GYCE Focus 2016: Coming to Christ

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GYC Europe

Silvia Pel

Bible Study

I think we have an interesting topic before us, and I'm looking forward to the discussions that we're going to have together.

We are gathered here at GYC Focus events, And I do like this word focus, because I think it matters a lot which focus you do have in life.

We have gathered together here to readjust our vision, to analyze our perspective, and to sharpen our view.

It is so easy in the world that we're living in today to be influenced by the environment that we're in, the perspectives and the attitudes and the values that people around us have.

And so we tend to start to view things from a worldly perspective.

And the devil knows that if he can be able to absorb our attention with all the things of the world, even though they don't have to be bad things so that their attention is taken away from the things that really matters.

We need to, as it says in Matthew 6.33, to seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness and then the other things will be added unto us.

And I think It's so important that we continually live in the awareness or the true reality, that we do not have our eyes blinded to the reality that God has.

You know, sometimes we just tend to be caught up in the reality or the things around us, what we wear, you know, our jobs, school, whatever.

But we need to constantly live in God's reality and to have an understanding of the great controversy that is raging and which role that we are playing in this.

And I think that as we're going to look at the different sections of the study today, the Bible study, we're going to follow the normal Bible study, I just pray that we will be able to keep this focus, that we will be able to keep the heavenly perspective, the divine view, as we're looking at the different questions and sequences of the study.

The first question that we're going to ask is What is true greatness?

And it matters a lot if you have God's view or if you have a human view on that question.

And then we're going to look at the power of forgiveness.

We're going to look at the story of the rich young ruler and we're going to look at discipleship, the reward and the sacrifice that discipleship involves.

And it all matters which glasses we look through.

Do we view the stories, the questions, and the topics from a perspective tainted by the world and culture around us, or do we view them with the eyes of God?

And as we're going to just divide into groups or basically just talk to those that are sitting close besides us and discuss the questions that will be coming or that already is up on the screen.

I just pray that God will open the eyes of our understanding.

My husband was referring to this verse from Ephesians this morning in his worship, that God may enlighten us with his spirit and with his wisdom that we can receive thoughts from above, that we can have a meaningful discussion on these questions that we're going to look at together.

And so for the next 10-15 minutes we will be just talking to the people sitting close by us, and we will be discussing the questions that are up on the screen.

And altogether, I've put up 5 questions that summarize, in a sense, the Bible study lesson for this week, culminating in today.

And the first question is, According to Jesus, what is true greatness and how do we understand it in a way that we can apply it in our own lives?

And I also added some Bible verses there from the lesson and also some additional ones that may aid you in answering this question together.

The second question is, what is your greatest motivation for practicing forgiveness?

And again, we have some Bible verses added that can initiate a talk.

And so we will have 3 more questions coming up after you've been discussing these ones.

We have 10-15 minutes to just discuss these questions with your neighbor in the rows here and then afterwards we'll have an open discussion where we will have an open mic.

And you may be able to share some of the things that you have been discussing together in groups or together with the people that are sitting close by you.

So we have 10 to 15 minutes for these 5 questions that will be coming up on the screen and the first 2 ones are already up on the screen and maybe before we start talking together and discuss these questions we'll just have another word of prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we are having this talk together.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much that we can be gathered here at this GYC Focus event.

I do pray Lord that you will give us divine vision, that you will give us thoughts from above, because we know that our opinions and our meanings, they do not matter so much.

But what really matters is that we receive your Holy Spirit that can enlighten us.

And we want to praise you that we have the freedom and the liberty to gather in openness around your word, that we don't need to be afraid of persecution.

Help us to treasure this freedom and to treasure the fact that we can have your word among us, a bloodstained book that is really a revelation of who you are.

So as we're discussing these questions, we thank you that you will enlighten us with your spirit and we pray that it may be a very blessed discussion and that it may be meaningful and a building for us all in Jesus name amen.

So then time is yours 10 to 15 minutes to discuss the questions coming up on the screen.

Okay, time went very fast when you are in good talks and good discussions.

I think time was just far too short for so deep conversations.

And maybe some of you were not able to go through all the questions, is that right?

You may be stranded on 1 or 2, but that's okay.

Maybe together we were able to go through all the questions.

And now is the time that we will be able to share with each other as a group some of the thoughts that we shared with our neighbor.

And now we'll have a few minutes, like 10-15 minutes, where you will be able to share some of the things that you were discussing with your neighbor that you think would be meaningful for the group to also hear.

So as soon as we get the open mic, yeah, it's this 1 and this 1, and then you can just hold up your hands And then we'll pass around the mic and you will be able to share some of the thoughts that the Lord blessed you with as you were discussing these questions.

So just hold up your hands and the mic will be passed on to you.

It's a hand here, but maybe it's 1 in the back as well.

The first question was what is true greatness in the eyes of God?

And I was reading 1 Samuel 12 this week, where the people requested a king.

And yeah, in the end they got a king, and Ellen White is saying in this regard that There was a king in the end, and he was comely in person of noble stature and princely bearing, his appearance accorded with their conceptions of royal dignity, and his personal valor and his ability in the conduct of armies were the qualities which they regarded as best calculated to secure respect and honor from other nations.

They did not ask for 1 who had true nobility of character who possessed the love and fear of God.

I think that answers the question from the spirit of prosperity in the best way.

What is the true things God is looking for?

Nobility of character, love and fear of God.

And we also see of course the outcome of that choice, you know.

It says God, he's not looking at the outward appearance, he's looking at the heart.

And I think that makes a big difference when it comes to the human view or God's view, like we started with.

And God sees things different than we see things.

And God, he's looking at those qualities, exactly those qualities, you know?

Humility, dependence on him, The willingness to be obedient to God even when it crosses your own opinions.

And those things are of great value in God's eyes.

And that's why Jesus also said, you know, that we need to become like little children.

I just see that with my little son, you know.

And that's what we need to have to our Heavenly Father.

So I was just gonna comment on the first question that you were saying, what is greatness?

And 1 of my brothers here in our group, he mentioned that greatness is what the society around you thinks is greatness.

So if you grew up in a poor village, somebody with, maybe with a car, to them, that's great because they are powerful, they have things that you don't have.

In Philippians 2, verse 2, it says that, fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of 1 accord and of 1 mind.

And I was just thinking that, you know, our perception of being great is mainly determined by the people who are around us.

And, you know, what if we were to surround ourselves with the people of God, the people who are like-minded, because the greatness that God is calling us to is different from what the world perceives as greatness.

So if we are to surround ourselves with the people who understand the greatness of God, then the greatness that we'll look for in this world is not going to be of the world because Christ says you're not of the world.

What I really appreciate with this group is that you're not just uttering your own opinions, but see, you're referring to the inspired Word of God as you're answering these questions, and I really appreciate that.

And exactly this passage in Philippians, I think, is very much also pointing to what is true greatness.

In the beginning, we know Lucifer, he said, I will become like God.

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