Category: RCL Resources

Readings: Genesis 18:20-21 • Psalm 138:1-8 • Colossians 2:6-10 • Luke 11:1-13

This week’s theme is God knows what he is doing. When Abraham barters with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, God already knows the number of righteous in the city. The Psalmist reminds us that God knows all the troubles we face and already has a plan; for this we can praise him. Paul tells the believers in Colossae to continue to walk (trust) in Christ—he is the head over every power and authority. Luke reminds us that God knows the good gifts to give and we can trust him. This week’s sermon weaves a theme through these passages.

God Knows What He Is Doing

Have you ever wondered why God is delaying taking control? Why Jesus hasn’t returned yet? Do you ask why God seems deaf to your pleas? Perhaps you’ve felt the need to remind God how much he needs to intervene.

There is so much bad news today. Pick up the newspaper or go on the Internet and almost daily you will read news about earthquakes, fires, wars and famine, shootings, grief and misery. With the daily atrocities shouting out to us from the headlines, bad news seems to be the norm for our world. It sometimes makes us feel as if we are living in the most evil time period ever. But knowing the history of this planet, we realize that’s not true.

Evil was introduced into our world from the beginning, and though Satan has been conquered, his influence is still here. As someone once said, the dragon is slain but the tail is still wagging.

As Christians, we know we are not immune to the physical dangers to life and limb in this world. Neither are we immune to spiritual dangers. But here’s the key—God is never surprised by what we face, and he is never unprepared. We can trust that he knows what he is doing. The answer to all the evil we see and deal with is Jesus.

Normally, we strive to just focus on one scripture for the theme of the sermon. Today, however, I want to use passages from the Torah, the Writings, the Gospels and the Epistles of Paul to show a constant theme that God knows what he is doing.

Let’s begin in Genesis 18, with the story of Abraham bartering with God over Sodom and Gomorrah. God has seen the wickedness in the two cities and told Abraham it was time to destroy them.

Then the Lord said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.” So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” (Genesis 18:20-26 NRSV)

I love God’s patience here. He knew there weren’t 50 righteous and he let Abraham continue to barter all the way down to 10.

“Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:32 NRSV)

When we think God is not hearing our pleas, think of this story. God already knew the outcome, and he knew what was best for the future. He let Abraham barter with him so Abraham could learn to trust God and believe that God knew what he was doing. We need this reminder.

There are times when we feel it would be better if all the evil around us would be wiped clean, right off this earth. We know God could do that; he’s done it before. Why can’t it all just end? Why can’t Christ return and put a stop to it all?

Christ’s sacrifice defeated Satan, but we are still living in an evil world. Why is Jesus delaying his coming? Perhaps it is because he has a bigger plan; he always does. Our lack of understanding all the details, does not mean God’s plan isn’t the best plan. His plan always works for good. Our responsibility is to pray for God’s will and to accept his timing, not our own. We learned this from Jesus, who prayed, “Not my will, but yours.”

Let’s move to Psalm 138 and focus on the last two verses.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. (Psalm 138:7-8 NRSV)

We all walk in the midst of trouble. The Psalmist understood this, but he also understood that we are not forsaken when we face trouble. God is not only present, but he is also at work. He is the deliverer and he will fulfill his purpose for us—and that purpose is fulfilled in his steadfast love. This is something we want to believe, but sometimes we get misled by lies. The lies tell us God does not care, that he isn’t concerned about us, that he rules from a distance, that Jesus wasn’t really God, that he can’t really intervene.

It’s not unusual to struggle in faith when we are facing severe trials, many of us do. It’s not something we should be ashamed of. There are a lot of lies about God; there always have been. This is one of the issues facing the believers in Colossae that Paul addressed. Notice what he says in his letter to them:

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:6-8 NRSV)

Throughout this chapter, Paul warns against false philosophies, legalism, the worship of angels and asceticism—all heretical influences and all contrary to the teachings of Christ. We face the same influences today—God is not real, Jesus was not God, God is not interested in you, you aren’t good enough for God, you are not forgiven, you need to earn salvation. People are still being captivated by numerous lies and various belief systems that are not of Christ.

Paul reminds us to stay rooted in the pure gospel message: Jesus is the answer. It seems too simple and quaint when you see it on a sign or on a fence post, but that doesn’t negate the truth. He is the answer to all our problems. His life, death and resurrection, his sacrifice, changed everything for us. Paul continues:

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:9-10 NRSV)

Jesus is in charge, over every ruler and authority, physical and spiritual, and we are raised with him, dead to sin and alive in him. We read these encouraging words and we know they are true, but when we view the atrocities going on in our world and suffer our own personal failures, we can be overwhelmed with the here and now, losing sight of the hope of Christ in us.

So how do we remain rooted? How do we continue to live our lives in him? How do we remain established in the faith? Again, we look to Jesus as our example. The one constant in Jesus’ life was prayer.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus praying. Sometimes he prayed all night. His disciples must have wondered at this. They had heard that John the Baptist taught his followers how to pray. They wanted to know how to pray powerfully as well. This brings us to our last scripture reference, in Luke. (I’m going to switch to the King James due to familiarity with the Lord’s prayer.)

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (Luke 1:1-4 KJV)

Later in church history another line was added: “For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.”

But Jesus didn’t stop with those few words, as profound as they are. He continued to address the unspoken questions about prayer. Does God hear? Does he answer? Does he care? Can we trust him?

