, we should take the time to engage in the Word, chewing and savoring it
slowly to get the best out of it.
Meditating on Gods Word day and night means a diligent attention on the Word in every moment of
our lives.
BE CAREFUL TO DO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN
The idea of the passage is to build a hedge of protection. As we meditate on the Word of God, we build
a hedge around our thoughts, words, deeds and choices.
It goes back to what our hearts are filled with every day. Our careful obedience to the Word overrides
our biases and mistaken notions and leads us toward what is right before God.
We meditate on the Word with an end goal to obey it, because obedience is better than sacrifice (1
Samuel 15:22). While we may love to belong to various ministries and sacrifice ourselves for them, if
we dont live out the Word in our lives, then it is nothing (James 1:22-25).
PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS
The typical mindset about success and prosperity is usually about wealth and power. But there is
more to success and prosperity than just that.
Prosperity (Romans 8:29) In the original language, prosperity means to advance or move forward.
The greatest advancement for a Christian is to become Christlike.
Success (James 1:5, 1 Kings 3:7) The original translation for success is wisdom. God will honor a
humble heart that asks for wisdom just as Solomon asked for it.
The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). As hard as
that may seem, God promises to give us the ability and the will to obey Him (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your
members)
1. Success and Prosperity. How can you achieve success and prosperity according to Joshua 1:8?
2. My Meditation. How do you practice scriptural meditation? How does it help you?
3. Hedge of Protection. Cite three verses that help keep you away from sin. How have they helped
you?
WORKS
OBEDIENCE-BASED BIBLE STUDY
Make it a habit to memorize scriptures and live it out. Begin this week by memorizing some verses
from Psalm 119.
Example:
How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. (v.9)

Obey Gods Word in Love

CHRIST'S COMMISSION FELLOWSHIPWEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016

The 4Ws are a set of Bible study tools for individuals or groups based on the Sunday message. We
highly recommend watching the message on YouTube first.
You may also download the PDF version of the 4Ws here.
Worship
Suggested Worship Songs:
Thy Word, Forever Oh Lord, Youll Come
Welcome
Thy Word. Share at least one of the first memory verses that had impact in your life.
Word
John 14:15, 21, 23-24
15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me
will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.
23 Jesus answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will
love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does
not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Fathers who sent Me.
Do you love Jesus? Jesus said that if you love Him, you will keep His commandments. But in times of
trouble, confusion or fear, it is easy to forget His Word. To keep obeying His Word, remember these
three words: Relationship, Evidence and Promise.
Relationship
Loving God motivates you to keep His Word. Obeying Jesus is not about rules, but it is motivated by a
loving relationship with Him.
Christianity is not about doing. It is about being. It is about being grounded in a new life and
relationship with Jesus. Your loving relationship with Jesus naturally overflows into loving others as
well.
Our relationship with God is built on our faith. Without faith, we cannot please Him (Hebrews
10:6). Faith shows our trust in His character.
We live by faith in Jesus, and we grow it through hearing His Word (Romans 10:17). Satan combats
this by attacking your faith. He can even use the Bible out of context to try to deceive you (Matthew
4:5-7). Ground yourself in the Word of God so you are not deceived like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3).
Knowing and understanding Gods Word will give you the victory (Matthew 4:1-11).
A loving relationship with God will lead you to obeying Him, seeking His will with all your heart and
finding ways to let His Word dwell in you richly.
Evidence
Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that if they loved Him, they would keep His commands (John 14).
To keep means to guard, observe, treasure, heed, watch over and protect. Keeping the Word is a call
of commitment to follow Jesus.
When you study the Scriptures, always take them in the light of Jesus, who is the Word (John 1).
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17). Always read the Bible in context to avoid misuse
and misinterpretation of Gods Word. Your obedience shows your love for Jesus. Loving Him is not
just by feeling or saying something, but by obeying.
Promise
Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit, the Helper and Comforter, would be with them
forever (John 14:16-19). Even when we want to obey God, we cannot do it on our own without Him.
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will teach us and remind us of everything He said (John 14:26).
When the Spirit of Truth dwells in you, you have an insatiable desire to grow in the knowledge of God
and its application in your life.
The more we get to know God, the more we get to love Him. The more we get to love Him, the more
we get to obey Him as well.

