CAPTIVATED & CHANGED€¦ · CAPTIVATED & CHANGED LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE #1 CAPTIVATED (WEEK...

1

CAPTIVATED & CHANGED

LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE #1

CAPTIVATED (WEEK 1) EPHESIANS 3:14-21 1/14/2018

MAIN POINT The Christian life is not so much a matter of knowing as being. God’s desire for us is to comprehend all that He has for us as believers and by faith make it a vital part of our lives – we are enabled by God to live every day captivated and changed by Jesus! INTRODUCTION In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed that we would understand the limitless resources (unsearchable riches) that we have in Christ. By grace through faith, we are rich beyond imagination, more than conquerors because of God’s redeeming love. Then in Ephesians 3, Paul prayed that we would apply this understanding. Ephesians 3:14-21 is really a prayer of enablement. We chase around in many directions, captivated by everything but Jesus. But the answers to life’s challenges, problems, brokenness, and lack of fulfillment are found in the immeasurable dimensions of God’s riches in Christ! OPENING QUESTIONS Since this is your first meeting as a Life Group for 2018 and you will be following Pastor Heath’s 5-week message series entitled “Captivated and Changed,” you may want to begin your discussion by having group members briefly introduce themselves and share why they decided to join or continue with your Life Group this year. You should also briefly review River Oak’s new mission statement. Pastor Heath’s series “Captivated & Changed” will explore different aspects of the mission statement:

Living Every Day Captivated and Changed by Jesus!

What stands out to you most about the new mission statement? What is particularly challenging about the statement as you consider your own spiritual growth? What aspects of the statement are encouraging to you as you start out 2018?

2

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS READ EPHESIANS 3:14-21 Compare Ephesians 1:3-6 and Ephesians 3:14-15. From what relational position do we approach God in prayer? How does understanding our relationship to God as Father help us to approach Him both humbly and confidently? What are the four requests in Paul’s prayer (3:16-19)? How do they relate to each other? Do you see a progression? (note the series of purpose clauses) See Ephesians 3:16-17. Does heart change come from within or without? How and by whom are we transformed and empowered? (See also 2 Peter 1:3-8) See Ephesians 3:18-19. Can we, in our own power, comprehend the love of God in Christ? In what ways do we come to know Christ’s love? How should a deeper understanding of Christ’s love affect the way we live and pray? Do we sometimes measure God’s love by our own experiences or circumstances? Why is this a bad idea for us? How should we measure the love of God? What is the ultimate display of God’s love for us? See Ephesians 3:20-21. Whose power is at work in us? Why? What are the limits on His power? How can knowing the extent of God’s power encourage you this week? APPLICATION QUESTIONS: What are some of the main truths that God wants you to take away from this study? How do your thoughts need to adjust to align with these truths? According to these truths, what does God want you to desire/value? How do your values need to change to align with His values? What is going to be the most difficult aspect of this study to personally apply? What specific actions does God want you to take this week based on this study?

3

COMMENTARY Our call as believers is to pursue Christ, to know Christ, to focus on Christ, to understand our resources in Christ, and to live for Christ – to be captivated by Him! Ephesians 3:14-21 is a rich, profound, and powerful passage of Scripture that we will only scratch the surface of in this study. But in the passage, we see progressive steps for getting to the reality of verses 20-21, where our lives are so powerful that we bring glory to Christ. Before moving through the steps let’s discuss our posture. Paul begins 3:14 by saying, “For this reason.” He had broken off the thought he began in 3:1 and is returning to that original thought. When Paul considers the majesty of God’s work of redemption, he responds in the only appropriate way – humble adoration of the Father. His prayer is addressed to the Father, through the Son, and in the Spirit. It is through prayer that we lay hold of God’s riches that enable us to live and battle as believers. Whether we actually bow our knees is not the important thing; that we bow our hearts and wills to the Lord and ask Him for what we need is critical. There are four requests in Paul’s prayer. They are not isolated petitions; rather they represent progressive steps – one request leads to the next and so on. The sequential nature of the progression is indicated by the purpose clauses that appear in the passage. Paul prays that the inner man might have spiritual strength, which leads to a deeper experience in Christ. This deeper experience enables them to comprehend or to get ahold of God’s great love, which will result in their being “filled with all the fullness of God.” He is praying for strength, depth, apprehension, and fullness. The power of the Holy Spirit is given to us “according to the riches of His glory” (3:16). Christ returned to glory and sent the Spirit to indwell and empower His people. It is not necessary for us to “work something up” if we are genuine followers of Christ. The power has been sent down and is available for the “inner man” – the spiritual part of us where God dwells and works. It is inner power, not our outward person, that allows us to succeed in life and live with purpose. It is only when we yield to the Spirit and let Him control our inner person that we succeed in truly living for the glory of God. This means feeding the inner person by spending time in God’s Word, praying, worshipping together in community, and living in obedience and holiness. Paul then uses three word pictures to convey the idea of spiritual depth (3:17). The first picture is found in the word “dwell” – which literally means “to settle down and feel at home.” Here, Paul is praying for a deeper, captivating experience between Christ and His people. He desires for Jesus to settle down and feel at home in their hearts – not a surface relationship, but an ever-deepening fellowship. The verb “rooted”

