LIVE-IT-OUT GUIDE

PMC BIBLE MARATHON: SESSION 10

Sermon Recap & Discussion

Sermon Date: 22^nd July 2018

Text/s: Deuteronomy 20:10-20

Title: The Holy War

Speaker: Ps Lai Kai Ming

(The sermon recording and slides can be found on the PMC website and MyPMC App.)

A) Key Lessons

Was “Holy War” necessary for Israel?

It was necessary…

i. To judge the wickedness of the Canaanites and to purify the land.

ii. To protect Israel from being taught idolatry and other Canaanite “abominations”.

iii. To ensure Israel’s own security and survival.

The laws governing Israel’s warfare do not only reflect God’s wrath, but also His mercy.

Today, the holy war must be fought in the promise land of our hearts and minds.

Holy Warring in the Spirit

· Spend time in Personal Worship

· Confess to one person your greatest enemy within.

· Do something kind to someone who needs to experience kindness.

B) Key Application Questions

1) “Just as Israel needed God to fight for them, we need God to fight for us. No amount of willpower on our part alone can ensure victory. We need not willpower but firepower. Fire and power from above. To win the Holy War, we need the Holy Spirit.”

In your own life, how have you experienced this? In the week ahead, how can you deepen your reliance on the Holy Spirit in your fight against sin?

2) Currently, is there someone in your life that you practice making deep and specific confessions to? If not, how can you go about developing such a relationship with a fellow Christian?

3) “The Spirit can use our kind action to destroy the works of the enemy. Kindness is simply being sensitive to the needs of others.”

In the week ahead, what is one ‘need’ you can meet for someone else? Pray for God to reveal this to you and for His Spirit to strengthen your hands.

Digging Deeper into Scripture

Read Deuteronomy 20:1-20

1) Forced labour, plundering of cities and the complete destruction of entire people groups. Read out of context, many of these laws may seem brutal and offensive. How do the following verses help us to see God’s righteousness in the laws governing Israel’s warfare?

a) Deut 9:4-5, Gen 15:16-21

b) Deut 2:9-12, 19-23

c) Deut 5:17, 19:1-10

d) Deut 10:17-19, 21:10-14

e) Deut 4:5-8, 7:1-6

2) Consider Deut 20:1-9 and 20:19-20. These laws seem odd because they would disadvantage Israel in waging war. What then is the purpose behind these laws?

3) How are we meant to understand Deuteronomy 20 in light of the New Testament? What has changed and what remains the same? You may consider the following verses as a guide:

a) John 18:36

b) 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

c) Ephesians 6:10-12

MAIN IDEA: If possible, as a LG, draft a sentence that captures the main idea for Deuteronomy 20:1-20

APPLICATION: How can we live out Deuteronomy 20:1-20 in the coming week? How can we apply this Main Idea to our lives?