twelve unlikely heroes study guide

Tw e lv e Un l i k e l y

Heroes Th e ST U d y G U i d e

12 Unlikely Heros SG.indd 1 7/10/12 7:21 AM

Tw e l v e Un l i k e l y

heroeS Th e ST U d y GU i d e

How God Com m ission e d U n e x peCt e d peopl e in t he Bi Bl e a nd

w H at H e wa n ts to do w i t h YoU

John M ac a r T h U r


© 2012 by John macarthur

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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,

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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. . . . . . . . 1

2. Joseph: Because God meant it for Good . . . . . . . . 8

3. miriam: the leading lady of the exodus . . . . . . . 16

4. Gideon and samson: stories of weakness and strength . . 24

5. Jonathan: the man who would (not) Be King . . . . 32

6. Jonah: the world’s Greatest Fish story . . . . . . . . . 40

7. esther: For such a time as this . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

8. John the Baptist: the true meaning of Greatness . . . . 56

9. James: the Brother of our lord . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

10. mark and onesimus: a tale of two Runaways . . . . . 72

leader’s Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79


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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 leg-acy 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 men-tions of his name in 1 Chronicles 1:3 and luke 3:37). nonetheless,


Twelve Unlikely heroeS: The STUdy GUide

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there is plenty of information given about him to include his amaz-ing history in a book of heroes. only eight verses in scripture provide us with the details, but even with those limits, we encoun-ter 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?


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enoch

RetHinK

enoch’s world looked very different than ours does today. But the culture in which he lived was the same—characterized by compre-hensive 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 cor-ruption of his culture and walked with God for three centuries.

enoch’s faithfulness was an effective inf luence 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?



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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.


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enoch

enoch was a man who understood his own unworthiness and the need for a proper sacrifice. enoch understood he was an un-deserving 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?

Because of His infinite love, God is a lavish rewarder of those who put their faith in Him. as paul told the ephesians, “Blessed be the God and Father of our lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (ephesians 1:3). He grants sinners forgiveness, clothes them in His righteousness, and creates in them a new heart. God turns former rebels into His children, giving them His spirit, His blessings, and the promise of eternal life.

enoch put his confidence in God’s character and trusted God’s will for his life. He obeyed God’s commands and believed His promises. How does God’s word provide direction for your life?



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are you walking according to God’s will? explain your response.

one of the primary evidences of genuine salvation is a sincere desire, on the part of the converted, to know God intimately and obey Him fully. For this to happen, the believer must be purpose-ful and focused. this is an intentional and passionate pursuit. like believers in Bible times, all Christians are called to walk in obedi-ence, truth, and godliness. of course, everything in society fights that effort. secular culture is only getting worse; and the church, in many cases, has grown weak and shallow. the temptation to compromise and sin is immense and relentless.

How does your everyday life reflect the reality of your love for God?

what is your daily routine for growing in your knowledge and understanding of God and His word? is it producing the desired results? why or why not?


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enoch

ReaCt

though we might not escape death in this life (unless we are alive when the lord calls the church at the Rapture), we possess the same hope enoch had. as those who have put our faith in Jesus Christ, walking with Him in full forgiveness and intimate fellow-ship, we can rest assured that we have received eternal life.

Review enoch’s life. How does your relationship with God compare to his?

what can you do this week to deepen your walk with the lord?

what priorities need to be rearranged so you can better focus on your daily walk with God?

enoch’s walk with God did not end when he stepped into heaven. it became perfect! so will ours. For eternity, we will enjoy glorious fellowship with our lord and savior, as we worship and serve in the infinite wonder of His matchless presence.


twelve unlikely heroes study guide

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