Good News is for Sharing #1

Because God exists is it important for us to know if he has communicated with us?

Lets also ask this question "What can you tell me about the Bible?"

There is so much to say about the word of God but in order to get a base set we are going to structure our time today to look at 10 key things that we need to know about the Bible.

Here is the list and we will look at these in some level of detail one by one.

10 Things we need to know about the Bible.

It claims to be from God.

It is a united work.

It records God speaking through chosen people.

It has been preserved through translations.

It has a primary purpose.

It is our authority today.

It has great relevance for today.

It is more like a library than a novel.

It is arranged categorically not chronologically.

It needs to be incorporated into our lives.

1. The Scriptures claim to be from God.

This is the most important claim. There are books that are older and there are books that cover much of the same material but only the Bible claims to be from God himself but it does not refer to itself as a completed work so we read of the Law, Prophets, and Scripture as references to the written word.

Lets look at 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (Page 1005). In this passage the holy Scriptures, as they are called, have some aspects attributed to them.

Verse 15. They are able to "make you wise for salvation" through "faith in Christ Jesus."

What does that mean to you?

Verse 16. All Scripture is "God breathed"

(What does this term mean?).

What are the four things and what result do they bring according to verse 17?

These verses tell us that God expects his word to equip us for every good work.

2. The Bible is a united work.

There are no contradictions in theme or teaching which would not be possible if the work was from man only.

Only God could unite a writing that was:

Written over a 1500 year time span (The Exodus 1490 BC to Revelation 90 AD).

Written with 40 different authors.

Written on three continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe)

Written by people ranging from Kings (David and Solomon) to farmers (like Amos).

This however does not mean that there are not possible contradictions in facts and specifics within the Bible but the theme and teachings have been maintained.

3. The Bible records God speaking through chosen people.

The writers of the Bible did not choose what they wanted to write but they did have choice in how they wrote what they were led to write.

Lets look at 2 Peter 1:16-21 (Page 1026) as it addresses this issue.

In verses 16-18 Peter speaks as an eyewitness, but we will not be eyewitnesses in the same way. In John 20:29 (Page 918) Jesus, when speaking to Thomas after he said he would not believe unless he saw, says "..blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" and this is the category that we are in.

Peter, in his passage, is speaking of the transfiguration of Jesus (Turn to Matthew 17:1-13 Page 829) and he remembers the event and did not make it up.

Would this event stick in your mind?

In 2 Peter 1:19-21 he points out that the word of the prophets is also testimony.

What is his claim in verse 20?

So according to verse 21 where did it come from then?

Why is it important that God is the giver of the message?

If God started the message did he keep it intact until today?

4. It has been preserved through translations.

The language of the Old Testament is Hebrew with some Aramaic. The New Testament is almost complete Greek and if you are reading English you are reading a translation from these languages.

It can be challenging to ones faith when he finds out that there is not one piece of original manuscript from either the Old or New Testament. We do not have one word from Moses’ own hand, or Jesus’ or even Paul but we do have parts of the copies made off of the copies.

This is a study called Textual Criticism and through it writings are collected and compared. The writings with the best degree of accuracy make up the Hebrew and Greek base for the English translations.

When a full copy of the scroll of Isaiah found among the Dead Sea Scrolls dating back to around 200 AD was compared to the oldest writing we had before that of around 1000 AD there were no major differences among the two other than spacing and punctuation showing that God’s hand had preserved the text.

But what do you think is the one purpose of the Bible? Why has God kept it for us?

5. The Bible has a primary purpose.

We noted how the Bible includes some differences in facts and numbers while maintaining the theme and teachings of God because these variants do not take away from the purpose of the work.

The entire Bible, from Genesis right through Revelation, has the purpose of introducing us to God and teaching mankind about itself. It is a record of relationship that includes scientific information, history, medicine, psychology, and a variety of other topics but all of these fit together to initialize and develop our relationship with God.

6. The Bible is our authority today.

There is nothing else that compares to the Bible for it was structured, originated, and held together by God and contains what He wants it to contain. Because it is so unique it holds a place of authority over us individually and as His people in congregations.

