REALLIFE STUDY GROUP
“Lift Up”
ICEBREAKER: Name an uplifting song that you enjoy
listening to when you are down.
CONFESSION: My God is the glory and
the lifter of my head!!!
·
Just
like God lifted Abraham out of a lineage of idolatry He is lifting me out of
the idolatry of a hedonistic culture.
·
Just
like God lifted Joseph out of the pit He is lifting me out of the pits, the
traps and the snares of life.
·
Just
like God lifted Moses out of scores of impossible situations He is lifting me
out of the cesspool of impossibility thinking.
·
Just
like God lifted Daniel out of the lion’s den He is lifting me out of the
devouring den of poverty, sickness, sin, pain, and disappointment.
·
Just
like God lifted three Hebrew boys out of a fiery furnace He is lifting me out
of the fiery flames of persecution, accusation and aggression.
·
Just
like God lifted David out of the grip of depression, drought, defeat, debt,
doubt and death He is lifting me out of the stronghold of the enemy.
·
Just
like God lifted Noah in the ark out of the floods of devastation He is lifting
me out of the floods of oppression and fear.
·
Just
like God lifted Jonah by a great fish out of a stormy, watery grave He is
lifting me out of the overwhelming circumstances and situations in life.
·
Just
like God lifted Esther out of the stigma of captivity into the King’s palace He
is lifting me out of the personal constraints that try to restrain my destiny.
·
Just
like God lifted Paul out of a shipwreck He is lifting me out of the wreckage of
past failures, shame and guilt.
·
Just
like God lifted Jesus out of death, Hell and the grave He is lifting me up with
Him into heavenly places where I am seated at His right hand.
DEFINITION: LIFT UP
1.
Lifting
up refers to the act of intercession
2.
Lifting
up often implies the act of complete surrender
Lifting up hands is a sign
of surrender
3.
Lifting
up involves the process of breaking down for the purpose of building up
(example: lifting weights)
4.
Lifting
up speaks of gaining the advantage over one’s enemy.
2 Samuel
22:49 And
that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them
that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
Psalm 30:1 I will extol thee, O LORD
for thou hast lifted me up, and hast
not made my foes to rejoice over me.
5.
Lifting
up sometimes refers to seeing from a different perspective, as in lifting up your
eyes
Seeing from the eternal rather than the temporal
Seeing from the mountain top rather than the valley
low point
Seeing from the perception of what should be rather
than what is
6.
Lifting
up can reference resurrection and healing
Acts 9:41 And he gave her [his] hand
and lifted her up and when he had
called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
Mark 1:31 And he came and took her by
the hand, and lifted her up; and
immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
7.
Lifting
up by the Holy Spirit can speak of being caught up by the Spirit in a vision or
into the realm of the Spirit
Ezekiel 8:3 And he put forth the form
of a hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought
me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where [was] the seat of the image
of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
OUTLINE: WHAT ARE WE CALLED TO LIFT UP?
1.
EYES: Our Vision, Perceptions
(Psalm 121:1; Psalm 123:1)
2.
HEAD: Our Body’s Hard Drive;
the access point where all the natural information is processed (Psalm 24:7-10;
Luke 21:28)
3.
HEARTS: The Seat of Affection,
Desire, Understanding (Lamentations 3:41)
4.
SOUL: Mind, Will Emotions
(Psalm 86:4)
5.
FACE: The Symbol of our
Identity; the billboard where we advertise our attitudes; the mirror where we
reflect our influences (Job 22:26)
6.
HANDS: Our Weapons we use to
defend ourselves; the instruments we use to give and receive (Psalm 63:4; Psalm
134:2; 1 Timothy 2:8)
7.
VOICE: The Womb where we give
birth to creative ideas, concepts and insights (2 Chronicles 5:13)
TEXT: Job 22:21-30
STUDY GROUP QUESTIONS:
1.
Job
said, “When they make you low, you will say, ‘there is a lifting up.’” Why is it so important to speak positive,
uplifting words?
2.
As
a group, find the promises or blessings that are in this passage when we obey.
3.
What
are the commands listed in Job 22:21-30
4.
When
we lift up our eyes, we are looking to the Lord to help us change our
perceptions. Name a perception that
needs to changed in our society.
5.
The
Bible says to lift up our face. If our
face is the billboard where we advertise our attitudes, what would your
countenance have told people today?
6.
Tell
us one thing you do to build yourself up when you feel beat up by life.
PRAISE & PRAYER REQUESTS:
ACTION POINT: This week I have a burden to pray for
__________.