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.” (Luke 11:5-8 NRSV)

Some translators feel the Greek word translated persistence would be better translated boldness. Their argument: It’s not that if you just keep asking long enough, God will finally answer your prayers. Many scriptures show God as eager to hear and answer prayers. Let’s read the next verses:

So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. (Luke 11:9-13 NRSV)

God knows what he is doing. He knows what good gifts to give you, and when. Jesus is telling us, yes, pray when you are in trouble or when you need to experience God’s forgiveness, or when you need to forgive others. Pray when you are tempted and feeling weak. But always pray for his will to be done; his will is good.

Let’s face it, sometimes it is difficult to pray for God’s will to be done and not your own. There is fear involved. What if I don’t like God’s will? What if it means more trouble, more pain, more confusion? Under some circumstances, praying for God’s will is a tough prayer to pray and really mean it. But that’s where our hope lies—in God and his will for us, and his will for this evil world. He does know what is best for us—both in the short term and in the long term—far better than we could ever know for ourselves. He knows how and when to give good gifts, and he already gave us the greatest gift—his Son.

Many times in life there is only one place we can go to have hope for the future. And that hope is a person. Jesus is the hope of this world. He’s the one we can go to when there seems no way out of the troubles we face.

Christ’s way of hope is the way of knowing who is in charge of this world, the way of anticipation toward what the future holds for us. Jesus gave us wonderful gifts of grace and faith so we could face life’s upheavals bravely, with courage and hope. When we are at our weakest, great power lies in our hope in Christ.

So, next morning when you turn on the TV or look at your phone or newspaper, stop, take a deep breath, and do not lose sight of that hope. God really does know what he is doing—Jesus really is the answer.

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: Genesis 18:1-10a • Psalm 15:1-5 • Colossians 1:15-28 • Luke 10:38-42

This week’s theme is The righteous (those who believe) will not be shaken. The Lord appears to Abraham, who asks if he has found favor. God replies and promises Abraham a son within a year. The Psalmist describes the behavior of the righteous who “will never be shaken.” In Luke, we read the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus says Mary “has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her” (Luke 10:42). This week’s sermon focuses on Colossians 1, reminding us that we live in righteousness because of our reconciliation with God, through Jesus.

Incomparable

Colossians 1:15-28

Introduction: Who is Jesus? Who do others say he is? Who do you say he is?

Suggestion: Encourage people to answer these questions with as many answers as possible. Start with “Who do others say he is?” Then move to “Who do you say he is?”

Do you believe that Jesus is God? Say it out loud with me: Jesus is God!

This is a fundamental truth. Yet throughout history—and we still hear the heresy today—false teachers have attacked this truth. They did so in the apostle Paul’s day, and they have never stopped.

This truth—that Jesus is God—is more than a tenet we believe or agree with; this is the truth we stand on—it is our foundation. It is also the truth that leads us to exultation, praise and worship as it did for Paul in his letter to the Colossians.

The New Testament authors wrote of the deity of Jesus to combat claims against him. But the truth they taught was also intended to prompt their hearers and readers to worship, praise and glorify our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. C.S. Lewis understood this when he wrote, “A man can’t be always defending the truth; there must be a time to feed on it” (Reflections on the Psalms, 7).

The attacks on the truth of the gospel have not let up. Sometimes we are so busy defending the gospel, we neglect letting the truth lead us to praise and worship. We can spend so much time arguing and debating with skeptics and atheists, that we don’t take the time to enjoy and delight in what we are defending—the truth that Jesus Christ is God.

It seems Paul wanted to remind believers in Colossae who it was they were defending. The Colossian church experienced numerous attacks from false teachers. The exact nature of the Colossian heresy (or heresies) is debated among scholars, but Paul wanted them to focus on proclaiming Jesus Christ and what he accomplished through his death and resurrection.

In Colossians 1:15–28, Paul wrote an amazing summary of who Christ is and what he accomplished. In doing so, he combatted the arguments of the false teachers, and gave the Colossian Christians, and us, even more reason to worship and follow Jesus Christ as God.

Let’s read the passage in Colossians:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15).

Paul is not talking here of Christ’s physical appearance, but about his character and nature. Genesis 1 says God made humanity in his image (vv. 27–28), to reflect his character and nature to the world. But sin marred God’s intentions for humanity. While no one is able to perfectly reveal God, humanity started reflecting an image in contrast to who God is—an image focused on self, our wants and needs—rather than on God. Jesus restored this reflection when he entered the world. He perfectly revealed God’s character and glory. He fulfills the purposes God had intended both for himself and for humanity. This verse also emphasizes the relation of Jesus to humanity—he is the firstborn of all, and he reminds us what God is like.

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. This prevents us from making God into our image. In our minds, we tend to fashion God after our own thoughts and desires. We try to squeeze him into a mold and project onto him something he is not. Jesus keeps our view of God in check.

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)

When Paul wrote Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation,” he did not mean God created Jesus, as some claim today. Paul’s very next statement shows that Jesus is the source of all creation: “For by him all things were created.” So what did Paul mean? He likely had in mind Psalm 89, and the role of the Messianic King: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth” (Ps. 89:27). Jesus is not a created being; he is the Creator who reigns over all creation. All that exists, he created. All he created exists “for him.” Why is this important? Notice what Paul includes in the list of the things Jesus created: “whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.” Paul wanted to make clear that all authorities in heaven and on earth are under Jesus Christ’s lordship and dominion. Jesus upholds, governs, sustains, and rules over all things. This is good news, and this good news is praiseworthy.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)

Not only is Christ over creation, he is also over the new creation—the church. He is the head of the universal church throughout the ages, which is made up of local groups, fellowships and congregations of believers who profess Jesus as Lord. Christ achieved this through his death and resurrection because he is “the firstborn from the dead.” He took the curse of creation upon himself (Gal. 3:13) to bring about a new creation, and to “reconcile all things to himself . . . making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. (Colossians 1:21-23)

The false teachers in Colossae seemed to teach that something in addition to Jesus was required for salvation. Paul assured them Christ was sufficient—he is always enough. He is a perfect Savior. All we need to do is look to him and embrace the work he accomplished on our behalf. In his life, death and resurrection he has reconciled us to God.