When we love Jesus, we keep His Word. If we love Him, God shows His love by being with us,
revealing Himself to us (John 14:21-23). What a promise!
When a test comes in your life, your foundation of faith in God and in His Word will keep you strong.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood firm and did not compromise their faith, even in the face of
death. God miraculously delivered them.
King Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed that their God was like no other. He honored their faith and blessed
them (Daniel 3:14-30).
God wants you to be victorious. If God is with you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31). Amidst
the storms of life, His presence shall be with you and He will give you rest (Exodus 33:14).
Do you love God? If you do, then keep His Word: listen, read, study, memorize, meditate, and most
especially apply the Word in your life not for any merits but all because you love Him.
Discussion Questions:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your
members)
1.
Love and Obedience. What is the relationship of loving God and obeying His
commandments according to the main passage in John 14? What is the benefit of loving God and
keeping His commandments?
2.
Thy Word. What is the Word of God to you? How is the Word helpful in your spiritual life?
3.
Promise Keeper. What are some of Gods promises that helped grow your faith in Jesus?
Share at least 3.
Works
Hand Model for Keeping the Word

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Use your right hand to remember the 5 disciplines to for studying the Word of God:
Hear
Read
Study
Memorize
Meditate
Use your left hand to represent application of the Word of God, with each finger representing a letter
in the word Apply.
With both hands holding onto and keeping the Word of God, you can ensure that the enemy cannot
snatch it away from you. Moreover, with both hands, you can use it as the Sword of the Spirit to fight
the lies of Satan.

Delight in Gods Word: Be Blessed

CHRIST'S COMMISSION FELLOWSHIPWEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016

The 4Ws are a set of Bible study tools for individuals or groups based on the Sunday message. We
highly recommend watching the message on YouTube first.
You may also download the PDF version of the 4Ws here.
Worship
Suggested Worship Songs:
Here to Eternity, My Redeemer Lives, Every Promise in the Book is Mine, At the Cross
Welcome
Happiness Quotient. On a scale of 1-10, 10 as the highest, how happy are you in your life?
Word
Psalm 1:1-6
1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates
on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its
fruit in season and whose leaf does not witherwhatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not
stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the
way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Blaise Pascal famously said, All men seek happiness. This is without exception. We all want to be
happy, but we struggle because we do not know how.
Pursuing happiness can become an idol. Spending so much time trying to be happy results in the
opposite. Happiness is a byproduct of pursuing something greater than personal happiness.
God wants you to be blessed
In Hebrew, bless is asher, which means happy. To be happy is to be blessed or to be joyful from
within, not from external occurrence.
God created our desire for happiness. If you seek Jesus and pursue His Word, you will have joy in full
(John 16:11). He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10).
Followers of Jesus are joyful people who, despite trials, can rejoice in faith (1 Peter 1:6-7). Pain and
disappointment tests your faith, which should draw you to God. If you have a wrong view of God, you
will never experience His joy.
What must you do to be blessed?
1. Do not walk in the ways of the ungodly.
Ungodly counsel is advice that does not put God first. Just because everyone else is doing it or it
sounds logical does not make it right.
Do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Eventually you will stand up for what they believe in. You
may not even realize that you are no longer following Christ. Know the difference between godly and
ungodly advice.
2. Delight yourself in the Lord.
Do you love God? If you love somebody, you want to listen to them. Because you love Jesus, you
delight in His Word. Christianity is a love relationship.
In Psalm 37:4, David writes, Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your
heart. To delight in the Lord, you need to experience Him and love Him.
You also need to know God. To truly know Him, you need more than just mental knowledge. Taste
and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).
You experience God through faith. When you have nothing left, you will experience that He is enough.
There are many things in life that you will never really know until you walk by faith.
To delight in the Lord is to obey Him.
3. Meditate on His Word.
To delight in Gods Word, you must meditate on it day and night. You continually immerse your mind
in His Word so that you will not forget.
If the Bible seems boring to you, pray that God will open your eyes (Psalm 119:18).

