These
are "unofficial notes" taken by one of the attendees
at the March 2 and March 9, 2001 presentations and
are not necessarily an accurate representation of Rev. Prior's
presentation. If you want to get an audio or video tape of the
presentation they may be ordered for a minimal fee. Audio
tapes | Video tapes
Summary
of Teaching by
Rev. David Prior
Being Fulfilled or Being Filled Full?
March 2, 2001
Have you ever tried to put our culture into God's
plan? What is OK and what is not from God's perspective? Ever
have a person ask you if you are fulfilled? The Washington Post
suggest you ask the following questions:
- What are you good at doing?
- What will someone pay you to do?
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What stretches you in doing it?
In today's culture some may tell you that it doesn't matter
what relationship you are in as long as you are happy. But this
is not what God would say. From a Biblical perspective it is
not whether you feel fulfilled, its are you filled full.
Eph 4:1-13 says that Jesus came that He might fill all things.
So, maybe you should ask yourself what are you full of! Or what
is your neighborhood full of. What comes out of your mouth when
you are surprised or something unexpected happens? The words
you speak will tell you volumes about what is in your heart
and what you are filled full of. As Christians is it the Words
of scripture and the presence of God or is it the world? You
see it is God's plan that he would fill full his people, who
will fill full His church, which will eventually fill full the
nation.
What does the word "fill" mean?
One definition is to fill up, where there is no more room left,
no more capacity.
Another is complete. Without Christ we are not complete with
Him we are filled full (spiritually, mentally, morally). If
a nation losses its morality it will be bankrupt. We need to
have an authority that is not controlled by us. [Note
taker's comment: Read the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel with
the prophets of Baal. Who was the Baal controlled by?]
Completeness includes understanding. When we come to Christ
the vale that keeps us from seeing the truth of the Scripture
if lifted and we understand, we see from a new perspective,
we are filled.
The third definition of "fill" is to satisfy. This
is a deep sense of satisfaction. When we are without Christ
we fill our lives with things because we are not filled with
the Spirit of God. As the Lord fills us full we are able to
let it overflow by giving what He has given us to others.
Summary of Teaching
by
Rev. David Prior
Four Letter Words!
March 9, 2001
How do we relate the Sabbath to our daily work?
We need to see what God says about the four letter word "Work."
He created us to work.
1. "Tohu" is a Hebrew
word that means "formless"
2. "Bohu" is a Hebrew word that means
"empty"
Before God goes to work on us we are "Tohu Bohu" formless
and empty, just like the earth was before God created it.
(See Gen1:1-3)
3 & 4. Very and Good: This is what
happens when God gets through with "Tohu Bohu."
(See Gen 1:26-31)
5. Rule over it. God told Adam and
Eve to rule over what He had created. Unfortunately we haven't
done this very well. In many ways we are destroying the earth
God has given us to rule over. This is because we have been
ruling in a self-centered way and not a Godly way.
6. Fill the Earth (Gen 1:28)
7. Till the Earth (Gen 2:15)
8. Keep or take care of it. Another word for this
is to tame it.
9. Name it. God told Adam to name the things of earth.
Fill, till, tame and name are all part of Ruling over the earth.
10. Rest: (Gen 2:3) On the seventh day
He rested. When the people did not keep the Sabbath they were
punished. Rest is not just taking the a day off, its learning
how to practice the presence of God be it on the Sabbath or
in the midst of the work place.
11. Fall - as in "Fallenness"
12. Pain - as in childbirth
13. Toil - Hard labor
When we try to make our own lives easier we avoid embracing
our pain through Jesus.
14. Adam: There were two Adams.
The second one was Jesus who redeemed us from what the first
Adam did in the fall and saved us from what would have been
the ultimate end of story.
Don't let your job define you. Instead put limits
on it. When someone asks you what you do , how about saying
"I preach Christ Crucified and Risen?!"
Remember God works = quality work.
God has called us to live and work in a way that is ethical
and attractive so others will want to know what we have and
start asking questions. We are called to
(1) Excellence, not second best
(2) Teamwork, not doing it all by ourselves, and
(3) Integrity, being trustworthy and reliable.
