The glory of the old way of doing church is fading
Old covenant has fading glory - 2Cor 3:1-18
New covenant - Jer 31:31-34
Apostles carve out new territory in existing systems and structures. They articulate the needed changes whenever the old system conflicts with the new one.
The gift is for everyone - Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:1-32
New Material
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.
Following Jesus (continued)
Misc
How do I follow Jesus? (continued)
What does it take to keep Jesus on the "throne"? (continued)
Being in his presence (continued)
Jesus makes it possible for us to enter the Father's presence
Old Covenant - Heb 9:1-10
New Covenant - Heb 9:11-28
Approach the throne - Heb 4:14-16; Heb 10:19-22; 1Pet 2:4-5
Knowing God
Boast about knowing the Lord - Jer 9:23-24; 1Cor 1:31; 2Cor 10:17
"They will all know me" - Heb 8:1-13
Spectators don't know or understand the Lord.
Walking with God - Gen 5:18-24; Heb 11:5-6
Faith - Heb 11:1; Mark 11
Believe and act on what God says - Gen 12 - 15
Talk and act like a son/daughter
Sonship first - then brotherhood
Expectation - Mat 9:18-26
you are vulnerable to God disappointing you
Obedience / faithfulness - Luke 12:35-48
Become like little children - Mat 11:25; Mat 18:1-6; Mat 19:13-15
New Babies
breathe and cry right away.
hear from their parents right away.
Newborn Christians - 2Pet 2
should start praying right away.
should expect for God to talk to them right away.
should start reading God's Word right away
Some abandon salvation.
No one can snatch them out of my hand - John 10:27-30
If your hand offends you - Mat 5:27-30
Disqualified - 1Cor 9:24 - 1Cor 10:13 (ref. Luke 12:48)
Impossible for the enlightened to return - Heb 6:1-12
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?
Spiritual Maturity - Heb 6:1-12
Following Jesus Leads to Spiritual Maturity
Accountability
Stability
Taking Responsibility For Your Own Growth
Taking Responsibility for Ministry
Reproducing Yourself
Obstacles to Spiritual Maturity
Focusing on life's worries, riches, and pleasures - Luke 8:4-15
Failure to focus on the things of the Spirit - 1Cor 2:6-12; Col 3:1-10
Misunderstanding what spiritual maturity is
Spiritual maturity is not sinlessness
Spiritual maturity is a lifestyle of effective engagement (i.e. engagement that produces real results).
Spiritual Consumerism
Accountability / Holiness
To God - Blamelessness (not sinlessness) - Gen 6:9; Gen 17:1
To other believers
Walking in the light - 1John 1:5 - 2:6
Exposing your actions
Exposing your thoughts
Exposing your motives
Consistent availability - Heb 13:7, 17
Sunday service PLUS life group
Not - one church for Sunday and another for life group
You should develop intimate friendships and accountability with the same people you fellowship with on Sunday.
Stability - Eph 4:10-17; James 1:2-4
Taking Responsibility For Your Own Growth - Philip 3:1-15; Heb 5:11-14
Learning lifestyle vs. Entertainment lifestyle
Fight until the fight becomes automatic. Wounded people are not always able to fight, but once they experience healing they must learn to do the fighting that they’ve been avoiding and keep fighting until they automatically hold their ground.
Dramatize the “impossible switch” (ref Staples Easy Button)
Sabbath discipline - prioritizing the Lord
Taking responsibility for ministry - Mat 6:33; Luke 9:23-25; Rom 12:3-8
Pleasing God must be more important than pleasing ourselves
Luke 22:42; John 4:27-38; John 6:38;
Your actions and words should build up others - Eph 4:29; 1Pet 4:11
The New Testament writers weren't trying to write "scripture".
They were trying to serve other believers.
In doing so they produced scripture - 2Pet 3:15-16
Your life should produce "scripture"
Charles's recollection at the retreat
My own frequent sharing of things Bishop said to me
"I trust you with souls"
Taking Responsibility For Reproducing yourself
Fruitfulness - Mat 7:15-20; Luke 13:6-9; John 15:1-8
God has promised you spiritual offspring
Pray - Father I want to lead others to spiritual maturity.
Define evangelism, followup, discipleship
Work in the vineyard
Require maturity from individuals in the congregation.
Three Phases
Developing godly habits
Turning godly habits into skills
Combining godly habits and skills into your ministry
Have you made the “maturity decision” yet?