4

illustrates that believers must have their spiritual roots deep into the love of God. Psalm 1:1-3 is a great description of this word (see also Jeremiah 17:5-8). We should always be asking ourselves, “From what do I draw my nourishment and my stability?” If there is to be power in the Christian life, then there must be depth! The roots must go deeper and deeper into the love of Christ. Finally, “grounded” is an architectural term that refers to the foundations on which we build. Paul prayed that believers might have a deeper experience with Christ, because only a deep experience could sustain them during the severe trials and challenges of life and ministry. To “comprehend” something indicates mentally grasping the idea, while to “apprehend” something suggests laying hold of it yourself. Here, Paul’s concern is that we lay hold of the vast expanses of the love of God – its breadth, length, height, and depth. Genuine followers of Jesus never need to worry about having inadequate spiritual resources to meet the demands of life. If we pray for spiritual strength and spiritual depth, we will be able to “get our hands on” all the resources of God’s love and grace. Philippians 4:13 expresses the idea very well; we can do all thing through Christ who strengthens us. But again…we must remain captivated by Jesus alone. God wants us to experience His fullness. But we must not use the wrong metrics when examining our spiritual lives. We like to measure ourselves by other Christians. But Paul tells us that the measure is Christ, and that we cannot boast about anything. In one sense, the Christian is already “made full in Christ” (Colossians 2:9-10). Positionally, we are complete in Him when place our faith and trust in Him as our Savior. But practically, we enjoy only the grace that we apprehend (or take hold of) by faith. The resources are available. All we need to do is accept them and enjoy them. When we progress through the process of spiritual maturity – living every day captivated and changed by Jesus – we will arrive at a place where we are filled with the fullness of God. Then we will see things occur in our lives beyond what we could have imagined. When trials come, we’ll have strength we never knew was available. And when ministry opportunities come, we’ll have strength and power beyond what we thought was there. Of course, the reason God wants us to have His power working within us is that He might display His glory through us – that others will see God in us and conclude that He is a powerful, mighty, and saving God!

5



LIVING EVERY DAY – PART 1 (WEEK 2) LUKE 9:23-25 1/21/2018

MAIN POINT To follow Jesus requires self-denial, complete dedication, and willing obedience! And as Luke’s gospel emphasizes – this means living for Jesus every day! INTRODUCTION As we learned last week from Ephesians 3:14-21, the answers to life’s challenges, problems, brokenness, and lack of fulfillment are found in the immeasurable dimensions of God’s riches in Christ. Abundant life is found in Jesus alone. But as Pastor Heath shared with us this week, Jesus also teaches us that following Him is not as much about our satisfaction as it is about our sacrifice. John Piper eloquently describes it this way in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, “A life devoted to making much of Christ is costly. And the cost is both a consequence and a means of making much of Him. If we do not embrace the path of joy-laden, painful love, we will waste our lives . . . But when we embrace with joy the cost of following Christ, His worth will shine in all the world. The cost itself will become a means of making Christ look great.” OPENING QUESTIONS Briefly review River Oak’s new mission statement again this week. Ask who in your group can quote the mission statement word for word:


What aspects of the mission statement are particularly encouraging or challenging to

you in light of Pastor Heath’s sermons the last two weeks? Discuss your initial impressions of this statement: “Following Jesus is costly!”