If God is to be our leader than we need to follow His word as accurately as possible for God has given us all that we need to know Him and to do His will. Nothing else has that status and those who teach the Bible need to let the Bible speak and lead and as listeners we need to compare their teachings to what we find in the Bible.

7. The Bible has great relevance for us today.

Not only is the Bible an authority it is relevant for us today. In the Bible we find guidance for most areas of our lives. We can read of God’s promises to His people and His faithfulness in carrying them out and be reminded that He will do the same for us today. We can read about how to live a life that is pleasing to God today and know what it is that He wants from us but most important we can know how to be united with Him in eternity and that is a topic that will always be relevant.

8. The Bible should be read more like a library than a novel.

In order to see its relevance for us today we need to know a few things about how to read the Bible.

Because it is in one binding many people physically read the Bible like any other physical book…they start at the first page and read one after the other. While that may work for some people, it usually does not work for very many; by the time Leviticus rolls around the reading is done.

The Bible is a collection of 66 books and while each book should be read as a whole you can start your reading with books like the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) which record Jesus’ interaction with people of his time and his key teachings which are more relevant to us than the book of Numbers which records God’s faithfulness in delivering His people from the wilderness wanderings.

Different books should be read differently just as different books in the library are read differently. The first five books are primarily history and they are read differently than Proverbs which is a book of general sayings. Within each book we need to read carefully as well because there can be hyperbole, parables, poetry, or narrative which all need to be read and applied within context. Bible reading is a skill that is developed over a period of time.

9. The Bible is arranged categorically not chronologically.

This truth can be confusing to people because Genesis is a record of the beginning and Revelation records what will happen at the end of time and so it is easy to assume that the rest of the books are meant to fill in the chronology but this is not how the books are arranged within our English Bibles.

The Old Testament is arranged as follows:

Books of the Law (5 Books)

History (12 Books)

Poetry (5 Books)

Major Prophets (5 Books)

Minor Prophets (12 Books)

The New Testament is arranged as follows:

Gospels (4 Books)

History (1 Book)

Special Letters (14 Books)

General Letters (7 Books)

Prophecy (1 Book)

10. The Bible needs to be incorporated into our lives.

When you pick a book from your public library or read a magazine it may give you some information or it may just be about entertainment, but whether or not it impacts your life can be of little consequence. This is not true of the Bible.

Because the Bible is a book like no other it has a demand like no other. As communication from God to you, Scripture is not just words on a page that you evaluate what you will and will not take and implement into your life. The word of God is unified and the whole is needed for us to understand the relationship that God wants with us and God expects His word to better our lives.

Lets close our time together by looking at James 1:22-25 (Page 1019).

What is James calling us to do in verse 22 and why is this important?

What is James trying to say with the contrast in the two men in verses 23-25?

How is a man blessed according to verse 25?

Has that been true in your life?

Conclusion:

What has been most helpful for you from today’s session?

Since we know that God exists and has communicated with us, what does the Bible teach us about God and his attributes? We will look at this in our next study.

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Study 3: The Character of God

(This study series has page numbers linked to the NIV Family Bible.)

What have we covered so far and what do you remember about those lessons?

Today we are going to start our time together talking about you.

Identify the behaviors which are most to least characteristic of you.

Rate these statements from a 4 for most like you to 1 for least like you.

A	B	C	D
Directing	Influencing	Steady	Cautious
Self-Certain	Optimistic	Deliberate	Restrained
Adventurous	Enthusiastic	Predictable	Logical
Decisive	Open	Patient	Analytical

Identify the values which are most to least characteristic of you.

Rate these statements from a 4 for most like you to 1 for least like you.

A	B	C	D
Traditions	Impressions	Challenges	Synthesis
Allegiance	Equality	Privileges	Objectivity
Honor	Friendliness	Individualism	Integrity
Courage	Self-Improvement	Ambition	Compassion

Do you find it easier to identify your own attributes or the attributes of God?