When you meditate on Gods Word, you will discover that God makes Himself real in your life. Go
beyond simply hearing His Word. You need to do what is written in it (James 1:22, 25).
Two Paths
God consistently wants to bless us, but we need to know the conditions of His blessing delight in the
Lord, know Him, love Him, trust Him and obey Him.
Psalm 1:3 describes a person who delights in the Lord as being like a tree planted in water it
thrives. It is a stable tree that yields fruit.
This fruit may not be immediate. But it will come at the right time. Faith is not based on
circumstances, but it is anchored firmly on the promises of God.
If you do not walk with the Lord, you are like a chaff empty and light, easily blown or burnt
(Matthew 3:12); now we see it, now we do not.
Are you a tree planted in water or dry chaff? You have a choice the blessed life or your own. God
knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
God guarantees you that if you choose His way, you will be blessed. So choose God (Deuteronomy
30:20).
Discussion Questions:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your
members)
1. Blessed. Who is blessed according to Psalm 1? Why is he blessed?
2. Two Paths. Which way are you taking, the way of the wicked or Gods way? Why?
3. Apply it. What key notes did you pick up from the passage? How will you practice and apply
them?
WORKS
I am Blessed
Write down reasons why you are blessed and happy according to Scripture.

Delight in Gods Word: Be Blessed 2

CHRIST'S COMMISSION FELLOWSHIPWEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2016

The 4Ws are a set of Bible study tools for individuals or groups based on the Sunday message. We
highly recommend watching the message on YouTube first.
You may also download the PDF version of the 4Ws here.
Worship
Suggested Worship Songs:
Majestic, Cover the Earth, God of Wonders, Forever Oh Lord, Majesty
Welcome
Bible and ________ . What usually comes with your Bible reading? E.g. coffee, marker,
notebook
Word
Psalm 19
1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are
there words; their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their
utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 which is as a
bridegroom coming out of his chamber; it rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is
from one end of the heavens, and its circuit to the other end of them; and there is nothing hidden
from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise
the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the
LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the
judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than
gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11
Moreover, by them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can
discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back your servant from presumptuous
sins; Let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great
transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD,
my Rock and my Redeemer.
Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God? Have you read the entire Bible?
It is never too late to develop that discipline. Start reading until it becomes a habit.
The secret to this is motivation. If we delight in His Word, God promises to bless us and fill us with
joy. If you do not delight in God, then almost surely you will also not delight in His Word.
Psalm 19 is a beautiful poem that speaks about Natural Revelation in Gods creation and knowing
Gods love and purpose via Special Revelation.
Natural Revelation (Psalm 19:1-6)
Look at the expanse of the heavens and you will see the glory of God and the mighty works of His
hand. Through His Creation, God is communicating to us day by day, night by night. He is
communicating to us who He is and what He is like. We may not always hear nature speak, but by
creations implicit messages, we learn that there is an amazing Creator of the universe.
When we see the glory of the universe with its precision, symmetry and beauty, we are in awe of our
amazing Creator. We marvel at the vast wonders of creation.
Some people choose to believe that we are a product of chance. People can see exactly the same thing
but arrive at different conclusions. Faith is a choice.
The Bible tells us that there is a Creator of heaven and earth (Romans 1:20-22). You must choose.
Either you believe or you do not.
Special Revelation (Psalm 19:7-14)
Natural revelation shows us that we have an amazing Creator. But we cannot know that He loves us or
that He created us for a purpose without Special Revelation.

The next part of Psalm 19 describes the Law of the LORD in Hebrew poetry with different names.
Then it talks about the characteristics of the Word (see the chart below).

In the first half of Psalm 19, God is called Elohim, the God of Creation. Then in the second half, the
passage transitions to using Gods personal name, LORD (Yahweh) combined with the blessings of
Gods Word.
Do not put your faith in men or in your feelings, but in Gods Word. Trust His Word. Even if you do
not understand, trust Him until He shows His purpose.
If you do not trust Gods Word, if you disobey Him, you will miss out on His blessings. Many lives
have been unbelievably transformed by the power of Gods Word. Delight in His Word. Holiness and
happiness are inseparable in the context of Gods blessings.
Gods Word is perfect. If He promised something, it will happen just as He said (Matthew 5:18;
24:35). You have a choice. Will you believe Him, or will you not?
Discussion Questions:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your
members)
1. Bible Delight. What specific verse in Psalm 19 impacts you the most? Why?
2. Moved and Motivated. What motivates you to read the Bible? What usually causes you to waver
from doing it consistently?
3. Read His Word. What will you do to develop the habit and discipline of reading God's Word? If
you already have this habit, how will you encourage others to have the same?
WORKS
Bible Memory Passage
Try to memorize the entire Psalm 19 by heart. Then make it your prayer to delight in the Gods Word
day and night starting today.