6

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS READ LUKE 9:23-25 (See also Matthew 16:24-26 and Mark 8:34-38) This week Pastor Heath focused on verse 23. He will dive into verses 24-25 next week. You may find your Life Group discussion addressing aspects of the entire passage both weeks – that’s fine. The objective is that we come away from the two

weeks with a more complete understanding of what it means to live every day for Jesus and how to specifically apply the verses to our lives! So significant time should be spent the next two weeks on practical application of the principles found in 9:23-25. How does the disciples understanding of Jesus exceed that of the crowds (9:18-20)? What new aspect of Jesus’ mission does He want the disciples to understand? What future does He imagine/predict for Himself (9:22)? What does Jesus’ mission imply for His disciples? How does Jesus define or describe the true cost of discipleship? (9:23-25) What must a person do to “come after” Jesus (9:23)? Explain what it means to “deny self” (9:23)? What purpose did a cross serve? What was Jesus about to do on the cross (9:22)? What does it mean to take our cross and follow Jesus (note the connection to 9:24)? What do each of the three aspects of discipleship taught in verse 23 mean for us today? How can/should we practically and specifically live them out? APPLICATION QUESTIONS: What are some of the main truths that God wants you to take away from this study? How do your thoughts need to adjust to align with these truths? According to these truths, what does God want you to desire/value? How do your values need to change to align with His values? What specific actions does God want you to take this week based on this study?

7

COMMENTARY This same commentary will be used next week as Pastor Heath continues with Luke 9:23-25. His 2-week study of the passage will examine many concepts in depth, so there will likely be overlap between the two weeks in your Life Group discussions. The questions in the Discussion Guide will be different for each week, but many of the principles and applications may be the same. You should use these two weeks to

really drill down on practical and specific applications as we seek to live out the church’s mission statement – Living Every Day Captivated and Changed by Jesus! After feeding the 5000, we find Jesus praying alone with His disciples and get a glimpse of Him gradually revealing Himself and His mission to them. He begins with a question in 9:18, “Who do the crowds say I am?” The report brought by the disciples matches the report that reached Herod (see 9:7-8). Then Peter, as spokesman for the disciples, answered, “The Christ of God.” Jesus’ identity as the “Christ” – as had already been confessed by angels (Luke 2:11); by the Gospel narrator/Luke (Luke 2:26); by demons (Luke 4:41); and by Jesus Himself (Luke 4:18) – was now confessed for the first time by the twelve disciples. The disciples still had more to learn about Jesus’ true mission and what it meant to be His follower, but they acknowledged Jesus as the predicted Deliverer (the Messiah) that they had been waiting for to deliver them. In 9:22, we find Jesus’ first explicit prediction of His death. His role as Messiah would involve suffering and pain and was necessary to fulfil God’s providential plan for redemption through His death and shed blood on the cross. Jesus then addressed his teachings on discipleship not only to the twelve disciples but to “all” present (9:23). “Come after me” means to become a disciple (see Luke 14:25-27). Our justification before God is by faith alone. We are saved by grace through faith by believing and receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Yet, a genuine disciple of Christ, a true follower who has the Holy Spirit living within him, is characterized by a submissive spirit that manifests itself in a willingness to make a public confession and obey whatever else Christ commands. Thank God for 1 John 1:9 that teaches us that when we sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, because we still have a tendency as humans to stray like sheep. And it is comforting and encouraging to remember that Christ died once for all our sins (1 Peter 3:18; Romans 6:10), so we can be assured of our salvation and standing before Him if we have received Him as Savior. But a true follower of Jesus lives out what it means to be a disciple as described in Luke 9:23-25. To follow Jesus requires self-denial (deny himself), complete dedication (take up his cross), and willing obedience (follow me). Luke emphasizes continued action by using