Today we are going to look at six attributes of God. I want you to place these in the order that you see God as.

"When I think of God I think of him as…"

Creator _____

Father ______

Holy ________

Judge _______

Lord ________

Love ________

When 1000 teens were asked to rank this list it was found that 2 were seen as neutral attributes, 2 were seen as positive attributes, and 2 were seen as negative attributes. Which attributes do you think fit into these categories?

The truth is that God is 100% of these all of the time.

The neutral attributes were Creator and Holy.

The Bible affirms both of these attributes of God.

Genesis 1-2 (Page 1-2), John 1:1-14 (Page 895), Colossians 1:15-20 (Page 994) show God as creator.

Why is it important that we realize that God is creator?

Isaiah 6:1-7 (Page 582), Luke 5:1-11 (Page 868), 1 Peter 1:13-16 (Page 1022), and Romans 3:9-20 (Page 951) speak of God’s holiness.

How would you define "holiness"?

Why is it important to know that God is holy and that he calls us to holiness as well?

The positive attributes were Father and Love.

The Bible also affirms both of these attributes as well.

Two of the major passages that the Israelites held onto are Exodus 6:6-8 (Page 52), Hosea 11:1-4 (Page 767).

Within the New Testament Jesus makes some claims about his Father and the Father’s relationship with people today lets read Matthew 6:9-15 (Page 817), John 6:44-46 (Page 901), John 14:6-24 (Page 911).

Is the idea of God as father a positive attribute for you?

What does this attribute add to the character of God and his approachability?

The major passage about God as love is found in 1^st John. He uses the term love more than any other writer (25 times in 5 chapters). 1 John 4:7-21 (Page 1030 and note verse 16).

Why is this an important attribute?

What would be missing if this was not one of his attributes?

The last two attributes of Judge and Lord were seen as negative.

Despite the reaction from the teens these are also God’s attributes.

God is Judge and Romans 2:1-16 (Page 950), Matthew 13:36-43 and 47-50 (Page 825) confirm this.

How can it be comforting to know that God will be our judge?

Romans 6:15-23 (Page 953), Matthew 7:15-23 (Page 818), Ephesians 4:1-6 (Page 988) show how we connect to the Lord and what he expects of us.

Conclusion:

Just as you have attributes that identify you, God has attributes which identify him in all three of his forms. Which attribute is most amazing to you?

Now that we have looked at the existence of God and his communication through the Bible and added that to a look at his attributes, our next study will focus on the evidence and claim that Jesus is a part of the trinity. Was he really God in the flesh and is that claim important?

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Study 4: The Son of God

(This study series has page numbers linked to the NIV Family Bible.)

What have we covered so far and what do you remember about those lessons?

Last week we looked at the character of God in general and today we move to look at what the Bible tells us about Jesus Christ.

We are going to structure our time looking at what the gospel of John tells us about Jesus.

John lists seven passages that record the claims that Jesus makes about himself. He uses imagery to point to different aspects of who he is and why he came.

Here is a list of the passages as they occur in John.

1. I am the bread of life. John 6:35

2. I am the light of the world. John 8:12 Note also verse 58.

3. I am the gate for the sheep. John 10:7

4. I am the good shepherd. John 10:14

5. I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25

6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:6

7. I am the true vine. John 15:1

I am the bread of life. John 6:35 (Page 901)

The greater section of this claim includes John 6:35-40: Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

What are some things that we learn about Jesus from these verses?

(That he is the provider, that the Father provides for him, he came from heaven to do the will of the Father, that he came to save, and he will raise them.)

What type of hunger and thirst is he talking about here? (Look at the context of the whole chapter. Page 900)

I am the light of the world. John 8:12 & 58 (Page 904)

The greater section of this claim includes John 8:12-18: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid." Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

What is his claim in verse 12?

What do the Pharisees get caught up on? How does Jesus respond?

JN 8:54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." 57 "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Who gives Jesus his glory according to verse 54?

What is Jesus’ claim in verse 58?