The Bible is True: Trust and Obey

CHRIST'S COMMISSION FELLOWSHIPWEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016

The 4Ws are a set of Bible study tools for individuals or groups based on the Sunday message. We
highly recommend watching the message on YouTube first.
You may also download the PDF version of the 4Ws here.
Worship
Suggested Worship Songs:
Great God, You are Good, Trust and Obey, Because of Who You Are, Christ is Enough
Welcome
Truth and Lie. Say two things about yourself, one truth and one lie, and let others guess which is
which.
Word
1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who
asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Why do you believe what you believe?
Until you know what you believe and why you believe it, your Christianity will be shallow. You need to
believe for better reasons than because parents, school or our church told you to. Many Christian
teenagers who go to college are devastated because they do not know why they believe what they
believe.
Truth is absolute. Truth is discovered, not invented. Truth is not truth because you believe it. Truth
does not cease to become truth just because you ignore it. Truth by its nature is unchangeable and
exclusive.
To stand for the truth, put Christ first in your life. As people watch you, always be ready to be an
apologist; be ready to explain why you believe what you believe. We need to defend and persuade with
gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15).
The Bible is True
A disciple of Christ obeys Gods Word. He knows it is true (John 8:31-32). It is not good enough that
your Pastor tells you so; you must be able to explain it yourself.
People today are brainwashed into thinking that all religions are true. But that does not make sense.
Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth and the life, the only way to come to God the Father (John
14:6).
The Law of Logic says that you cannot have contradictory truth claims. Jesus is either telling the truth
or He is a liar. You must choose. And when you believe Jesus and take Him seriously, your life will
never be the same.
Scripture is inspired by God, able to transform our lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible was written
by about 40 people with different backgrounds over 1,500 years yet the writings have no
contradictions and have one central message Gods redemptive plan for mankind through Jesus.
Here are some reasons to help you believe:
1. Bibliographical test. The shorter the time gap between the date written and the first copy, the
more accurate the document is. The more original copies available over time, the less chances of
tampering.
2. Internal test. There is no error within the manuscript itself. The writers are eyewitnesses to
historical places, people and events (2 Peter 1:16; 1 John 1:1-2; Luke 3:1-2; Acts 2:32; 3:15).
3. External test. Other documents support the Bible. Early church writers also cited the Scriptures.
The writings of secular historians such as Josephus, Thallus, Tacitus, even Pliny, who was hostile to
Christians, confirm what is in the Bible. They wrote about Jesus and Christians and the reports about
the death and resurrection of Jesus.
4. Archeology. Archeological evidences such as the Pilate Inscription, Erastus Inscription
(Romans 16:23; 2 Timothy 4:20), Pool of Siloam and Bethesda, Ebla Tablet (Genesis 14:8),
Taylor Prism, Dead Sea Scroll and the Wall of Jericho affirm and confirm the reality of Biblical places
and characters. No archaeological discovery has disproved the contents of the Bible.

5. Prophecy. (Isaiah 46:9-10; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Ezekiel 26:4,12; 29:9,15; Daniel 8:20-22;
11:3-4) The Bible has prophecies. Many have already taken place.
6. Israel. (Ezekiel 36:10-11, 24, 35) Israel is Gods showcase. For 2,000 years there was no Israel
nation or flag, yet today, the Israel still speaks the language of the Old Testament. Israel became a
nation in 1948 with, fulfilling Isaiah 66:8.
7. Jesus Christ. (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23; Daniel 9:24-36; Luke
3:1-2; Isaiah 53:5-6; Mark 15:19-20; Matthew 26:28; Psalm 16:10; Matthew 28) The chance
of fulfilling just eight of the prophecies of Jesus is nearly impossible, but the Bible tells us that all
prophecies about Jesus birth, death and resurrection happened.
Trust and Obey
Do you believe the Bible is true? Have you read and studied the entire Bible? Until you believe that it
is Gods instructional book for us, you will never take Bible reading seriously. The Bible is true,
therefore trust and obey it. It will change your life forever.
Discussion Questions:
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your
members)
1.
Ready for Defense. According to 1 Peter 3:15, what must you do to defend what you
believe?
2.
Reflection. Have you doubted Jesus? What did you do? Why do you believe what you believe
today?
3.
Secret No More. What do you plan to do to let your family and friends know why you believe
in Jesus?
WORKS
I Believe
What do you believe? Why do you believe what you believe? Write down your defense and cite your
references. Try to explain this with somebody to rehearse your apologetics. Then ask the person if you
were convincing in your defense.