8

the word daily. Taking up our cross “daily” is not mentioned explicitly in the parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark. But the clear implication in all three accounts is that disciples are to live every day captivated and changed by Jesus – following Him no matter the cost – characterized by commitment to his purposes and plans. To deny self, meant not just denying certain things but denying personal control over one’s life – complete surrender. The cross was well known as an instrument of death, so it represented the death and separation from the old life that must mark a disciple (Romans 8:13). And taking up one’s cross implied making a commitment that would likely lead to rejection and possibly even death. To follow Jesus, meant following Jesus’ example and teachings, and living in willing obedience to His commands. Then in Luke 9:24-25, we find a saying of Jesus that is found in all four Gospels (Matthew 10:38-39; 16:24-25; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 14:26-27; 17:33; and John 12:25). Jesus’ statement indicates a paradox, “Whoever loses his life for My sake, he’s the one who will save it.” To gain our lives eternally, we must be willing to give our lives up. If we hold onto our lives in the world and do not want to give up our longings, desires, pride, and lusts, we will forfeit our eternal souls. The person who enters God’s kingdom gives himself up and places his complete faith and trust in Jesus for rescue from this world. See also Matthew 7:13; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12. There is only one way – Jesus! And Jesus is saying here in Luke 9 that following Him may cost us everything. If we’re not willing to pay that price – although He may not require it – we’re not desperate enough. We can’t consider our lives something to hold on to because the Lord may require them. We must surrender everything to follow Jesus. But the awesome news is that God empowers us to follow Jesus through His Holy Spirit! Remember Pastor Heath’s sermon on being “captivated” from Ephesians 3:14-21! The power of the Holy Spirit is given to us “according to the riches of His glory” (3:16). Christ returned to glory and sent the Spirit to call, indwell, and empower His people. It is not necessary for us to “work something up” if we are genuine followers of Christ. The power has been sent down and is available for the “inner man” – the spiritual part of us where God dwells and works. We can lose our life for Jesus because He is working within us through His Spirit to empower us to live for Him! Below is a quote from John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life that you may want to consider and discuss in your Life Groups over the next two weeks to gain further insight into Jesus’ teaching in Luke 9:23-25.

9

Living to magnify Christ is costly. This is not surprising. He was crucified. He was treated like a devil. And he calls us to follow him. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). He says it will probably not go better for us than for him. “If they have called the master of the house Beelzubul, how much more will they malign those of his household” (Matthew 10:25). But suffering with Jesus on the Calvary road of love is not merely the result of

magnifying Christ; it is also the means. He is made supreme when we are so satisfied in him that we can “let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also” and suffer for the sake of love. His beauty shines most brightly when treasured above health and wealth and life itself. Jesus knew this. He knew that suffering (whether small discomforts or dreadful torture) would be the path in this age for making him most visibly supreme. That is why he calls us to this. He loves us. And love does not mean making much of us or making life easy. It means making us able to enjoy making much of him forever – no matter what it costs. And it costs us dearly. The normal Christian life is one that boasts only in the cross – the blazing center of God’s glory – and does it while bearing the cross. “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Bearing the cross is the means by which we are increasingly liberated to boast in the

cross. Suffering is God’s design in this sin-soaked world (Romans 8:20) . . . A life devoted to making much of Christ is costly. And the cost is both a consequence and a means of making much of him. If we do not embrace the path of joy-laden, painful love, we will waste our lives. If we do not learn with Paul the Christ-exalting paradoxes of life, we will squander our days pursuing bubbles that burst. He lived “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:10). The Calvary road is costly and painful, but it is not joyless. When we embrace with joy the cost of following Christ, his worth will shine in the world. The cost itself will become a means of making Christ look great . . .