Why do they respond so strongly? (cf. Exodus 3:14-15 on page 49)

I am the gate for the sheep. John 10:7 (Page 906)

The greater section of this claim includes John 10:7-10: Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

What is his claim in verse 9? Is this an important claim?

What does he give in verse 10 and what does that look like?

I am the good shepherd. John 10:14 (Page 906)

The greater section of this claim includes John 10:14-18: "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

What do we learn about Jesus from these verses?

What do we learn about his connection to the Father?

I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25 (Page 908)

The greater section of this claim includes John 11:21-27: "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

What did Martha believe about who Jesus claimed to be?

What happens after this section of text? (cf. Verses 32-44)

I am the way the truth and the life. John 14:6 (Page 911)

The greater section of this claim includes John 14:5-10: Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. (Also look at John 1:14, 2:19-21, 5:18, 10:25-33, 19:7)

What two claims does Jesus make in verse 6? Why are these important claims?

What do we learn about Jesus’ connection to the Father in verse 10?

I am the true vine. John 15:1 (Page 912)

The greater section of this claim includes John 15:1-4: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

What do we learn about Jesus’ connection to the Father in these verses?

How are we fruitful according to verse 4?

Conclusion:

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and John records 7 aspects of his ministry.

Next week we look at the evidence of the resurrection and why this claim is important.

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Study 5: The Evidence of The Resurrection

(This study series has page numbers linked to the NIV Family Bible.)

What have we covered so far in our series of lessons?

What has been the most beneficial session for you?

Today we are going to look at a few quotes to start our time together.

Christ And Funerals

As a young man, D. L. Moody was called upon suddenly to preach a funeral sermon. He hunted all through the Four Gospels trying to find one of Christ’s funeral sermons, but searched in vain. He found that Christ broke up every funeral He ever attended. Death could not exist where He was. When the dead heard His voice they sprang to life. Jesus said, I am the resurrection, and the life (John 11:25).

What response do you have to this story?

The Grieving Caterpillars

Arthur Brisbane once pictured a crowd of grieving caterpillars carrying the corpse of a cocoon to its final resting place. The poor, distressed caterpillars, clad in black raiment, were weeping, and all the while the beautiful butterfly fluttered happily above the muck and mire of earth, forever freed from its earthly shell. Needless to say, Brisbane had the average orthodox funeral in mind and sought to convey the idea that when our loved ones pass, it is foolish to remember only the cocoon and concentrate our attention on the remains, while forgetting the bright butterfly. —Sanctuary Magazine

What did you think of this story and its connection to today’s study?

Today we are going to look at six sources of evidence concerning the resurrection of Jesus.

We believe that Jesus rose from the dead and that truth is attested to by these six facts.

1. There wasn’t a motive to lie.

2. It changed people.

3. There were witnesses.

4. There was an empty tomb.

5. It had immediate impact.

6. People told the truth despite the personal impact of the message.

1. There wasn’t a motive to lie.

All of the Apostles suffered for their faith and for proclaiming the resurrected Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:8-13 (Page 965) Here the false apostles only gain from their claim while the real Apostles suffer.

Why would they go through the things of verses 9-13 if they had made up the story? Look at 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 (Page 981) for a list of the things that Paul went through and remained faithful.

What are you willing to go through because of Jesus’ resurrection?

2. The resurrection changed people.

The Apostles changed from cowards to courageous in a few days.

Luke 22:54-62 (Page 891) records Peter’s denial and Acts 4:1-4 (Page 922) shows him preaching and getting arrested for it.
How has getting to know God changed you?
Saul gets more of a change than he expected when he meets the resurrected Christ. Let’s look at Acts 7:54-8:3 (Page 926) and compare it to 9:1-22 (Page 928). What are some things that change for Saul?

3. The resurrection had witnesses.

These people were still around when the gospels were written and they attested to what had happened.

Look at Matthew 28:1-15 (Page 843). Who provides testimony here?

What does 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (Page 972) tell you about the importance of the resurrection on the early church? Note verse 6.

