Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
Ice-Breaker:
We've all seen the "Expectation vs. Reality" memes. What are some expectations that you have that don't quite live up to reality? Family pictures? Christmas morning? Skinny jeans?
Discussion Questions:
- After the emotional high of the miracle of feeding the 5,000, Jesus quickly returns the disciples to reality as he tries to reveal more of who he is. Jesus starts with asking who "the crowd" says that he is. After giving him several different wrong answers, he asks them, "But who do YOU say I am?" Peter responds that he is the Messiah, which is partially right. Peter is under the impression that the Messiah will be an earthly ruler of a physical kingdom. So he was kind of right, but he had an incomplete view of Jesus. The REAL Jesus is so much more than that. This is the first and most important question that all of us must answer. And this is why it's SOOO important to study Scripture. When we have an incomplete view of Jesus, we end up creating our own FAKE Jesus. We either end up with a weak, anything goes, inclusive, tolerant Jesus OR a harsh, bigoted, exclusive, intolerant Jesus. The direction we go usually depends on our own agenda and life experience. Is this something you see in Christians in your circles or on social media? Which "incomplete Jesus" do you see the most when you look around you? Which one do YOU tend to slide to?
- Jesus then paints a picture of what being a true follower looks like. He is, once again, drawing a distinction between being a follower and being a part of the crowd. The crowds were there to consume and receive. While there's nothing wrong with that in the beginning, Jesus is always going to call the crowd to more. Jesus-following takes giving up, sacrificing and commitment. It means denying yourself. He mentions nothing of finding yourself, or celebrating yourself, or learning to be yourself, or embracing yourself. How does this run counter to our current culture? In what ways have you fallen into the trap of this self-centered way of thinking? Could this "deny yourself" way of living be an area in which you need to grow? Are you fitting in more and more with those the world is rejecting (as Jesus was) or with those the world is accepting?
- A few days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain. These men got to witness Jesus, whose appearance had completely changed right before their eyes, have a conversation with Moses and Elijah. God's glory radiated through him and the disciples where able to catch a small glimpse of who he really was. As Moses and Elijah start to leave, Peter (surprise, surprise) blurts out, "It's wonderful for us to be here!" He was overcome in the moment with what he was experiencing and getting to witness and he didn't want it to be over! He didn't want to go back down the mountain, back to real life. When was the last time you were in God's presence in such a real and tangible way that you didn't want it to end? When was the last time you were so in the moment with God's Spirit, and it was so sweet, that you just wanted to escape real life and enjoy him a little longer? How do we facilitate more of these moments in our lives?
- The first takeaway from Sunday was, "Jesus wasn't in it to win it." Jesus didn't come to rule and overthrow the Roman government, which is what most people expected. He came to give up his life... to die. He didn't come to rule, he came to suffer and serve and die. The reality is, we are here for the same purpose...to suffer for Jesus, serve God and people, and die. This is contrasted by today's rampant prosperity gospel that promises a "blessed life". It's contrasted by the power dynamics of American Christianity. Anytime in history that the Church rose to political power, it did not go well. If we are going to follow Jesus, our weapons cannot be politics, position or power. Our weapons, instead, are praying, preaching and praise. How does this contrast what you see from most Christians on social media? In what ways have you bought into the prosperity gospel? How can we keep ourselves in check?
- The last takeaway on Sunday was, "Jesus is GOING to win it!" While Jesus didn't come to rule and reign the way his followers expected, he will eventually rule and reign on a new earth. The glory that Peter, James and John witnessed was just a tiny glimpse of the glory of the Kingdom of God that is to come. Jesus wasn't in it to win it, but make no mistake... he IS going to win. While he was humiliated in his first coming, he will be exalted in his second. The first time he came it was to save. But he will come again to rule and judge. When this time comes, and Jesus separates the sheep from the goats (Matt 25), will you be ready? Knowing this day is coming sooner rather than later, what is your level of urgency? How do we make sure those we love will be found among the faithful? How do we make sure our kids know the REAL Jesus?
Prayer Topics:
- That we would know the REAL Jesus.
- That we would deny ourselves and follow him.
- That we would be ready to suffer and serve.
- That we would live with urgency, knowing he is returning soon.
1 Comment
Amen! Praise the Lord!