John Piper Don’t Waste Your Life Chapter 4

10



LIVING EVERY DAY – PART 2 (WEEK 3) LUKE 9:23-25 1/28/2018

MAIN POINT Gaining the whole world is far less valuable than having a secure destiny for eternity through a relationship with God in Jesus Christ and living every day for Him! INTRODUCTION Last week, Pastor Heath began a 2-week look at Luke 9:23-25. He focused on what it means to deny self from verse 23 last week, and this week he continued to examine how we should follow Jesus by living every day for Him. “Whoever loses his life for me” is a saying found in all four Gospels. No other saying of Jesus is given such emphasis. There is peace, security, joy, and freedom found in following Jesus. Being a disciple may be costly, but there is no greater joy than to know that we are living for Jesus, our Savior and Lord, following Him and making His name great every day! OPENING QUESTIONS Once again, briefly review River Oak’s new mission statement and ask if anyone in your group can quote the mission statement word for word:


Any new insights about the mission statement after hearing Pastor Heath’s sermons and participating in Life Group the last few weeks? Revisit your thoughts regarding this statement: “Following Jesus is costly!” Any new

insights or applications?

11

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS READ LUKE 9:23-25 (See also Matthew 16:24-26 and Mark 8:34-38) Last week Pastor Heath focused on verse 23, and this week he moved on to verses 24-25. You may find your Life Group discussion addressing aspects of the entire passage this week and revisiting principles and discussions from last week – that’s

great. The objective is that we come away from the two weeks with a more complete understanding of what it means to live every day for Jesus and how to specifically apply the verses to our lives! Please make sure to spend time this week on practical application and specific action steps based on the principles found in 9:23-25. Review: How does Jesus define or describe the true cost of discipleship? (9:23-25) What do each of the three aspects of discipleship taught in verse 23 mean for us today? Any new insights or thoughts this week? Explain 9:24 in your own words. What does 9:25 teach us about priorities? Consider this statement by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book The Cost of Discipleship: “The cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise God-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” What do you think Bonhoeffer means? Do you agree? Disagree? Implications? APPLICATION QUESTIONS: What are some of the main truths that God wants you to take away from this study? How do your thoughts need to adjust to align with these truths? According to these truths, what does God want you to desire/value? How do your values need to change to align with His values? What specific actions does God want you to take this week based on this study?

12

COMMENTARY Below is the same commentary that was used last week for Luke 9:23-25. Pastor Heath’s 2-week study of the passage examined many concepts in depth, so there will likely be overlap between the two weeks in your discussions. You should use this week to drill down on practical and specific applications for how we should live out the

church’s mission statement – Living Every Day Captivated and Changed by Jesus! After feeding the 5000, we find Jesus praying alone with His disciples and get a glimpse of Him gradually revealing Himself and His mission to them. He begins with a question in 9:18, “Who do the crowds say I am?” The report brought by the disciples matches the report that reached Herod (see 9:7-8). Then Peter, as spokesman for the disciples, answered, “The Christ of God.” Jesus’ identity as the “Christ” – as had already been confessed by angels (Luke 2:11); by the Gospel narrator/Luke (Luke 2:26); by demons (Luke 4:41); and by Jesus Himself (Luke 4:18) – was now confessed for the first time by the twelve disciples. The disciples still had more to learn about Jesus’ true mission and what it meant to be His follower, but they acknowledged Jesus as the predicted Deliverer (the Messiah) that they had been waiting for to deliver them. In 9:22, we find Jesus’ first explicit prediction of His death. His role as Messiah would involve suffering and pain and was necessary to fulfil God’s providential plan for redemption through His death and shed blood on the cross. Jesus then addressed his teachings on discipleship not only to the twelve disciples but to “all” present (9:23). “Come after me” means to become a disciple (see Luke 14:25-27). Our justification before God is by faith alone. We are saved by grace through faith by believing and receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Yet, a genuine disciple of Christ, a true follower who has the Holy Spirit living within him, is characterized by a submissive spirit that manifests itself in a willingness to make a public confession and obey whatever else Christ commands. Thank God for 1 John 1:9 that teaches us that when we sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, because we still have a tendency as humans to stray like sheep. And it is comforting and encouraging to remember that Christ died once for all our sins (1 Peter 3:18; Romans 6:10), so we can be assured of our salvation and standing before Him if we have received Him as Savior. But a true follower of Jesus lives out what it means to be a disciple as described in Luke 9:23-25. To follow Jesus requires self-denial (deny himself), complete dedication (take up his cross), and willing obedience (follow me). Luke emphasizes continued action by using

