3/31 Life Group

​Life-Sharing

1. What has God been teaching you through last week’s message – “Now I will Arise” – from ISAIAH 33:1-12? Read the texts once more and discern what the holy Spirit is desiring to say through it.

 
1 Ah, you destroyer, who yourself have not been destroyed, you traitor, whom none has betrayed! When you have ceased to destroy, you will be destroyed; and when you have finished betraying, they will betray you.
 

1. [v.1] The Assyrians were merciless destroyers and betrayers at every level, yet what will the LORD do when they think their destructive military campaign is finished?
2. Like what happened to the Assyrians, what will the LORD do if we keep destroying and betraying His work in our lives (read also Matthew 7:12)?
3. In the face of overwhelming and uncontrollable times, when have you said, “It’s over… I’m toast… It’s finished” while God came through to prove, “Until I say it is, it’s not finished yet”?
4. As God delivered His people from their greatest fear (the Assyrians), what is He delivering you from today? Do we have reason to fear?

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2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. 3 At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, 4 and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; as locusts leap, it is leapt upon. 5 The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, 6 and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure.
 

1. [v.2-6] When we humble ourselves to call on the Lord’s grace and wait for Him, what happens?
2. Like a father who raises his child on his shoulders to see higher and farther, how does exalting in the LORD raise us to see Him as our stability, salvation, wisdom, knowledge, and treasure?

 
7 Behold, their heroes cry in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 8 The highways lie waste; the traveler ceases. Covenants are broken; cities are despised; there is no regard for man.
 
9 The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is confounded and withers away; Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
 

1. [v.7-9] God’s people at the time trusted in their heroes, envoys of peace, covenants, cities, and beauty of their land. What ultimately happened to all of these?
2. How is the LORD removing your heroes, highways, earthly covenants and beauty? Why must He do this?

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10 “Now I will arise,” says the Lord, “now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted. 11 You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble; your breath is a fire that will consume you. 12 And the peoples will be as if burned to lime, like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire.”
 

1. [v.10-12] When the lives of God’s people give birth to nothing more than what is useless like chaff or stubble, what will the LORD do?
2. When we think we have come to the end of ourselves, what will the LORD do?
3. The central truth of this word was – When does God arise to move in our lives? At times, we are fooled to think that the LORD is sitting idly by while life progresses. Yet God is always on the move. Although we may come to an end, until God says it is, it’s not finished yet! The LORD arises to get the last word – not what destroys nor betrays you. For God to rise up, you must go down – humble yourself in His arm and wait for His grace. Until all heroes and highways are put away, God cannot arise as our Hero and Way. With nothing more you can do, God can now arise to do. Jesus, who lives in and through you, arises daily to show His unfading glory and work. Now will you arise with Him? – *How is the LORD arising to move in your life?
4. *How has your walk with the LORD been this past week? What areas of spiritual health have been nourished? What areas are still in need of growth that we can treat together with the Word and Spirit?

Life-Praying
Pray for one another. Give credit and glory to God for answered requests. Wait on the LORD for unanswered requests. Turn away from closed doors and where the Spirit prompts to go another way. Take a moment to invite the Holy Spirit to fill you, and pray for one another.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18)
…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7)