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:24-27)

It doesn’t matter what heresies people try to bring up, it doesn’t matter how many false teachers we deal with—we know who Christ is. He is the image of the Father, the one who created all things and took us in the midst of our guilt, sinfulness and filth and reconciled us to the Father. He is the one who gives love to those who believe they are unlovable; he forgives those who believe they are unforgiveable, and he gives hope to those who believe they have none. He is the one who gives that peace that surpasses understanding. He is the mystery who lives in us—Jesus in you, the hope of glory.

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. (Colossians 1:28)

Jesus Christ is God. Knowing who he is, what he accomplished, and the future he holds for us should put a song of worship in our hearts and on our lips. Jesus is incomparable. as John Piper said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” Jesus Christ is infinitely satisfying.

The next time you hear false teachers proclaiming a false gospel, or you hear the latest heresy, know that you can stand firm knowing who Jesus is. May you find your satisfaction in him—enabling you to glorify his name in all things.

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:9-14 • Psalm 25:1-10 • Colossians 1:1-14 • Luke 10:25-37

This week’s theme is God’s goodness leads to praise. In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are told they can obey, and when they do, they will see God’s goodness. In his letter to believers in Colossae, Paul tells them he is continually praising God for them—for their faith and love. He reminds them that God’s goodness brings redemption and forgiveness. In Luke, we read the parable of the Good Samaritan, where Jesus tells us to extend mercy, just as he does. The sermon focuses on Psalm 25 and David’s response to God’s goodness.

Salvation from A to Z

Psalm 25:1-10 (ESV)

 Introduction: You may want to ask the following question and let the members give their answers: If I were to ask you to define God’s goodness, what comes to mind? What words come to mind when you think of God’s goodness?

Most of us believe in God’s goodness. There are many scriptures that give us reasons to praise God for his goodness:

• Forgiveness—before we even sinned
• Grace—unmerited (undeserved) pardon
• Adoption—heirs with Christ
• Faithfulness—God is always faithful to us
• Slow to anger/Quick to mercy
• Relational intentionality—God desires and seeks personal relationship with us.
• Unconditional love—nothing we do makes God love us more or love us less

Today we are going to look at Psalm 25 and see how David dealt with the contrast between God’s goodness and humanity’s sinfulness. This is a reality we all face—we know our sinfulness and we find it amazing that God decides to be good to us anyway

The psalms often speak of God’s goodness and our sinfulness within the topic of confession and repentance. Confession and repentance may conjure up feelings of fear, guilt and anxiety. But when we see God’s goodness as a who—Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer—confession and repentance becomes filled with faith, hope and love. Confession becomes a time where we agree with God’s pronouncement that we are made holy and righteous in Jesus and therefore acknowledge those areas in our life that are not congruent with that reality. We confess in hope knowing the Lord will not leave us in our sins. Repentance becomes a natural response from seeing the goodness of God. We change our mind about who God is and who we are and bring our life in line with that revelation.

Both confession and repentance flow out of and lead into praise. Let’s notice how David begins Psalm 25:

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust. (Psalm 25:1-2a ESV)

The phrase “I lift up my soul” means to “nurse an appetite for something.” David wants to feed his faith by being reminded—through praise—of the character of God. Praise is not something we do to satisfy some deity’s ego. God is not insecure and doesn’t need our praise to prop him up. Praise is for us. As we see his goodness, praise becomes a natural response drawn out of us. Out of this response we are again reminded of God’s goodness, his faithfulness, his mercy, grace and love. Praise becomes a cycle of enjoyment that feeds our faith in the one we are enjoying.

In The Joyful Christian, C.S. Lewis speaks eloquently on this subject of praise:

I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation… The worthier the object, the more intense this delight would be. If it were possible for a created soul fully (I mean, up to the full measure conceivable in a finite being) to ‘appreciate’, that is to love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in supreme beatitude.[1]

David follows “I lift up my soul” with “O my God, in you I trust.” As our faith in God is fed, it grows into a trust that opens us to confession and repentance. Out of this trust we see that our repentance is not an exercise of shame. This God in whom David places his trust is the “God of my salvation.” The Psalm itself is structured as an acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet. The first letter of each new verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew language. As David seeks deliverance, guidance and forgiveness throughout the Psalm we are reminded that the Lord has our salvation from Aleph to Tav—or in English, from A to Z.

David asks for deliverance

Let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.” (Psalm 25:2b-3 ESV)

Salvation involves deliverance, but it doesn’t stop there. For David, deliverance is not being whisked away to heaven one day, leaving God’s good creation and purposes behind; deliverance is being delivered from all that prevents us from being who God created us to be. We cannot separate ourselves from God’s creation and purposes as revealed in Jesus. Heaven and Earth are meant to come together, not further apart.

Psalm 25 falls within a section of Psalms with Psalm 29 serving as a central theme. That central Psalm is all about the King of Creation. This is how David understood deliverance and is how we should understand it today. There is more to salvation than just going to heaven after we die. Heaven is not some plan of escapism, but rather it is the place where God’s presence fills the earth.

David asks for guidance.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. (Psalm 25:4-6 ESV)

Salvation also includes knowledge of who God is. God does not just reveal to us a better way of living; he gives himself to us to be known as life itself. This knowledge of God goes back “from of old.” He is and always has been a God of “mercy” and “steadfast love”—there is no other God to choose from. This was the calling of Israel for the other nations. There is only one God. All other gods are but empty and foolish idols. Jesus fulfills this role by revealing to us that this one God is a loving Father who is for us. The fear of the pagan deities can be discarded as we are guided into the knowledge of the only God that is.