4. There was and is an empty tomb.

No one has ever claimed to have the body of Christ.

If the Romans had stolen it they would have benefited by producing it. How would they benefit?

If the Jews had taken it they would have gained the power that they tried to protect so why have they not presented the body?

If the Christians would have hidden it then they are liars and what would they have to gain in hiding Jesus body?

So what other option is left?

5. The resurrection had immediate impact.

People were changing their lives to follow the risen Lord within days. Let’s look at Acts 2:22-41 (Page 920) to see how the people respond to Peter’s sermon.

Look at Matthew 27:51-54 (Page 842) to see people who’s lives were impacted.

6. People told the truth despite the personal impact of the message.

When the people told the truth it put them in a bad light.

Peter speaks strongly about the resurrection but he was also the one who was recorded as denying Jesus at the crucifixion.

The first witnesses of the resurrection were the women but they had no right of testimony in their culture so this had potential to harm the claim, but it was true and so they spoke up.

The main options to account for the resurrection.

1. He dropped of exhaustion and recovered.

2. The followers recovered him and claimed he raised from the dead.

3. It is all just a story with no evidence.

4. Jesus raised from the dead as he said he would and it is all true.

Why is our view on this such a crucial view? What impact does it have on our faith?

Conclusion:

The Bible claims that Jesus is the Son of God and that he raised from the dead. No other view can be taken because this fact is foundational to our faith for without the resurrection Jesus was just a man.

Is there hope for us after our death? How can we know where we will go after we die? We will look at these questions in our next study.
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Study 6: The Salvation of God

(This study series has page numbers linked to the NIV Family Bible.)

What have we covered so far in our series of lessons?

What has been the most beneficial session for you?

The first question that I have for you today is a big question. If you died today, where would you end up, and what do you base your answer on?

The second question that I have for you today is to give me some examples of sin? Now what makes those things a sin? How can we define what sin is?

Today we are going to look at a few quotes to start our time together.

What Is Sin

Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.

Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.

Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.

Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice.

Man calls it an error; God calls it an enmity.

Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality.

Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.

Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy.

Man calls it a liberty; God calls it lawlessness.

Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.

Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness.

Man calls it a weakness; God calls it willfulness. —Moody Monthly

How Heavy Is Sin?

A flippant youth asked a preacher, "You say that unsaved people carry a weight of sin. I feel nothing. How heavy is sin? Is it ten pounds? Eighty pounds?" The preacher replied by asking the youth, "If you laid a four-hundred-pound weight on a corpse, would it feel the load?" The youth replied, "It would feel nothing, because it is dead." The preacher concluded, "That spirit, too, is indeed dead which feels no load of sin or is indifferent to its burden and flippant about its presence." The youth was silenced!

Was this a good question?

Was it a good answer? So when do we feel the weight of sin?

Today we are going to look at why we need salvation.

1. Because we are lost.

Because God is Holy he cannot have any connection to impurity. All that it takes is one sin to be removed from His presence.

Genesis 3:1-24 (Page 3) This is the account of the first sin by Adam and Eve and its consequence.

What did they do that was so wrong?
What are some of the results from their actions?
How did it change their relationship with God?
How does the chapter end?

Now lets look at a section of parables that speak of being lost. Luke 15:1-32 (Page 883). Do you think of yourself as being lost? Do you feel the weight of sin?

2. We cannot save ourselves.

Let’s leaf through the first eleven chapters of Genesis and note something.

Genesis 12:1-9 (Page 9) records a very important change in things.
Isn’t there anyone who is good enough to be given their salvation? Lets look at Romans 3:21-26 (Page 951) for more information.
Now let’s look at Ephesians 2:1-10 (Page 987) to get its wording.

What are some things that we learn from this passage?

What are some ways in which people think they will be saved? Why do they not work?

3. Salvation has been provided.

God knew that we would be lost without his actions and so he has intervened to save us.

When did he do this according to Romans 5:6-11 (Page 953)? What motivated God according to this passage? What does the word "reconciled" mean?
Turn to 1 Peter 3:18 (Page 1024) to get its wording on Jesus actions? What does "righteous" mean in this verse?

