Resurrection (Part 1)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday November 12, 2006

© 2006 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

http://www.LifeChurchMinistries.org/

 
V Introduction
* Bible Reading 11/05 - 11/11: Ezek 12 - 23; Heb 7 - 10; Psalm 105:37 - 109:31; Prov 27:3-13
> Review
V New Material
> Preparation
V Lift Up Your Eyes (Continued)
* Jesus is the Center
V How can I be more effective in gathering the harvest? (continued)
* Get properly motivated
* Seize Kingdom opportunities
* Rely on God's Power
V Get properly motivated
* Warnings are for believers
V God wants all men to come to be saved - 1Tim 2:1-4
* We want to live peaceful and quiet lives
* Recent events seem to threaten to hinder our witness
* Where sin increased grace increased all the more
V Why does the gay marriage issue matter?
* Because it makes it easier for people to live in bondage.
* People in bondage try to make scripture conform to their experience.
* We are called to make our experience conform to scripture.
V We must obediently recognize Kingdom opportunities and use them to produce Kingdom results - discipled lives
V Accept no excuses for withholding the gospel from people.
* It's more important for others to embrace Jesus than it is for us to experience maximized fulfillment in interacting with them.
* We work the harvest fields and we get to consume some of the crop. In other words, some of the people we win will become especially dear friends, but not all of them.
* Use "stranger evangelism" to practice for "relational evangelism".
V Recognize the kinds of interactions with unbelievers that keep happening to you.
* "People always seem to want to talk to me about . . ."
* Learn fruitful ways of responding to questions or statements that you frequently encounter.
V Choose responses that invite people to relationship and community rather than responses that win arguments.
* "Would you like to meet some people who've dealt with the question you're asking?"
* "Would you like to see how some of us handle that situation?"
* "If you knew what God was really like you'd want me to pray for you."
V When you pray - violate their expectations
* Don't be long-winded!
* Don't be religious!
* Pray simply!
V Rely On God's Power
V Kingdom of God come with power - Mat 16:28
* Power - Pentecost Sunday
* power to make disciples
* You already have what you need - like the scarecrow, lion, and tin man
* God's power is for getting his work done - not building private empires.
V God's power is resurrection power
* Incomparably great power for us - Eph 1:15-23
* Press On - Philip 3:1-16
* A better resurrection - Heb 11:32-40
* Treasure In Jars of Clay - 2Cor 4:7-12
* God's power is made perfect in our weakness - 2Cor 12:9
V The Result Of Fruitfulness
* Pruning - John 15:1-9
* Reward - 1Cor 3:10-15
* Crown - 1Cor 9:25; 2Tim 4:8; James 1:12; 1Pet 5:4; Rev 2:10
V Resurrection
V God Tests Abraham - Gen 22:1-19; Heb 11:17-19
* Takes place after Hagar and Ishmael have been sent away
* The test comes from God both in timing and content.
* The test requires total irrevocable sacrifice
* Abraham got up early to obey
V Abraham sees the goal on the third day
* three days to wonder what the outcome was going to be
V Final leg of the journey
V Leaves servants and the donkey behind
* There is a point past which only you and your sacrifice can go.
V Faith Statements:
* We will worship and then we will come back to you.
* God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.
V Isaac carries the wood.
* Jesus had to carry the cross.
* Abraham carries the fire and the knife.
V Abraham prepares to sacrifice
* builds an altar
* arranges the wood
V binds Isaac and places him on the wood
* Jesus was bound to the cross.
* takes the knife
V God intervenes.
* commends Abraham
* provides a ram in place of Isaac
* promises future fruitfulness
V Lesson
* Every gift/dream must be offered back to God at a time of his choosing.
V Aaron's Staff - Num 17:1-11
V Lesson
* Resurrection happens in God's presence.
* Resurrection demonstrates God's choice.
V Job
* Initial State - Job 1:1-5
* Death Blow - Job 1:6 - 2:10
* God's Statement - Job 38-41
* Death of the Dream - Job 42:1-6
* Final State - Job 42:10-17
V Lesson
* Your trial has unseen participants. - Eph 3:7-11; 1Pet 1:10-12
* God can do whatever he wants to do!
V Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead - John 11
* Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
* Lazarus gets sick
* His sisters send word to Jesus
* Jesus takes no immediate action
* Lazarus dies
* Martha and Mary confront Jesus
* Jesus responds by reminding them of who he is
* Jesus weeps.
* Jesus orders the stone removed
* Jesus calls Lazarus
V Lesson
* Resurrection is for God's glory.
* Resurrection has to wait until Jesus shows up.
* You have to remove the stone.
V Jesus in Gethsemane - Mat 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46
V Lesson
* God doesn't require anything of us that he isn't willing to undergo himself.
V Discussion Questions / Topics
V Reflect on John 15:1-9
* Describe the last fruitful period that you remember in your life.
* Have you ever been "pruned"? In what ways?
V Reflect on Gen 22:1-19; Heb 11:17-19
* Has God ever called you to sacrifice something that he promised you?
* Has God ever called you to sacrifice any of your dreams?
* Abraham got up early in the morning to sacrifice Isaac. How about you?
* Has God ever resurrected a dream of yours after you gave it up?
V Reflect on Job 1-3, 38-42
* Have you ever suffered a great loss? What happened?
* How would you feel about God showing you off to Satan?
* In his grief, Job cursed the day he was born. Can you relate to his feelings? Why or why not?
* Does God's statement provide Job with any answers to his suffering?
* Can you relate to Job's response to God? Why or why not?
V Reflect on Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:1-4 (repeated from last week)
* What do these scriptures teach us about Jesus' role in the creation and running of the universe?
* What do these scriptures teach us about Jesus' role in God's Kingdom?
* How do these scriptures affect your understanding of who Jesus is?
* How has your understanding of Jesus changed over time?
V Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings (repeated from last week)
V Review the current prayer partnerships in your life group.
* Make sure that everyone has someone to pray with on a weekly basis.
* These can be long-term assignments or your can rotate them.
* If you rotate them, the assignments should last at least one month.
V Review the list of people you are praying for in your life group.
* Make sure that everyone knows who to pray for and how to pray for them.
* Make sure that the people who need salvation are getting prayed for every day by the members of the group.
V Review each person on the list of people you are reaching out to.
* Has anyone invited him/her to lunch/dinner or some other informal activity along with at least one other life group member?
* Has anyone invited him/her to a life group fun event?
* Has anyone invited him/her to a life group meeting?
* Has anyone invited him/her to a Sunday service?