David asks for forgiveness

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. (Psalm 25:7-10 ESV)

In the light of who God is, there is also an exposure of the darkness of sin and all that falls short of the Father’s good purposes for us. David does not want these sins to be “remembered.” Instead God remembers us. Sin dismembers us, tearing us apart and fragmenting us to our core. The forgiveness of God is not just in word only, leaving us in our dismembered and fractured state. His forgiveness is in Jesus Christ, and it is an active forgiveness, which restores, heals and re-members us to the wholeness of who we were created to be. Repentance is participating in his act of “re-membering.”

Even this repentance springs from the character of God being “good and upright.” The Father does not intend to leave us broken, but places us on the “paths of the Lord” that are “steadfast love and faithfulness.” So even our confessions can remind us that God’s grace is still working his good purposes in us.

Ultimately, we must remember that all the Psalms point to Jesus. In this Psalm, we can rightly say that Jesus is our salvation from A-Z.

Jesus is the one who delivers. There is no other source of deliverance from all that prevents us from having good relationship with God and with one another. Religion can’t deliver us. Principles don’t deliver us. Well-crafted plans and programs will never deliver us. It is to Jesus, and no other, to whom we lift up our souls for deliverance. As we wait on him, trusting him to do his work of deliverance in our life—even if it is one shackle at a time—we come to trust him more fully as our deliverer. He is faithful to deliver us even when we feel bound. We can participate in his deliverance in hope, knowing that he will complete his work in his good time. In this hope, we can live today out of the freedom he is bringing us into tomorrow.

Jesus is the one who guides. Jesus is the full revelation of the Father. To be guided into knowing God, we turn our eyes to Jesus, who leads us into his own relationship with the Father in the Spirit. Jesus is the great teacher who knows his disciples perfectly and loves them deeply. We do not have to fear his guidance. We know he is good and that he loves us in the same love that the Father loves him. It’s much easier to follow one that we trust. Have you ever had to follow someone that you knew didn’t know where he was going? Not a pleasant experience. Jesus knows the way because Jesus is the way. He is trustworthy and following him is a joyous journey.

Jesus is our forgiveness. Have you ever had someone say they forgive you only to later treat you with some retaliation? Jesus doesn’t only say a word of forgiveness; he is the Word of forgiveness. It is in him that our sins are forgiven, and we are made whole. We never have to fear that someday down the road we will be met with a God who vents his real feelings. When God forgives, he gives his Word. Jesus is his trustworthy Word in which we can confess all our sins knowing he will forgive and make us whole.

For our salvation from A to Z the bumper sticker got it right. “Jesus is the answer.” Sometimes we may be tempted to move on from Jesus into what we think are deeper waters. Perhaps we think Jesus is a good starting point but now we need to sink our teeth into something meatier. “Jesus is the answer” sounds cliché when one moves on to some new-fangled idea. Let Psalm 25 remind us that it is only in Jesus that we find any true deliverance, guidance and forgiveness. From A to Z, Jesus is still the answer.

[1] C.S. Lewis, The Inspirational Writings of C.S. Lewis (New York, NY: Inspirational Press, 1994), 179-180.

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-14 • Psalm 30:1-12 • Galatians 6:1-6, 7-16 • Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

This week’s theme is Our invitation to participate in restoration. The story in 2 Kings is about Namaan, who had leprosy. Namaan was told to wash in the Jordan river 7seven times (participation) and then God restored his health. The Psalm was a song of dedication to the temple they built for God—restoring relationship. Paul reminds believers in Galatia to restore one another—to do good to all. The sermon is based on Jesus sending the 72—inviting them to participate in restoring people to God.

Sending Disciples

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Introduction: Share a time you took a trip or vacation, or went on an excursion or a camping outing and then realized you did not plan or pack adequately for that event? Or a time you went to work and realized you left valuable material at home. Or you got to church and realized your sermon was sitting on your printer.

Today we will explore a story in Luke where we find Jesus sending out his disciples, but specifically telling them to not take supplies. But first, a bit behind the story.

It must have been exciting to travel with Jesus and hear his stories, watch the people listen and change, to see miracles take place almost daily, and to watch Jesus challenge the spiritual leaders of the day and call them out for their hypocrisy. You couldn’t help but believe you were part of something big—perhaps the beginning of the restoration of Israel and the downfall of the Romans.

Sure, there were dissenters wherever you went, but most of the people following Jesus wanted to follow him, they wanted to learn, they were excited to be part of this movement. Then one day Jesus calls 72 of you and tells you he is sending you on a mission trip—to visit the villages he plans to visit on his way to Jerusalem. Your adrenaline is pumping; you have been invited to participate in what he is doing. You can only imagine the excitement ahead of you, people listening and learning, people changing because you are bringing news about Jesus and the kingdom.

Jesus had just talked about the cost of following him and now he is giving you some specific instructions. We find the story in Luke 10:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:1-2)

This wasn’t a nice tour—Jesus told them right from the start that the job was bigger than them. He told them the work was going to be hard. Though they are going in groups of two, the first thing they needed to do is ask God to provide others who can help them.

Notice he was also specific about where they were to go—he sent them to every town and village he would soon visit. Their job was similar to John the Baptist’s job – prepare the people for the visit of the Messiah.

At this point your heart is filled with excitement and a bit of anxiety—”wow, this is a big job. I hope I am up to the task.”