13

the word daily. Taking up our cross “daily” is not mentioned explicitly in the parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark. But the clear implication in all three accounts is that disciples are to live every day captivated and changed by Jesus – following Him no matter the cost – characterized by commitment to his purposes and plans. To deny self, meant not just denying certain things but denying personal control over one’s life – complete surrender. The cross was well known as an instrument of death, so it represented the death and separation from the old life that must mark a disciple (Romans 8:13). And taking up one’s cross implied making a commitment that would likely lead to rejection and possibly even death. To follow Jesus, meant following Jesus’ example and teachings, and living in willing obedience to His commands. Then in Luke 9:24-25, we find a saying of Jesus that is found in all four Gospels (Matthew 10:38-39; 16:24-25; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 14:26-27; 17:33; and John 12:25). Jesus’ statement indicates a paradox, “Whoever loses his life for My sake, he’s the one who will save it.” To gain our lives eternally, we must be willing to give our lives up. If we hold onto our lives in the world and do not want to give up our longings, desires, pride, and lusts, we will forfeit our eternal souls. The person who enters God’s kingdom gives himself up and places his complete faith and trust in Jesus for rescue from this world. See also Matthew 7:13; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12. There is only one way – Jesus! And Jesus is saying here in Luke 9, that following Him may cost us everything. If we’re not willing to pay that price – although He may not require it – we’re not desperate enough. We can’t consider our lives something to hold on to because the Lord may require them. We must surrender everything to follow Jesus. But the awesome news is that God empowers us to follow Jesus through His Holy Spirit! Remember Pastor Heath’s sermon on being “captivated” from Ephesians 3:14-21! The power of the Holy Spirit is given to us “according to the riches of His glory” (3:16). Christ returned to glory and sent the Spirit to indwell and empower His people. It is not necessary for us to “work something up” if we are genuine followers of Christ. The power has been sent down and is available for the “inner man” – the spiritual part of us where God dwells and works. We can lose our life for Jesus because He is working within us through His Spirit to empower us to live for Him! Below is a quote from John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life that you may want to consider and discuss in your Life Groups over the next two weeks to gain further insight into Jesus’ teaching in Luke 9:23-25.

14

Living to magnify Christ is costly. This is not surprising. He was crucified. He was treated like a devil. And he calls us to follow him. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). He says it will probably not go better for us than for him. “If they have called the master of the house Beelzubul, how much more will they malign those of his household” (Matthew 10:25). But suffering with Jesus on the Calvary road of love is not merely the result of

magnifying Christ; it is also the means. He is made supreme when we are so satisfied in him that we can “let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also” and suffer for the sake of love. His beauty shines most brightly when treasured above health and wealth and life itself. Jesus knew this. He knew that suffering (whether small discomforts or dreadful torture) would be the path in this age for making him most visibly supreme. That is why he calls us to this. He loves us. And love does not mean making much of us or making life easy. It means making us able to enjoy making much of him forever – no matter what it costs. And it costs us dearly. The normal Christian life is one that boasts only in the cross – the blazing center of God’s glory – and does it while bearing the cross. “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Bearing the cross is the means by which we are increasingly liberated to boast in the

cross. Suffering is God’s design in this sin-soaked world (Romans 8:20) . . . A life devoted to making much of Christ is costly. And the cost is both a consequence and a means of making much of him. If we do not embrace the path of joy-laden, painful love, we will waste our lives. If we do not learn with Paul the Christ-exalting paradoxes of life, we will squander our days pursuing bubbles that burst. He lived “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:10). The Calvary road is costly and painful, but it is not joyless. When we embrace with joy the cost of following Christ, his worth will shine in the world. The cost itself will become a means of making Christ look great . . .