Godly Habits Of Highly Effective Believers
Relating to God - Prayer
Talking with God - Jer 29:11-14; 2Cor 3; 1Pet 1:17
Hearing from God boosts assurance of salvation
Get started
God wants to speak to you.
God is able to speak to you.
God is able to make you confident that you've heard from him.
Trust him to do this as you approach him.
Say "Speak Lord - your servant is listening" - 1Sam 3:1-18
Start with praise and thanksgiving (use Psalms as a guide).
Take time to listen.
Write down the thoughts that come to you.
God wants to meet your needs
Children use their parents' resources.
We get to use God's resources.
Keep borrowing God's car and he'll give you one of your own.
Life is God's training program for you.
God wants to share the universe with you.
Apostles make plans with God's resources in mind.
Sometimes God wants us to narrow down the possibilities before we come to him for guidance. Make a list of alternatives with pros and cons. Propose the best solutions to God while allowing him to completely override your selection. God requires that we avoid laziness and inertia in the process of hearing from him.
Warn about saying "I hope" during prayer.
Relating to God - Worship
Gratitude - Luke 7:36-50
Love for God - 1Pet 1:8-9;
Relating to God - Learning and Doing His Word
No flying "by the seat of your pants"
Discipline your though life according to God's Word - Rom 12:2
The Bible
Discuss origins, translation, etc.
Discuss inspiration - plenary, verbal, etc.
Discuss versions, translations, paraphrases, etc.
Relating to Believers - Fellowship
Love for others - Mat 25:31-46; John 13:34-35; 1John 3:18
Sunday service is like Thanksgiving - we should all be together.
Holiness
Relating to Believers - Discipleship
Relational Evangelism Quiz - grade yourself - inviting people to church - inviting people to your life group - winning people on your own - connecting believers you know to an unbeliever you know
Followup
CPR - seconds count - Followup
The Life Church way is one on one
Illustrate demonic opposition to followup / discipleship and how prayer counteracts this opposition.
Discipleship is not a curriculum - it’s a lifestyle.
How many people wish they had someone to disciple them? Provide a solution.
Have I been discipled? How do I know when the job is done? What does discipleship look like?
Relating to Believers - Service
Relating to Unbelievers - Caring
Relating to Unbelievers - Service
Relating to Unbelievers - Evangelism
4 P's
Purpose
Position
Plan
Partner
Relating to My Community - Service
Service
Increase your capacity to serve
Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)
Group A:
Heb 9:1-10
Have you ever felt guilty after doing something wrong?
How have you dealt with guilt in the past? Did it work?
What does this passage teach you about your guilt?
Group B:
Heb 9:11-28
Can Jesus take away your sins?
Do you believe there is any other way to take away your sins? How does what you believe line up with this passage?
Have you allowed Jesus to take away your sins? If not, why not?
Do you feel guilty now? If so, what are you going to do about it?
Group C:
Heb 4:14-16; Heb 10:19-22; 1Pet 2:4-5
Does Jesus understand your weaknesses?
What do we receive by approaching the throne of grace? How do these two things help us with our weaknesses?
Have often have you approached the throne of grace this week? How did God's mercy and grace help you?
Are there any habits that you need to develop in this area?
Group D:
Heb 8:1-13; Jer 9:23-24; Mat 6:25-34
Have you ever been a spectator when it comes to the things of God?
What does knowing and understanding the Lord mean in your own life?
Can you understand the Lord without getting involved in what he does?
What is God trying to accomplish in your life group?
What is he trying to accomplish in your family?
What is he trying to accomplish among the people you spend time with?
Works Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings
Understand the "Natural Man", "Spiritual Man", and "Carnal Man".
Reflect on 1Cor 2:1-16; 1Cor 3:1-4; Gal 5:19-24; Philip 3:17-19
Choose one of your life group members who attended our May retreat to present the "Natural Man" / "Spiritual Man" / "Carnal Man" diagram.
The other members should discuss the diagram and practice drawing it.
Mini-Quiz:
Give yourself a grade from 0 - 100 in each of the following areas:
Inviting people to church
Inviting people to your life group
Winning people to Jesus Christ on your own
Connecting believers you know to an unbeliever you know
Types of Unbelievers
Type A - will visit your church or your life group
Type B - won't visit your church or your life group, but respects you and will spend time with you
Type C - won't visit your church and is not yet open to you
List the unsaved people you know and classify them as Type A, B, or C
Record their names in your Life Group Prayer Journal.
Plan activities to which you can invite them.
Make plans to connect them to some of the believers you know (especially believers in your life group).