Jesus continues:

Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. (Luke 10:3-4)

You are listening carefully, taking notes: no money, no knapsack, no sandals, greet no one—wait! What? This doesn’t make sense. Why would you send out an expedition party without the right supplies? How are you going to eat? Can’t you at least take a change of clothes? And what’s this about lambs in the midst of wolves? That sounds dangerous. Wolves eat lambs. What is he sending us to? I’ll just have to trust him—so far it’s worked out.

Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. (Luke 10:5-8)

Good, he’s not asking us to become beggars, but to go where we are invited, and to not force ourselves on anyone. I can handle this. I’ve been hungry a few times with Jesus, but never starving. He has always provided—even if it means making a feast out of a couple fish and a few loaves of bread.

Heal the sick in it and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” (Luke 10:9)

Yes! This is why you want to go; you want to help people. You have seen the amazing work Jesus does and you are excited to participate. Imagine if you pray and someone is healed. You are excited about being able to share the good news of the kingdom of God and watch people respond with enthusiasm. This is the exciting part of a mission trip—when you don’t think about supplies, you only think about sharing the gospel.

But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say,  “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.” (Luke 10-10-11)

Not everyone will accept what you have to say. Jesus is telling you to let them know they have missed something bigger than themselves and that it is going to occur whether they believe it or not. Then just move on.

The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me. (Luke 10:16)

Without using the term, Jesus is telling you that you are his ambassadors—his direct representatives. As a disciple, you know this is high honor. Jesus is trusting you to represent him. You know that with this honor comes tremendous responsibility. You are ready to go.

Now, before we move to the last few verses of this passage, let’s talk about this a bit. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like Jesus really prepared his disciples for the trip. If it were me, I’d want food and clothes at a bare minimum. I’d rather have proper foot apparel, a proper cloak for the cold, traveler’s checks for any unknown expenses and a pre-paid uber camel ride to the next town. But I’m not Jesus, and he has reasons for why he does the things he does.

Let’s ask some questions: Why do you think Jesus gave these instructions? Why would he ask them to go without the necessary supplies?

Idea: This is a good time for some group discussion. If your congregation is larger, split them up to discuss this passage and these questions. Then share the results. If your congregation is smaller, lead the discussion and allow people to respond.

OK, let’s summarize:

These 72 disciples are going to be working hard because there aren’t enough laborers, and it’s a big job. Further, we get the sense there was a sense of urgency. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for the final time and there was much to do. He said, “Go—get going—on your way.”

How similar is this to today? There is much to do and not enough laborers. Still, Jesus tells us to Go—as we are going—and to participate in sharing the gospel.

They were going to meet people who would be hostile to their efforts and were going to find themselves in situations where they would experience rejection.

Again, very similar to today. We often encounter people who are hostile to any Christian message or overture. Some of us have been rejected by family and friends. Jesus told us this would happen—we shouldn’t be too surprised when it does. We can’t let this discourage us or keep us from what we’ve been asked to do.

The 72 were drastically under-packed—you could say unprepared—and relied on others for sustenance.

Is there any among us who feels fully qualified? Are any of us fully prepared to meet the challenges we face? Do we even have the sustenance we need? On our own, obviously not! However, we do know the One who is qualified, who is preparing us, and who continually provides for us and sustains us—physically, emotionally, spiritually.

These instructions on what to pack and what to leave at home clue us into the purpose of this mission trip. Like you and me, the 72 were to represent Jesus and announce the advent of the kingdom of God. Given that purpose, they left all the unnecessary stuff at home; but I am sure they took along their faith and courage.

Let’s read the rest of the passage:

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20)

The disciples returned excited and a bit surprised. “Even demons are subject to us in your name.”

Jesus’ reply likely surprised them and gave them an indication who Jesus was. “I saw Satan fall like lightning.” A flash of lightning is quick. It may be powerful, but it is over in a moment. Satan’s reign is nearly over, the kingdom of God is near. The eschatological defeat of Satan is taking place in the ministry of Jesus and his disciples.

Some have taken Jesus’ next statement out of context. When Jesus says, “See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you,” he is not telling us to handle snakes and that we are not susceptible to their venom. Some charismatic snake-handlers have found this out the hard way. Jesus’ point is that even in the face of the violence and injustice of life, evil cannot destroy the one who goes forth in Jesus’ name. The physical body can be destroyed, but our names are already written in heaven.

God has invited us to participate in what he is doing—bringing light to the world, sharing the good news of the kingdom, teaching others about Jesus, making disciples. He is giving us the opportunity to rejoice because our names are already written—now we want others to have reason to rejoice.

When we participate, God gives us many reasons to rejoice. When we share the gospel, we are telling others the blessings of knowing God—that he is real, that he is here, within the grasp of any who receive the good news.

And when he calls us to participate, we often wait because we are so focused on the preparation, making sure we have the right supplies, the right information, everything we believe we need for the journey. But Jesus tells us to go and to trust him to provide.

Here are a few things we can apply from this passage:

• Living and sharing the gospel is a communal enterprise. Go in pairs—two by two—for encouragement, accountability and safety.
• Don’t be discouraged by how big the job is—just start. As you go, ask God to provide other laborers who can also participate. Not just so your work load is lighter, but so more people can be reached and more disciples can be made.
• Know God will take care of you. Not only might he provide physical sustenance, but he will give you the words to say, the courage to say what you need to say, and the love for others that enables you to reach out and build relationships.
• Don’t get discouraged when some reject the gospel. They aren’t your problem; they are God’s problem and he will work with them in his time and in his way.
• Expect God to show up in miraculous ways. Prayers will be answered. People will respond in positive ways. Healings will occur.
• Don’t fear the evil one—he is already defeated. He has no power over those who do anything in the name of Jesus.
• Praise and worship the God who has invited you to participate in preparing the way for the kingdom and for the return of Jesus. Experience the joy of being one of God’s beloved as you share the gift of the gospel.

