Bible Reading 3/18 - 3/25: Num 26:52 - Deut 4:49; Luke 3:1 - 7:10; Psalm 61:1 - 68:18; Prov 11:16-28
Review
This Great Salvation
God exists!
He is all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere.
He has revealed himself through his Word!
He has revealed himself supremely through Jesus!
God is awesome - Ex 19; Isa 6:1-4; Ezek 1; Dan 7:9-10; Rev 4:1-11
God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you!
This has always been God's plan - Acts 15:12-21; Acts 17:16-31
Relationship means relationship!
God doesn't want his awesomeness to be a barrier to relationship - Ex 20:18-20; Deut 18:15-19; Heb 12:18-29
New Material
Answer some of last week's discussion questions
Preparation
Main Passage
NIV
Hebrew Study Bible
KJV
The Message
NASB
RSV
Exegetical Idea
Subject
Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why
Complement
Developmental Questions
Explain It: What does this mean?
Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
Homiletical Idea
Purpose of the Sermon
Make it plain
Use accessible language and modern parables
Make sure people do something with the word God gives you for them.
This Great Salvation (continued)
God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you!
This has always been God's plan - Acts 15:12-21; Acts 17:16-31
Relationship means relationship!
God doesn't want his awesomeness to be a barrier to relationship - Ex 20:18-20; Deut 18:15-19; Heb 12:18-29
Lost Sheep; Lost Coin - Luke 15:1-10
What kind of relationship are we talking about?
People often see reality inaccurately
LIttle Joe escaping from Franklin Park Zoo
Catch the emotion being expressed:
The Heartbeats - "A Thousand Miles Away"
Shep & The Limelights - "Daddy's Home"
Jermaine Jackson - "Daddy's Home"
Clarence Carter - "Patches"
Daddy cares passionately about you!
Any lack you experience is due to circumstances beyond his control.
Whose Your Daddy!
People have various "daddy" experiences
We need to recognize what the Bible is describing
God is not a mean judge trying to catch you doing something wrong!
Dabney Coleman in "Cloak and Dagger"
Scene from "The Wire"
God is the real father
Earthly parents are given as pointers to our real Father!
Their strengths point to him by example
Their weaknesses point to him by contrast
Any deficits in your family background/experience were pre-approved by God.
The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32
Guess what I just found out about daddy!
He's alive!
He's back home!
He's rich!
There are no circumstances beyond his control!
He's giving me a house, a car, and a brand new job!
God wants the relationship to grow.
God wants you in the family business.
Your relationship with God must be on his terms!
God establishes the requirements
You must be born again.
Accept The Father's invitation - Mat 22:1-14
God establishes the benefits
Accept God's existence
Accept the God who is revealed through the Bible
Accept God's complete authority over our relationship with him.
Repenting - Luke 15:11-32
Letting go of our self-love (narcissism)
The Rich Fool - Luke 12:16-21
Common television sitcom fare
"The Office", "Friends", "Frasier", "I Love Lucy", "Home Improvement"
In God's eyes, we look like some of these sitcom characters
God considers this to be tragedy rather than comedy
The wedding planner who is focused on her own preferences
The gift-giver who really has himself/herself in mind
The man who buys his wife a set of power tools
Pleasing God becomes more important than pleasing ourselves
Luke 22:42; John 4:27-38; John 6:38;
It's possible for him to say "I never knew you"!
God's terms are: follow Jesus! - John 6:24-29
Jesus is the real deal!
Who's The Bride Groom? - John 2
Who's The King? - John 4:46-54
Who's The Real Healer? - John 5:1-14
Who's The Real Bread From Heaven? - John 6:1-15
Who Is The Living Water? - John 7:37-39
Who Gives Sight? - John 9
Who Gives Life? - John 11
Follow means follow!
Understand God by following Jesus
Relate to God by following Jesus
Follow Jesus as our only link to God - Acts 4:12
This is the meaning of "Christian"
He is the ultimate revelation of God - John 14:1-14; Col 1:15-20 ;Heb 1:1-3
Following him implies relationship
Looking to Jesus - John 6:35-40;
Like a school teacher who leaves no child behind.
The children must have a relationship with the teacher
Listening to his voice - John 10:14; John 10:27-29
Continuing in your faith - Col 1:9-23; Heb 12:3
Walking in the light - 1John 1:5 - 2:6
Exposing your actions
Exposing your thoughts
Exposing your motives
Submitting to authority
Whose party is it anyway? - Mat 28:18-20
Learning God's will - Eph 5:8-31
Getting to know God better. - John 17
Having specific expectations of God - Mat 9:18-26
Following Jesus means committing your resources - Mat 25:1-13
Following Jesus means learning the family business. - Mat 28:18-20
It's all about the relationship - Mat 7:7-28
Some embrace it - Mat 5:6; Mat 11:12;
"How can I be down?"