John Piper Don’t Waste Your Life Chapter 4

15



CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (WEEK 4) GALATIANS 2:20 2/4/2018

MAIN POINT Only through faith in Christ are we accepted before God and enabled to live captivated and changed by Him – all that we were before we trusted in Christ ended abruptly (we were crucified with Him), and Jesus now directs and empowers all that we do! INTRODUCTION In Galatians 2:15-21, Paul helps us understand what it means to truly please God. He describes the relationship between right belief and right behavior. Everything revolves around faith. Justification is by faith alone. And through faith, we are alive to God and able to live for Him. We not only die to sin when we trust in Christ, but we die to ourselves. And when we do, Jesus changes our lives. Christ indwells us. And our lives become not so much about us living for Christ as trusting Christ to live for us and through us and in us! By faith we are accepted before God, and by faith we are alive to God and enabled to live every day captivated and changed by Jesus! OPENING QUESTIONS Briefly review River Oak’s new mission statement again this week. Ask who in your group can quote the mission statement word for word:


Any new insights about the mission statement after hearing Pastor Heath’s sermons

and participating in Life Group the last few weeks? What are your initial thoughts about what it means to be “crucified with Christ”?

16

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS READ GALATIANS 2:15-20 When we use the work “justify” in modern English (i.e., “please justify your actions), what does it mean? How does this modern use differ from the theological use we see in Galatians 2:16? Briefly explain the doctrine of justification by faith in terms that an unbeliever with no Bible could understand. What does “dying to the law” mean in Galatians 2:19 (see Romans 7:4)? In Galatians 2:20, what is the significance of having been crucified (or died) with Christ? What does it mean to God? What does it mean to us that we have been crucified with Christ? What effect should this have on our daily lives (Galatians 5:24; Romans 6:8-10; Romans 7:6)? How should the reality of Christ’s indwelling presence affect your everyday life? APPLICATION QUESTIONS: What are some of the main truths that God wants you to take away from this study? How do your thoughts need to adjust to align with these truths? According to these truths, what does God want you to desire/value? How do your values need to change to align with His values? What is going to be the most difficult aspect of this study to personally apply? What specific actions does God want you to take this week based on this study?

17

COMMENTARY Galatians 2:16 is a key verse to understanding the message of Galatians. Justification by faith alone. Justification means “to be declared righteous in God’s sight and to be vindicated of any charge for failure to keep God’s law” (or more simply put “counted righteous” or “declared righteous”). See Romans 5:8-9. God, the judge, takes the righteousness of Christ and credits it to our account when we put our trust in Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul put it this way, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Galatians 2:16 teaches that justification is the result of saving faith and that no human effort can be added to faith as a basis for justification. Not faith plus what we do, but faith alone in Christ. And not only are we justified by faith, but we live by faith (Gal. 2:18-19). Because Christ paid the penalty for sin that the law demanded, we are dead to the law. We can cease (like Paul did) to give further thought to legal obedience as a means of winning God’s acceptance. Now we live for Christ and obey His commands because we are alive to God, indwelt by Christ, and empowered to live for Him. We not only die to sin when we trust in Christ, but we die to ourselves. Crucifixion with Christ means death to or separation from the reigning power of the old sinful life and freedom to experience the power of the resurrection life of Christ by faith (see Romans 6:5-7). The person that we were before, with all our sinful goals and self-exalting and proud desires comes to a decisive end – we “die” to ourselves. And when we do, Jesus changes our lives. We die to live. Christ indwells us. And our lives become not so much about us living for Christ as trusting Christ to live for us and through us and in us! As we trust Jesus moment by moment, He works in us to give spiritual effectiveness to all that we do. By faith we are accepted before God, and by faith we are alive to God and enabled to live every day captivated and changed by Jesus! Through faith we receive salvation, and through faith we are enabled to live out our salvation. We live every day, every moment, by faith! This is really the key to the Christian life – faith in not just the Christ who died for us on the cross but the Christ who lives in us, guides us, and cares for us. Jesus sustains us and is our strength – He is sufficient. He is our joy and peace. He is our security and refuge. He is our purity, holiness, and power over sin. And we believe Him to be our satisfaction – more than money and houses and cars and vacations and stuff. We live captivated and changed by Jesus because He is passionate about us and lives in us. He is everything we need for every moment we live!