God has invited us to be his ambassadors. The kingdom of God is near, and you get to share the good news.

Prayer

 

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: 1 Kings 19:1-15 • Psalm 42:1-11 and 43:1-5 • Galatians 3:23-29 • Luke 8:26-39

This week’s theme is Remembering whose we are. The Psalmist reminds us to “pant for God” when our soul is downcast, to put our hope in him, even when we feel we are at the end of our rope. This happens when we believe we are still in custody to the law, as Paul told the believers in Galatia, and we forget who we are and that we belong to Christ. The story in Luke of “Legion” possessing the man who could break his chains reminds us that no matter how bad it can get, God is for us—we belong to him.

The Voice of Truth

Have you ever felt alone? Or like you are the only one going through a certain type of situation. I know I have.

Share a personal story—or one you are familiar with—of being alone. At some point in the sermon, you may want to play the Casting Crowns song, “The Voice of Truth.”  

This is one pastor’s personal story: I have two siblings who tried to commit suicide—an older sister and my twin brother. Both situations were very painful, for my twin brother, it was like I felt his pain. I knew he felt like a failure, not worthy of living. Feeling like he was all alone, he ran. He’d had enough. I was at summer camp when I got the news that my brother was missing. The family suspected he might try to commit suicide. I felt alone, so far away from the rest of the family. And I felt like no one could understand what I was going through, like I was the only one who felt that way. At least that what I told myself. Truth is, I was listening to the wrong voice about myself, just like my sister and brother gave in to their depression by listening to and believing negative words about themselves. Thankfully, neither sibling was successful with their attempt, and both are alive and well today.

The Bible tells us that God never leaves us nor forsakes us; he is with us always—even when we least feel his presence. In spite of this truth, we sometimes find ourselves afraid, feeling alone, believing no one cares or no on loves us. Whenever I feel alone, when I hear those voices telling me I am no good—that no one cares or loves me—I remember Elijah. There is a story in 1 Kings that should give us some encouragement.

First some background:

Elijah was a prophet of Israel who served the Lord. He prophesied against Israel because of the kings and people’s idolatrous ways of turning away from God and serving false gods and idols. The king of Israel at the time was Ahab—who, according to Scripture— “did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30). He married a pagan woman named Jezebel, who led him to worship Baal. He eventually set up an altar for Baal and made an Asherah pole—a sacred pole (or sometimes a tree) that was used in the worship of the pagan goddess Asherah. Ahab “did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him” Kings 16:33).

Jezebel wasn’t finished: she started killing off the Lord’s prophets. She and Ahab were after Elijah in particular. (You can read the story in 1 Kings 18.) At the same time, Ahab and Jezebel set up their own prophets—450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah.

Dealing with the false prophets

God sent Elijah to meet Ahab and all the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. There Elijah pointed out he was only one of the Lord’s prophets against 450 prophets of Baal. He challenged them to a duel by giving these instructions:

“Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God” (1 Kings 18:23-24).

The prophets of Baal called on their god all day long, and not as much as a spark came close to the altar (I Kings 18:26-29.) At first Elijah mocked them and encouraged them to shout louder—saying maybe their god was deep in thought or busy, or traveling, or asleep. The prophets of Baal finally gave up.

Then Elijah had a trench dug around the Lord’s altar and ordered four large jars of water to be poured on it and over the wood. This was done three times. The altar was drenched, and water filled the trench. Then Elijah prayed:

“Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!” (I Kings 18:36-39).

Elijah then demanded that all the prophets of Baal be killed.

A powerful story—God was with him. Nothing could stop this fearless leader—this prophet of God. Well, nothing except fear, and the feeling of being alone. The story picks up in 1 Kings 19.

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” Elijah was afraid and ran for his life (1 Kings 19:1-3).

What happened here? One moment Elijah is at the top of his game—God had revealed himself in an incredible way and 450 prophets of Baal lost their lives. Elijah should have been on top of the world. But when Jezebel flipped out and sent a warning to Elijah, he got scared and ran into the wilderness.

When he got to a place of hiding, he sat down under a tree and prayed—not to give praise to God for what he had just experienced, but rather a cry of despair.

“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4).

Elijah, seeing the powerful influence that Jezebel was still exercising despite his triumph on Mt. Carmel, lost hope of ever reforming the king and people. It’s like he concluded that God could only do so much—the enemy was still out there. Elijah started to feel alone and so he prayed for release from the troubles and anxieties of a wicked world.

Have you ever lost hope like this? Yes, you’ve had some great spiritual highs—prayers answered, feeling God’s presence, seeing a miracle take place—but they can be followed by a spiritual low. Now you just want to lay down under a tree, or crawl into bed, and sleep? Have you ever wanted to run, just run away because you lost your purpose? Or wondered if even God could help? I think we can identify with Elijah on some level or another.

In his woe, Elijah lay down and fell asleep. Note the good evidence he was not alone:

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night (1 Kings 19:5-9).

Here is a prime example of Elijah’s feelings lying to him. He wasn’t alone; an angel came and fed him. Still, Elijah went to hide again. After some time, the Lord came and said, “What are you doing, Elijah?

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too” (1 Kings 19:10).

God told Elijah to stand in the presence of the Lord. First there was a great wind, then an earthquake, then a fire, and then a gentle whisper—God was making his presence known, but Elijah still felt alone, and full of fear.

“I am the only one left—yes, I know you are there, God, but no one else believes in you. I can’t do this anymore. It’s me against the world.”

The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:15-18).