It's not about the cool/uncool Christians you meet.
It's not about the slick/wack worship service.
It's not about prosperity/poverty.
It's all about Jesus!
Others reject it.
Some refuse it.
Some use obedience to rules as a way of avoiding it. - John 5:39
Some use good works as a way of avoiding it.
Some abandon it.
If your hand offends you - Luke 9:43-48
Disqualified - 1Cor 9 (ref. Luke 12:48)
Impossible for the enlightened to return - Heb 6:1-20
Can you lose your salvation?
Can you divorce your husband/wife?
Can you abandon your children?
Can you turn your back on your parents?
Can you reject your friends?
Characteristics of those who embrace the relationship
gratitude - Luke 7:36-50
walking with God - Gen 5:18-24; Heb 11:5-6
love - Mat 25:31-46; John 13:34-35; 1John 3:18
obedience / faithfulness - Luke 12:35-48
expectation - Mat 9:18-26
you are vulnerable to disappointment if God doesn't come through
fruitfulness - Mat 7:15-20; Luke 13:6-9
What does it mean to be "saved?"
Key parables:
Jesus, Matthew, Jairus' daughter, bleeding woman - Mat 9:9-26
The Wedding Banquet - Mat 22:1-14
The Sheep and the Goats - Mat 25:31-46
The Two Debtors - Luke 7:36-50
The Watchful Servants - Luke 12:35-48
The Barren Fig Tree - Luke 13:6-9
The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32
Jesus' high priestly prayer - John 17
Are only a few people going to be saved? - Luke 13:22-30
Putting It Into Practice - How do I live out my relationship with God?
Read God's Word with the intention of understanding it and practicing it.
Pray with the intention of baring your heart to God and understanding his.
Prayer is not wishing - it's must be based in God's Word.
Pray - Father I want to lead others to spiritual maturity.
Experience God through fellowship with his children
Join the "family business" - expand the Kingdom
Reach out to others who will receive what you have
Don't try to use other good behaviors as substitutes for outreach.
Keep taking baby steps until you can take bigger steps.
Forget about yourself and give your life away
Overcome resistance to getting involved in other people’s lives.
Paratroopers have to overcome their fear of heights/falling
Swimmers have to overcome their fear of sinking/drowning.
Navy SEALS have to overcome fear of tied hands and feet.
Keep a notepad and pen so that you can stay in touch with the people you meet.
Let your relationship with God grow as you actively commune with him in new situations.
Spiritual growth is not about how "spiritually pretty" you can become.
Spiritual growth is about increasing your capacity to do God's will.
Keep your eyes on the Kingdom harvest prize.
Distinguish among (reference Doug's chaos code)
ministry prep
ministry - relationship building
ministry - no explicit evangelism
ministry - explicit evangelism
ministry - conversion
ministry - follow up
ministry - discipleship
Discussion Questions / Topics
Reflect on Acts 17:16-31
What does God want from the world we live in?
What did God want from you before you became a Christian?
Reflect on Luke 15:1-10
Does anyone celebrate when something good happens to you? Who?
Have you turned from your old way of life to follow Jesus? If so, what happened in heaven when you did? If not, what would happen in heaven if you did?
Reflect on Luke 15:11-32
Describe the best human relationship you currently have. What do you enjoy about this relationship. Are there any problems in this relationship?
What kind of relationship did you have with your father as you were growing up?
Does your father care about you? If so, how does he show it?
In what ways might God do even better than your best other relationships?
Reflect on Mat 22:1-14 (continued from last week)
Where do you see yourself in this parable?
Have you ever thought of salvation as an invitation to a wedding?
Have you ever explained salvation as an invitation to a wedding?
This Great Salvation (continued)
God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you!
What kind of relationship are we talking about?
Catch the emotion being expressed:
The Heartbeats - "A Thousand Miles Away"
Shep & The Limelights - "Daddy's Home"
Clarence Carter - "Patches"
Daddy cares passionately about you!
Any lack you experience is due to circumstances beyond his control.
Who's Your Daddy?
People have various "daddy" experiences
We need to recognize what the Bible is describing
God is not a mean judge trying to catch you doing something wrong!
Dabney Coleman in "Cloak and Dagger"
Scene from "The Wire"
God is the real father
Earthly parents are given as pointers to our real Father!
Their strengths point to him by example
Their weaknesses point to him by contrast
Any deficits in your family background/experience were pre-approved by God.
The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32
Guess what I just found out about daddy!
He's alive!
He's back home!
He's rich!
There are no circumstances beyond his control!
He's giving me a house, a car, and a brand new job!
God wants the relationship to grow.
God wants you in the family business.
Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings (repeated from last week)
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.
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.
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?
