STUDY GROUP QUESTIONS (22nd – 28th JANUARY 2024)

WHAT IS IN A NEW YEAR- END OF YEAR SERVICE 2023

1. Explain the text Ephesians 5: 15-17 as explained in this teaching.

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Eph 5:16 Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil.

The word walk is from the Greek word Peripateo, which means to conduct yourself in a manner.
The word fool is from the Greek word Asophos, which is to be without wisdom, it is the opposite
of being wise. The word redeem is the same word used for redeeming us from sin, the Greek
word is Exagorazo, it means to buy it up, to save it, to make the best use of time. Spirituality
forbid wasting time, wasting time is a proof of carnality, i must watch how you use time
The word evil doesn’t mean they are bad, it doesn’t necessarily mean bad, it means many times
as unstable.

Luk 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

The word evil means unstable and it is from the Old Testament texts. You are frail, you can’t be
relied upon because you are human.

It means the days are unpredictable, so if they are unpredictable, you do not act like you have it
in your hands which means you must save it, you must use it well, keep it.

The days are not bad, but the days are not the same, days change, the days are not so stable.

Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

He uses the word times, opportunities, the opportunities don't always come, as a believer i should
know how to save opportunities.

The word time is the word chairos.

God’s plan requires me to have a sense of urgency about time. I shouldn’t even think I have time
to preach the gospel.

In the days of the apostles there was an urgency to preaching the gospel, scientifically, it is
believed that their known world as of then, they were able to reach it, because they never felt
someone else will do the job.

I don’t have time; it is not in my hands. So, I use time wisely.

2. Explain Genesis 1:1-3, Genesis 6:7, Genesis 8:4, 21-22 and Genesis 9:16. How do these
texts relate with one another?

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The word beginning doesn’t mean before time began or a dateless time, it just means how God
does things.

The word heaven in Genesis 1:1 is plural.

The first situation in the earth in verse 2, was called without form and void, it is the Greek word

Things were out of order, but God did not put it in order by his Spirit, he said in verse 3 let there
be light.

And this light is joy, sun, moon, and stars, light in scripture shows us God’s plan, it is not sun,
moon, and stars.

The sun, moon, and stars show up in verse 14-16.

The first day in scripture can’t be a Monday or a Tuesday since the sun moon and stars didn’t
show up until verse 14-15.

God put things in order in verse 3, but saying let there be light and there was light.

Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening
and the morning were the first day.

The darkness was there already, the darkness was confusion out of purpose.

Within the frame of time, we must know that we are going to engage day and night, which means
God’s light and confusion is part of time.

The time in Genesis 1:1-5 is not the 365days.

Creation in the Bible is not bringing something out of nothing, it is to give something its
purpose.

God separated it, he separated the water, all that in Genesis 1, he began to reorder things, he put
them in order. So, if I read Genesis 1, I am not reading the creation story of the material world, I
am reading God defining the purpose of the earth.

The purpose of the earth is defined by his light, he is the light of the world, we do not know the
purpose outside of him, it is by him we have direction. And as believers, our worldview is a bible
worldview, the way we see the year must come through the lenses of scripture.
Something similar to Genesis 1 and 2, now happened in genesis 6.

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:6 And it repented
the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Gen 6:7 And
the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man,
and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have
made them. Gen 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Gen 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. Gen
6:12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted
his way upon the earth.

We find the same status of confusion in Genesis 6.

In Genesis 7, after God told Noah to build the ark, the ark there is a temple, it is not a boat not
ship, it is a temple.

Gen 7:17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up
the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. Gen 7:18 And the waters prevailed, and were
increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

The ark is a temple, where the spirit of God is, on the face of the waters, which means we have a
new beginning.

Gen 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon
the mountains of Ararat.

The word rested is similar to the word in Genesis 2:3.

God had seen what had happened, God method is man, God found Noah, the earth was going to
go down, but Noah found grace.

Gen 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of
every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a
sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for
man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again
smite any more everything living, as I have done. Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth,
seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not
cease.

There was a reset on the earth, and things went back to Genesis status.

The sweet-smelling savor isn’t literal.

God says man will make error he is going to sin, which means there would be evil in the earth,
but God said I will not again smite the earth, because of evil. People usually assume evil will end
the earth, no it won’t, God already said it won’t, no amount of evil, corruption, or anything will
end the earth, no that’s never going to happen.

God said the earth will no longer be destroyed in accordance with man's actions.

Gen 9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the
everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

God is saying I will not destroy the earth, in proper Hebrew language God is saying I will not
allow the earth to be destroyed because of man’s sin.

3. A friend of yours has explained Genesis 8:21-22 as a text to be used for offering. Correct
his thinking while explaining to him what it means.

Gen 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of
every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not
again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil
from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done.
Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer
and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Genesis 8:22 isn’t for offering at all, God is only saying now I am going to have to bear with
man’s sins, evil.

Just like Matthew 19.

Mat 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful
for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Mat 19:4 And he answered and said unto
them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and
female, Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall
cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Mat 19:6 Wherefore they are no more
twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

In the word of God, we would find God’s long suffering in our incapacity, in our weakness, this
is not the ideal, but God said I will walk with it, he bears with.
That’s what Peter was saying that we know the long suffering of our is salvation, where the
perfect God has to walk with imperfections, the God of no time, has to walk with them, the God
who is all God has to bear and walk with it.

So, Genesis 8:22 says as long as the earth remains nothing will be constant outside God’s love,
human beings will be constant, things will change.

God didn’t destroy evil, because no one will remain if he does, rather he took the better option to
walk with and he is glorified.

It says day and night will not cease, time and season will not cease.

The day of the Lord, the time of the Lord is usually when he intervenes in judgment, but he
would never destroy the earth, because he has given an everlasting covenant.

No amount of wars can destroy the earth, the earth is the Lord and its fullness thereof.

4. List 10 things you learned from this teaching.

1. I learnt I am to use whatever period I have to fulfill God’s plan.

2. I learnt that people will do unstable things, because of man’s instability we are going to
have times and seasons.
3. I learnt that I must clean my tears and continue, to get things done and not waste time.
4. I learnt that i must put diligence, seriousness, effort, prayer, punctuality, effectiveness,
more knowledge,and building relationships well into my time
5. I learnt that human beings will change, disappointments will always come. I must Learn
to be led by the spirit of God.
6. I learnt that I must never be hopeless.
7. I learnt that i should never be carried away with the seasons
8. I learnt that i must know how use time well
9. I learnt that I must learn to finish things and stay with my convictions till they are
fulfilled.
10. I learnt that I must plan, build, and be patient with my time.