You are not alone

This story speaks to us on a number of levels. There are times when we feel so lonely that we might even believe we are the only one going through our kind of stuff. We listen to the voice that tells us we are alone with no help in sight. We feel alone, but that voice and that feeling is not speaking truth. There is another voice we need to listen to—the voice of truth. God is never done with us.

God told Elijah: I have always been with you. In the midst of your distress and dejection, I am with you. In your triumphs and your failures, I provide for you. I am with you now. Here is your identity and purpose. It is in me. Now go and live for me and serve me.

God was not done with Elijah, and he is not done with you. No matter what circumstance you face, no matter what your feelings tell you, the truth is that God does not leave you nor forsake you.

God was always with Elijah just as God is always with me and God is always with you.

There are always others who have gone through similar circumstances you go through. There are others who can encourage you and who need to be encouraged by you. This is what relationship is all about—sharing our stories, listening to each other, encouraging each other, always pointing each other to the truth that we are never alone.

God is never done with us. Our identity is not in our successes or our failures—our identity is in the victory and personhood of Jesus Christ. Feelings lie to us, but God never does. He tells us we are never alone in Christ. Jesus promises he will never leave us nor forsake us. God will provide for us and sustain us. He provides help, hope and encouragement in the Bible stories we read, in our prayers, and in our relationship with him and with one another.

We are to listen to the voice of God. He gives us our purpose. We may not hear him in the loud and flashy, the wind, the earthquake or the fire. We may hear him in the silence, or in a still small voice. If we listen to the voice of truth, we will hear how much our Father loves us, how much our Savior cares for us, how much the Spirit lives in us. If we listen to the voice of truth, we will hear God.

I encourage you to reflect on this story when you are feeling alone. I suggest you read the story of David who didn’t allow anyone to tell him he couldn’t slay an enemy of God. I encourage you to read the story of Peter who felt like a failure, or of Paul who was redeemed on the road to Damascus.

These stories are written for you to remember who God is. He is doing a work in you because the story is continuing. You and I are part of that story. Share the story with others—let them know they can hear and believe the voice of truth.

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 • Psalm 8:1-9 • Romans 5:1-5 • John 16:12-15

This week is Trinity Sunday and the theme is God’s Glory. Proverbs 8 talks about wisdom, which is a personification of God’s ways, or a personified blueprint of all creation. The Psalmist sees the glory of the heavens and asks, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them.” He concludes by saying, “How majestic is your name!” Paul spoke to the believers in Rome about the peace and hope we have in Christ—leading us to rejoice in the glory of God. Jesus told his disciples in the Gospel of John about the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Truth—who will glorify Christ. The sermon focuses on the passage in John.

What’s Mine Is Yours

John 16:12-15 (NRSV)

Introduction: How many of you, as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles believe you have much to share with the young people in your family, but you realize they simply won’t receive it or understand it? Sometimes it’s because they aren’t listening; sometimes it’s because they simply don’t have the experience or maturity to understand. I know I wish I had listened more during my life—and I’m sure you feel the same about your life.

Today we celebrate the Trinity on this day called Trinity Sunday—part of the traditional Christian calendar. We are going to look at a passage in the Gospel of John where Jesus tells us that what he shares with us has been given to him by his Father. Jesus is showing us the unity he experiences with the Father—”what the Father says, I say; what the Father does, I do.” Elsewhere in the Bible we are told Jesus is the exact representation or expression of the Father. When we understand the significance of God being Father, Son and Spirit we see that this is an immeasurable gift we have been given in Jesus Christ. Let me explain:

In Jesus, we are brought into the divine life the Father, Son and Spirit have shared for all eternity. Don’t just gloss over that thought. Let me say it again: In Jesus, we are brought into the divine life the Father, Son and Spirit have shared for all eternity. This life that we are brought into is not like some extra carry-on bag of goodies that we add to our present journey. It is a life that transforms our whole existence, past, present and future. Let’s briefly look at how the Triune life transforms us.

The Triune life shared with us transforms our past.

Notice how Jesus addressed his disciples:

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12 NRSV).

Jesus takes us as we are and where we are. The disciples weren’t ready for some things, and Jesus knew this. A few days later, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, they were ready for a lot more. Aren’t you glad our past doesn’t determine our future? Maybe you have said to yourself the phrase “If only I knew then what I know now.”

However, we don’t know what we don’t know; and sometimes we don’t know we don’t know what we don’t know. But like the disciples, often what we know now we could not have received at an earlier time. How often do we look back at our parents and realize they knew more than they could tell us because of our immaturity or lack of experience? The more I look back on my life, the more I realize how much grace has been extended to me.

We don’t know what we don’t know, but thanks to God’s grace he does not leave us stuck there. In Jesus, we find grace, not guilt, for our past. The Father is not deterred by the lack of understanding we may have at any given time. He takes us where we are and moves us forward in his grace.

One thing we can see in the context of this passage is that the disciples were exhausted and had already been given quite a bit to chew on. Their minds were probably saturated with everything Jesus was telling them. We can see in this that God is aware of our limitations. Jesus did not overwhelm them, but rather gave them hope for another day. He does the same for us. You probably have days where you just can’t take anymore. Ever feel like that? God knows how far to stretch you and he knows when you need a rest. We may disagree at times with where that line is, but we can trust him that he is not trying to destroy us.

The Triune life shared with us transforms our future.

Jesus continues:

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13 NRSV).

This guidance of the Spirit of truth extends into “the things that are to come.” The “things that are to come” is the kingdom Jesus is bringing us into. When we understand the kingdom primarily in relational terms—Jesus bringing us into the divine life the Father, Son and Spirit share—then we come to see that this truth Jesus is talking about is the eternal truth of who God is.