4. It came at a great cost.

The gift is free to receive but great in price for the giver.

What does Philippians 2:1-11 (Page 992) tell us about the price?

Let’s read one of the accounts of Jesus on the cross. John 19:1-37 (Page 916) will give us an idea of what he went through at his death.

What other ways did it cost Jesus to save you?

How are you worth the price?

What does God want from you?

Conclusion:

The Bible tells us that we are lost and that God has come to find us and to restore relationship with him. He provides our salvation at great personal cost.

How do we receive the salvation that God has provided? How can we know where we will go after we die? We will look at these questions in our next study.
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Study 7: The Ceremony

(This study series has page numbers linked to the NIV Family Bible.)

Last week I asked you a very important question which we will look at again today. If you died today where would you go, and what do you base that on?

Why is this an important question? Where would you go for an answer?

Today we are going to look at a few quotes to start our time together.

Not Moody But God Said So

A woman who was a very busy church worker waited for D. L. Moody after he had told a group of church workers some very plain truths from God’s Word. "Mr. Moody," said the angry woman, "do you mean to tell me that I, an educated woman, taught from childhood in good ways, and all my life interested in the church and doing good, must enter Heaven the same way as the worst criminals of our day?" "No, madam," said Mr. Moody. "I don’t tell you at all: God does. He says everyone who would enter Heaven, no matter how good they think they are, or how well-educated, or zealous in good works, must be born again." —Sunday School Times

Unity Candle

I was escorted to a wedding by my twenty-four-year-old bachelor son. He appeared unaffected by the ceremony until the bride and groom lighted a single candle with their candles and then blew out their own. With that he brightened and whispered, "I've never seen that done before." I whispered back, "You know what it means, don't you?" His response: "No more old flames?"

How do you think a wedding and being born again relate?

What do we learn about salvation from these two stories?

Today we are going to connect the idea of the wedding ceremony with the Biblical teaching of being born again by looking at what they have in common.

1. They are both a ceremony.

A wedding ceremony is a public proclamation of a commitment and a request for the support of those gathered. The ceremony occurs after a process of getting to know each other and the decision to commit to the other person. The same elements are true with an immersion (the word Baptize was formed by King James translators by taking the Greek word for immersion baptizw and writing it with English characters).

Matthew 3:11-17 (Page 814) records Jesus being baptized.

How was this a public proclamation?
How did God the Father respond when Jesus was immersed?
Why would we assume that he was immersed?
Why was Jesus baptized if he had no sin? How does the next section of verses help answer the question?

Lets look at the accounts of immersion through the book of Acts to see the ceremony. Acts 2:36-38 (Page 921), 8:26-39 (927), 16:29-34 (936), 22:12-16 (942).

What do these events have in common?

2. They only work if there is continual commitment.

The wedding is not what holds a marriage together. The ceremony only represents a desire to make a lasting, daily commitment.

1 John 2:1-6 (Page 1028) uses the term "walk" to represent progression.

Luke 9:23-34 (Page 875) speaks of the continuous commitment.
Why would continued commitment be necessary for immersion?

3. They mark a transition.

One aspect of the wedding is to put away the old single life. The Bible calls this repentance, meaning to turn the other way.

What does Colossians 3:5-17 (Page 995) have to say about this transition?
How do we make this transition according to Romans 12:1-2 (Page 959)?
Immersion represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Romans 6:1-14 (Page 953) to get Paul’s teaching on this connection.
How have you been transitioning already?
What do you think is next for you?

4. They mark a new beginning.

In the moment that the marriage license is signed you move from being single to married. You are now legally a new entity represented by a name change, location change, etc…

What does Ephesians 5:1-14 (Page 989) have to say about the new beginning?
One of the best images of a new beginning comes from 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Page 977).

Why does immersion mark a new beginning?

What has been removed? (cf. Acts 2:38)

Who does the work according to 1 Peter 3:20-21 (Page 1024)?