18



CHANGED BY JESUS (WEEK 5) ROMANS 12:1-2 2/11/2018

MAIN POINT Because of God’s great mercy toward us, we are to give ourselves entirely to Him as our spiritual act of worship – changed by Jesus as our minds are made new! INTRODUCTION Our reasonable act of service or spiritual act of worship in response to the saving grace and mercy of God is to present our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. And because the present world still threatens us, we must resist its pressures. Our lives are transformed – changed by Jesus – as our minds are made new and we discern God’s will. God desires that we become new people who daily sacrifice our lives to follow His plans and purposes. Living transformed originates with God and His changing of our minds and hearts from the old self to a new person who gives everything for Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). OPENING QUESTIONS Briefly review River Oak’s new mission statement again this week. Ask who in your group can quote the mission statement word for word:


Any new insights about the mission statement after hearing Pastor Heath’s sermons and participating in Life Group the last few weeks?

Can anyone explain the process of metamorphosis? How does the term relate to Pastor Heath’s sermon this week?

19

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS READ ROMANS 12:1-2 What did Paul urge his brothers and sisters to do? What was the basis of his plea? What do you think the difference is between a dead sacrifice and a living sacrifice? What does it look like practically to offer yourself as a living sacrifice every day? Why is it so easy to conform to the behavior of the world and hard to increase in obedience to God? In what areas of your life do you find it most difficult to fight conformity and obey God? Who is responsible for transformation? How is transformation accomplished? How do we participate in renewing our minds? How are we changed by Jesus? In what three ways does Paul describe God’s will at the end of 12:2? APPLICATION QUESTIONS: What are some of the main truths that God wants you to take away from this study? How do your thoughts need to adjust to align with these truths? According to these truths, what does God want you to desire/value? How do your values need to change to align with His values? What is going to be the most difficult aspect of this study to personally apply? What specific actions does God want you to take this week based on this study?

20

COMMENTARY Paul urged all believers to present themselves as living sacrifices. Such language must have clashed immediately in the minds of many of the Roman Christians. The common understanding at the time was that only the first and best animals were fit to be offered as sacrifices. The sacrifice that Paul had in mind was radically different. Jesus had given Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin on the cross. Believers therefore were to live in light of Jesus’ all-sufficient sacrifice, bringing glory to God. The idea of Christians presenting their bodies as living sacrifices harkened back to the discussion of the body being dead to sin because of the life-giving presence of the Spirit (see Romans 8:10). To live by the Spirit is to offer oneself completely and daily as a holy and pleasing sacrifice. Paul further explained that living as a holy, pleasing sacrifice was a believer’s spiritual worship. The word “spiritual” also can be understood as meaning logical or reasonable (as found in some translations). The Greek word translated “worship” often was used to refer to carrying out religious duties or “services” (as seen in some translations). Therefore, Paul taught that in light of God’s gracious redemption (by the mercies of God), living as a sacrifice was the logical and pleasing way for Christians to serve God. As Christians, we’re also to please God with our minds. The temptation is to go along with the dominant attitudes of the age, to adopt the prevailing cultural worldview characterized by self-worship (sin). Paul urged his readers to reject worldliness and to be transformed by the renewing of their mind. The phrase “be transformed” in the Greek is a present passive imperative form. This grammatical form suggests three important truths. First, the present tense describes a continuing action. Transformation of our thinking and attitudes is an ongoing, lifelong endeavor. Second, the passive voice indicates that the indwelling Holy Spirit is the source of our transformation. We can’t transform ourselves but rather must be transformed – changed by Jesus. Third, however, is the truth suggested by the imperative that we must consciously place ourselves at the Holy Spirit’s disposal for transformation to happen – living every day…changed by Jesus. The result of having our minds renewed by the Holy Spirit is to grow in our ability to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. The word translated “discern” literally means to “prove by testing.” Christian living is not about emptying the mind – as some religions claim – but rather about thinking intelligently and logically in accordance with God’s ways. God wants His people to know what pleases Him because by living according to His ways we will experience the most abundant life possible (see John 10:10).

CAPTIVATED & CHANGED€¦ · CAPTIVATED & CHANGED LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE #1 CAPTIVATED (WEEK...

Documents

Transcript of CAPTIVATED & CHANGED€¦ · CAPTIVATED & CHANGED LIFE GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE #1 CAPTIVATED (WEEK...