Objectives
- To understand the essence of human existence.
- To learn how to apply the information in this chapter to help analyse pastoral care issues.
- To learn to design and develop pastoral plans based on the results of the analysis.
Case Study 1
Cain, after killing Abel, was cursed and developed persecution mania. Cain's solution was to build a city to protect himself and name it after his son Enoch. Cain probably wanted the city to continue protecting his son, even his descendants. This concept of his was indeed passed down, and many of his descendants became elites in various industries, each building their own city. As the number of cities increased, the problem of persecution mania among his descendants worsened. By the time of Lamech, the extent of the persecution mania was 10 times his. In between, his descendants had 2 times, 4 times, 6 times, and 8 times the paranoia. Eventually, these people all died. Coincidentally, there is also an Enoch in this chapter. One is Cain's son Enoch, and the other is Enoch who walked with God. These two Enochs have completely different destinies.
Discussion Questions for Case Study 1
- What kind of concept did Cain pass on to his descendants?
- What kind of concept did Enoch uphold?
- How can we, living in the present, walk with God like Enoch?
Summary of Case Study 1
- The worldly logic system, the concept of the strong protecting themselves, ultimately cannot solve the fundamental problems of people.
- People need to live a God-centered life.
- Our thoughts and intentions must be the same as God's; our understanding of life and death must be the same as God's; our views must be the same, and our actions must be the same.
- Build a glorious church for God.
Case Study 2
Years ago, Ningning developed persecution mania because of idol worship, often feeling that someone wanted to kill her. Her pastor often prayed with her at 2-3 am because the evil spirits often disturbed her at that time, and she was often very afraid and unable to sleep at this time. After a period of ministry, Ningning came out of this bondage, not only living a normal life, but also having her work blessed and living a relatively wealthy life because the evil spirits were cast out.
Ningning's pastor encouraged Ningning that since she had come out of bondage, she should also minister to those in need. At this point, Ningning had many concerns, If I also need to minister to people in need in the middle of the night, what should I do if I don't have energy at work the next day? What if I get fired by my boss because I don't have energy and can't do my job well? I used to have insomnia. What if my insomnia returns if I often stay up late to minister to others? Later, Ningning left the church because of these worries. Later, we learned that all of Ningning's problems had returned, and her life had returned to a very difficult situation. But her pastor continued to serve God wholeheartedly, diligently, and intentionally, and as a result, her health became better and better, she had more and more energy, and her finances became more and more blessed.
Case Study 2: Discussion Questions
Based on Genesis chapters 4 and 5, analyze what is Ningning's biggest problem?
If someone you are pastoring has the same problem as Ningning, how would you use the content of Genesis chapters 4 and 5 to teach such a person?
Case Study 2: Summary
The key to a good life lies in being blessed versus being cursed.
Living just to live, caring only for one's physical body, leads to living under a curse.
Caring about what God cares about, pleasing God, leads to being blessed.
Building God's glorious church.
Case Study 3
Ningning's good friend, Xixi, entered the church at the same time as Ningning. Both were under deep oppression when they first joined the church. Xixi not only had a family history of sudden heart disease and blood disorders, but also frequently suffered from emotional breakdowns and was disturbed and distressed by evil spirits.
However, Xixi's attitude towards serving was completely different from Ningning's. Even before being completely delivered, Xixi resolutely served a mentally ill patient who had just come to the church. She rushed to the church immediately after work, spending two hours each day on the road. She often had to answer the patient's calls at 2-3 a.m., and then wake up early the next day to go to work. This service lasted for more than three months, and eventually, under Xixi's care, the mentally ill patient returned to normal.
During Xixi's service, many colleagues were laid off from work and were unemployed at home. However, Xixi, because of the layoffs, got a better job than before. Not only was she increasingly blessed financially, but she also received great deliverance in the process of serving, her heart disease was healed, and she recovered a lot emotionally and physically.
Case Study 3: Questions
One is Ningning, who avoids serving at a cost even after being delivered from oppression herself, and the other is Xixi, who continues to serve those in need even while under oppression. How would you evaluate these two people, and what are the differences in their values?
From the above case, do you have a deeper understanding of walking with God? For us today, what does it mean to walk with God?
Through the revelation brought about by Xixi's case, how do you plan to serve those who are under oppression?
Case Study 3: Summary
One is centered on oneself, the other is centered on serving God.
Walking with God today means pleasing God, and God's greatest desire today is to build a victorious and glorious church.
Many people's problems stem from being self-centered; the best deliverance is to push people into serving.