5. They provide us with blessings.

People come to a wedding to give you their blessing and to provide you with support for the changes that are coming.

What do we receive according to Acts 2:38 (Page 921) and Matthew 28:18-20 (Page 843)?
Do you have any other questions about what God is asking for to receive the blessings? Are you ready to commit your life to Christ?

Conclusion:

Immersion is a public commitment that is done to unite us with the blood of Christ to receive the salvation that he has paid for. It is a ceremony that begins the committed stage of the relationship with God. Its power comes from the grace of God and the pledge of the one immersed.

What can we expect after we are a part of the body? We will look at these questions in our next study.
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Study 8: The Family of God

(This study series has page numbers linked to the NIV Family Bible.)

Today is the last in our series of studies. What do you remember about what we have studied this far?

What has struck you in these sessions?

Where do you want to go from here?

Today we are going to look at a few quotes to start our time together.

Are You Worth Saving?

Bishop Moore tells the story of a little boy who was swimming one day in a lake when suddenly he suffered some type of physical difficulty and could swim no farther. The boy struggled for his life. He had gone under twice, when he felt the strong arm of a man lifting him. The man had seen the little boy’s desperate plight and had swum out to save him. The man took the boy safely to shore and, after making certain that everything was well, turned to leave. The little boy said, "Thank you, sir, for saving my life." The man replied, "You’re welcome, son. See to it that you are worth saving."

Bishop Moore said that he has never forgotten those words, for he was that boy whose life was saved by a man who didn’t even leave his name.

A good question for the Christian to ask is, "Am I worth saving?" God in Christ has made a large investment in the life of each of us, and He has every right to expect a return of His investment. —Gospel Herald

What do you think is the point of this reading?

How does it relate to our topic today?

Queen’s Creation

When Queen Elizabeth visited Lord Bacon at his house in Hertford soon after she had created him Chancellor of England, she remarked that "this house is too small for a man like you."

"Madam, it is your Majesty’s fault," replied Bacon with a bow, "for you have made me too large for the house."

What is the point of this reading?

How can we relate to this in a spiritual sense?

Today we are going to look at some of the terms for the Church to see what God has made us a part of.

1. We are in Christ.

When we are saved we become united with Christ.

Ephesians 5:23 (Page 990) speaks of His connection.

Why is he the head?
What does that mean for us ?

To see how this relates to the individual believer lets look at John 14:23 (Page 912)

What are the conditions?

What are the blessings?

2. We are a family.

Father and Son are relational terms. We are called children and that makes us family.

Romans 8:12-17 (Page 955) speaks of the blessings of this union.

1 John 3:1-3 (Page 1029) tells of the joy that should come.
Why do you think God has made us family?

3. We are a body.

Another major illustration for the Church is a body.

What does 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (Page 971) have to say about this body?

What are some things that we learn about the Church from this passage?

What are you willing to give to the body and what do you expect to receive?

4. We are a flock.

This is another image that the Bible uses to speak of the Church.

What does Hebrews 13:20-21 (Page 1018) have to say about the sheep and the shepherd?
What do we learn in 1 Peter 5:1-4 (Page 1025)?

What does this image add to your understanding of the Church?

How are you in need of leadership and guidance?

5. We are committed to one another.

There are a number of "one another" passages in the New Testament which tell us of our connection and responsibility to fellow believers.

A number of these passages occur in Romans so lets look at Romans 12:9-21 (Page 959) as a start of this list.
What do you learn about the Church from this passage?
(In Romans you can also look at 13:8, 14:13, 15:7, 15:14, 16:16.)

Conclusion:

The Church is a blessing from God. It is here to provide the help and structure needed for faithfulness. Our connection to the Church gives us tools to serve God and one another.

Our next study will look at what it means to be a member of our congregation.
What feedback do you have about these studies? What is good and what needs improving?

Vernon Church of Christ

4107 Pleasant Valley Road

Vernon, BC V1T 4M1 Canada

(250) 545-6892

vernonchurchofchrist@telus.net

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