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    Twelve Unlikely Heroes Study Guide: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You
    Twelve Unlikely Heroes Study Guide: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You
    Twelve Unlikely Heroes Study Guide: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You
    Ebook115 pages24 hours

    Twelve Unlikely Heroes Study Guide: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You

    By John F. MacArthur

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    Enoch, who never died . . .

    Samson, who killed an army with a donkey's jawbone . . .

    James, who grew up as the brother of the Messiah . . .

    These are fascinating people whose stories are woven through history and the Bible. They show us God at work in unexpected ways and numerous cultures. They each reveal another little piece of His great plan.

    But how do they affect my life?

    If John MacArthur's Twelve Unlikely Heroes presents intimate portraits of these individuals, this study guide is the bridge between those portraits and our daily lives. Commentary and poignant questions bring the points home with unflinching candor, urging us toward a deeper walk with the One who has written all our stories.

    • REWIND—look again at important passages
    • RETHINK—check all the angles
    • REFLECT—consider how it affects you
    • REACT—change your life

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThomas Nelson
    Release dateSep 3, 2012
    ISBN9781400204113
    Twelve Unlikely Heroes Study Guide: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You
    Author

    John F. MacArthur

    Widely known for his thorough, candid approach to teaching God's Word, John MacArthur is a popular author and conference speaker. He has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. John and his wife, Patricia, have four married children and fifteen grandchildren. John's pulpit ministry has been extended around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You, and its satellite offices in seven countries. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly two thousand English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, and digital recordings by John MacArthur. John is chancellor of The Master's University and Seminary and has written hundreds of books and study guides, each one biblical and practical. Bestselling titles include The Gospel  According to Jesus, Twelve Ordinary Men, Twelve Extraordinary Women, Slave, and The MacArthur Study Bible, a 1998 ECPA Gold Medallion recipient.

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      Book preview

      Twelve Unlikely Heroes Study Guide - John F. MacArthur

      TWELVE UNLIKELY

      HEROES

        THE STUDY GUIDE  

      TWELVE UNLIKELY

      HEROES

         THE STUDY GUIDE   

      HOW GOD COMMISSIONED

      UNEXPECTED PEOPLE in the BIBLE and

      WHAT HE WANTS to DO with YOU

      JOHN MACARTHUR

      9781400204106_INT_0003_001

      © 2012 by John MacArthur

      All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

      Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

      Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

      Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

      Unleashing God’s Truth, One Verse at a Time® is a trademark of Grace to You. All rights reserved.

      Scripture quotations marked NASB are from NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

      ISBN: 9781400204106

      Printed in the United States of America

      12 13 14 15 16 QG 6 5 4 3 2 1

      CONTENTS

      1. Enoch: The Man Who Walked with God

      2. Joseph: Because God Meant It for Good

      3. Miriam: The Leading Lady of the Exodus

      4. Gideon and Samson: Stories of Weakness and Strength

      5. Jonathan: The Man Who Would (Not) Be King

      6. Jonah: The World’s Greatest Fish Story

      7. Esther: For Such a Time As This

      8. John the Baptist: The True Meaning of Greatness

      9. James: The Brother of Our Lord

      10. Mark and Onesimus: A Tale of Two Runaways

      Leader’s Guide

      ONE

      ENOCH: THE MAN WHO WALKED WITH GOD

      SOME HEROES ARE MADE IN A MOMENT. Others are defined by a lifetime. Though at times it appeared as if false teaching had swayed the entire Roman Empire, the fourth-century Christian leader Athanasius would not compromise. Enoch is rightly regarded as a hero for the same reason: he stood strong over a long period of time. The author of Hebrews summed up Enoch’s legacy with these profound words, He pleased God (Hebrews 11:5). Amazingly, he pleased God not just for several decades, but for three hundred years!

      REWIND

      In all human history, there have only been two people who never experienced physical death. Both were prophets of God; both warned the wicked of coming judgment; and both lived at a time when following the Lord was utterly unpopular.

      The biblical account regarding Enoch consists of just a handful of verses found in Genesis, Hebrews, and Jude (along with mentions of his name in 1 Chronicles 1:3 and Luke 3:37). Nonetheless, there is plenty of information given about him to include his amazing history in a book of heroes. Only eight verses in Scripture provide us with the details, but even with those limits, we encounter an individual whose life was both extraordinary and exemplary. As unique as Enoch was, he still sets a pattern for us of unwavering faith and uncompromising obedience.

      What spiritual characteristics come to mind when you hear the phrase uncompromising obedience?

      If only a few sentences were used to describe your character, what would be said?

      In what areas of your life do you most often deal with the temptation to ignore God’s ways in favor of your ways?

      What do you expect God to show you in this lesson?

      RETHINK

      Enoch’s world looked very different than ours does today. But the culture in which he lived was the same—characterized by comprehensive corruption, moral decay in every way possible, and open rebellion against God. The fact that people lived for so long was both a blessing and a curse. Those who sought to live godly lives in the pre-Flood era had to struggle against sin and endure its impact over many hundreds of years. That is what makes the examples of righteous men like Enoch so compelling: he stood against the corruption of his culture and walked with God for three centuries.

      Enoch’s faithfulness was an effective influence on his own family. That impact is especially evident in the life of his great-grandson Noah. Though Noah was born sixty-nine years after Enoch went to heaven, Enoch’s testimony would have been passed down to him through his father and grandfather.

      Based on your present rate and direction of spiritual development, would it be a blessing or a curse to live a long time? Why?

      Your spiritual legacy will influence generations to come. What impact do you want to have on future generations?

      What steps are you taking right now to develop the kind of character that will outlive you?

      Twice in four verses Scripture says Enoch walked with God. In fact, that short phrase is all Genesis 5 tells us about the character of this man. But that’s enough. Enoch lived in such a way that, after 365 years in this world, his life could be accurately summarized with repeated, sublime brevity.

      What thoughts come to mind when you hear Enoch walked with God? Will a similar statement be made about you? Why or why not?

      What can we learn practically about walking with God, so that we can follow Enoch’s example? Scripture, where this theme is reiterated and expanded, reveals that walking with God includes at least three component parts. It begins with forgiveness from sin, consists of faith in the Lord, and results in fruits of righteousness. Understanding these three aspects opens up the door to the rich spiritual treasure that lies behind the simple words of Genesis 5.

      REFLECT

      In order for sinful people to commune with a holy God, they must first be reconciled to Him from their alienated sinful condition. Enoch was a man who understood his own unworthiness and the need for a proper sacrifice. Enoch understood he was an undeserving sinner who needed a God-ordained substitute to bear the punishment in his place. Thus, his personal relationship with the Lord began when his sins were forgiven and he was covered by the righteousness of the Savior who would carry Enoch’s sins to the cross and pay the penalty for them in full. Like all believers throughout every epoch of history, Enoch’s testimony was one of salvation by grace through faith.

      Describe your relationship with God. How did it begin?

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