Last Sunday we looked at the parable of the wicked tenants in Luke 20 and saw how you can’t play the game we call life and avoid dealing with Jesus. Matthew ended the sermon with two application questions to consider:
1) Is there any area of your life that you haven’t submitted to the authority of Jesus? Why or why not?
2) Is Jesus Christ the cornerstone of your relationship with God? How can you tell?
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On Sunday, we resumed our study of the Gospel of Luke, considering Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem in Luke 19:28-40. We reflected on Jesus as a King with Perfect Knowledge, Who Presents Himself as the Messiah, and Who Evokes Worship.
- How does God’s perfect knowledge (omniscience) affect the way you walk before Him? Alarm or Comfort? Consider Peter’s response in Luke 5:8 and David’s reflections in Psalm 139.
- Zechariah’s messianic prophesy (9:9-10) calls for great rejoicing and loud shouting. Jesus declares that if his disciples are silent, “the very stones will cry out!” How does the design of the universe that Christ will be praised, affect the way we live every day?
As part of Sunday’s “send out” meeting for the Charlottesville church plant, Keith Breault preached about our call to “Go” from the Great Commission in Matthew 28. Keith reminded us that Jesus is the ruler and king of all creation, whether someone is a believer or not. As the sovereign Lord, even sickness & disease flee when Jesus speaks. So Jesus’ call to “Go!” represents both a command and a commission. We go under the deputized authority of the One Who has all authority!
- How does Jesus authority change the way you live?
- Keith said, “Going does mean changing zip codes. It means looking with eyes that recognize and respond to what God is doing.” How are you responding to His command to “Go”?
Sunday’s message was entitled “Practicing Forgiveness” from Ephesians 4:25-32. Gene shared that since we all inevitably will experience relational conflict, forgiveness is an absolutely necessary skill, and one in which we can follow our Savior’s example.
- What have you learned about forgiveness from the way God has forgiven you?
- How does Jesus describe our predisposition to forgive in Luke 17:3-5? Why does that require faith? What is your predisposition when offended?
- What are some ways individuals & churches can grow in forgiveness? (Overlooking personal offenses, having a forgiving spirit when approaching conflict, etc)
This past Sunday, Gary Thomas spoke from Micah 6:8 on “What You Need Most.” Here are some questions to help us respond to his message:
- How do you perceive your need for God’s mercy? How does He show you mercy on a daily basis?
- Gary said “We are called to ‘fall in love’ with God’s mercy. What does that mean in our relationship with God? With others?
- What opportunities do you have today to extend the mercy you’ve been given?
Last Sunday, I preached on the parable of the unforgiving servant from Matt. 18:21-35, exploring what gets in the way of practicing the costly forgiveness Gene spoke on the week before. We saw how Jesus helped Peter understand that he who knows he is forgiven much will forgive much, but he who forgets he is forgiven much, forgives little. The primary roadblock to biblical forgiveness is a self-righteous heart that minimizes the extent of our moral indebtedness to God and exaggerates our ability to pay Him back. Bitterness (the opposite of forgiveness) grows in the soil of self-righteousness. Only by remembering the great chasm between our sinfulness and God’s holiness, and rejoicing that Jesus Christ has completely paid ALL our debt, can we maintain the humble gratitude necessary for forgiving others the debts they owe us. Here are a couple application questions to consider:
- Am I grateful for the gospel? Not cognitively. Not theoretically. In the depth of my heart, is gratitude for what Jesus has done for you through his death and resurrection alive and growing?
- Do you think of yourself primarily as someone who owes God a great debt (that has been forgiven in full!) or as someone who is owed a debt by others? Which is larger in your eyes - your debts or your debtors?
- Where in your circle of relationships do you see evidence of self-righteousness? Do you have a relationship where bitterness has taken hold as a result? What’s your next step in humbling yourself and pursuing reconciliation?
Gary Thomas just completed an interview for Focus on the Family on his book, Sacred Marriage. If you’d like a preview of next weekend’s conference, follow this link: Gary Thomas Interview. There’s still time to register for the marriage conference at Sacred Marriage.
On Sunday, we began a series called “Forgiven” with a message from Colossians 3:12-13 entitled “Costly Forgiveness.” Our premise is that nothing is more glorifying to God than Christians forgiving others as God has forgiven us. We provided three reasons for the question, “Why should I forgive?”: Because I’ve been forgiven, God commands me to forgive, and God empowers me to forgive.We also reviewed the Four Promises of Forgiveness from The Peacemaker:
- I will not dwell on this incident
- I will not bring it up again or use it against you
- I will not talk to others about it
- I will not allow it to hinder our relationship
- How do you view God’s forgiveness? Free, full, and eternal or hard, partial and conditional?
- Ken Sande wrote, “When I have a hard time forgiving, almost always because forgotten the Gospel.” Reflect on that statement in light of your own experiences. Do the biggest hindrances to forgiveness relate to the Gospel?
- Who is God calling you to ask or extend forgiveness to?
Sunday’s meeting provided an overview of three days of mediation and a picture of God’s kindness to bring reconciliation out of conflict. As Paul Cornwell says, “Peace has everything to do with representing Christ in the world.” Here are three questions to discover if we are glorifying God in the midst of conflict:
Am I Trusting Him?
- Am I asking God to lead me and give me strength to handle conflict as He desires?
Am I Obeying Him?
- Am I studying Scripture and using the tools He has given me to resolve conflict?
Am I Imitating Him?
- Am I following the example Christ left for us? Am I being humble, slow to anger and soft in my speech?
Discussion Questions
Summary:
In Ephesians 4:11-16, God provides a picture of His body, the church, being equipped, ministering, and growing together. It’s a glorious picture of a healthy body which grows “so that it builds itself up in love.” As members of that body, we are to be equipped so that we can serve God’s purposes in concert with those to whom God has joined us. Here are some questions to consider and apply this message:
- In our culture, many Christians have a low view of the church, regarding corporate gatherings for preaching and worship as unimportant or optional. Gene quoted John Stott, who wrote: “Teaching is the essential and absolutely indispensable function of pastoral ministry, the greatest need of the Church.” How do you value and make the most of teaching and preaching? (Some examples could be making a priority to attend, arrive early, take notes, and review and apply those notes.)
- In Ephesians 4:7, God declares that “Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” How are you investing that supernatural gift by serving others? What are you doing out of your comfort zone?
- The picture of God’s church as a body (Eph 4 & 1 Cor 12) emphasizes relational work–serving God together! What are some ways you can work with others to advance the Kingdom?