The Spirit is sent to bring us into a relational knowing of the Father. The heart of this truth is that God is a God of love. This is what Jesus was revealing about the Father through his life, death and resurrection. The Father is not an angry, vindictive God but rather the God of compassionate love. This is what the Spirit continues to “declare” to us as we move into the future.

The unknown of the future can be a fearful thing, but when we come to know the unchanging love of the Father, our fear can be removed. As John says elsewhere, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). This truth of God’s heart and character transforms our future to one of hope. We do not have to fear being led into a future of knowing God. If God is love, then the more we come to know him, the less fear we will have.

Today, you may be fearing the future regarding your children, your retirement or your health. Perhaps it’s the future of your career or your church that makes you fearful. Maybe you fear the future of our country or our world. In all of it, we can know that when the future arrives, we will find a God of love waiting there for us. We can rest in his loving purposes for us, knowing that he has our future secure as he will never change his heart about us. His love never fails.

The Triune life shared with us transforms our present.

In this Triune life Jesus brings us into in the Spirit, our past is released from guilt and our future is freed from fear. But we must still live in the present. It’s in the present that we feel the anxieties that often rise day in and day out. How does our inclusion in the Triune life counter our anxieties today?

Today’s passage ends with Jesus telling us that he is glorified because all that the Father has given him is being shared with us.

He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you (John 16:14-15 NRSV).

God’s glory, or the way he really is, is put on display as a generous God who gives and shares ALL. What Jesus is showing us about his life with the Father is a life of abundant fellowship and sharing. The Father never keeps anything from the Son and the Son is delighted to share all things with the Father and the Spirit shares all the mutual sharing between the Father and Son with us.

When we see the abundant provision of sharing and fellowship poured out on us in Christ, our present anxieties have no ground to grow in. This is the fellowship we participate in for the present. God is with us now. Jesus is Lord now. The Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, our Counselor, now. We have been offered the opportunity to participate in the relationship Father, Son and Spirit share now.

We don’t have to wait until some distant future time and we didn’t miss the bus sometime in the past. Father, Son and Spirit are presently with us, sharing their abundant life of faith, hope and love which leaves no room for fear, guilt or anxiety. Jesus today, in the Spirit, is telling us the amazing good news that “What’s Mine Is Yours.”

This week when you feel anxiety start to rise, read this passage and remind yourself that Jesus wants you to participate in the loving relationship he shares with his Father and with the Spirit. You’ve been invited in; let your anxiety subside and your glorious response rise.

 

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: Acts 2:1-21 • Psalm 104:24-34, 35b • Romans 8:14-17 • John 14:8-17, 25-27

This week’s theme is Pentecost: The Spirit gives life. Prior to his ascension, Jesus told the disciples to wait for the “promise of the Father.” The Holy Spirit is that promise. In Psalm 104 we are reminded that life depends on the Spirit; without God we have nothing. In Romans we read that those led by the Spirit are children of God—adopted—and can say “Abba, Father.” In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit is our Advocate—he will teach us all things.

Language of Love

Acts 2:1-39

Introduction: You may want to share a story about a time you could not communicate with someone because of the language barrier—how frustrating it was for both of you. It could be with a child who could not make him or herself clear, or it could be dealing with a foreign language.

We’ve all faced challenges in communication. Infants struggle so hard to communicate, but they don’t have the skill set to make themselves understood. Toddlers have a limited vocabulary. Teenagers seem to choose what to hear and what not to hear—as do some spouses. Sometimes we are using the same language in a conversation, but there is still a disconnect—we may be speaking from a different context; we may not be listening carefully to what is being said, or the other person may not have the language or capacity to understand what we are trying to make clear.

There are times when it seemed the disciples did not or could not comprehend what Jesus was saying. “You will not die,” Peter said to him. “Show us the Father,” Philip said. Peter asked, “Where are you going that we cannot go?”

Jesus knew they would understand once they received the Spirit. So just before he ascended, he told them to wait in Jerusalem and receive the promise from the Father.

We pick up the story in the book of Acts.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place (Acts 2:1).

Let’s give a bit of background.

Jerusalem was bulging with people due to the celebration of the Feast of Weeks, one of the pilgrimage festivals. On the day after the Sabbath after Passover, the ancient Israelites selected a sheaf of the first grain that had been harvested in the spring. This grain became an offering, and the priest waved it “before the Lord” (Leviticus 23:11-12). Pentecost was observed in ancient Israel on the 50th day after this time. So, seven weeks was to be counted between the day of the first grain offering and the beginning of Pentecost, when an offering of new grain was to be given. Thus, this holy day was called the Feast of Weeks. We refer to it today as Pentecost, which means fiftieth.

This festival has a double significance. Not only did it mark the all-important wheat harvest in Israel, it had also come to commemorate the anniversary of the day when God gave the Torah to the nation of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20-24). It makes sense, then, that Pentecost would have a symbolic meaning for the church. It was the day when God manifested himself in a unique way, signifying a new relationship between God and his people.

Many Jews traveled to Jerusalem for this important festival; so there were Jews from all over the world.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:1-4).

The promise had arrived—but I would suggest it was not as the disciples expected. From what we read, the Holy Spirit enabled several of them to speak in different languages. This is one of the most recognized manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. This is God communicating with his beloved in a powerful way.

 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:5-12).

Some will say the miracle was in the hearing rather than in the speaking, but the Bible says the gift was in the tongues—the spoken word. In spite of the many different languages, all were able to hear and understand the words spoken.

 

Pentecost reminds us that God wants to connect with us and communicate to us. He speaks to us by the Holy Spirit—telling us all truth—reminding us that we are his children and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

 

On this day of Pentecost, God uses the gift of language to grab the attention of all those present and share amazing good news. Peter stood up and shared the gospel. We don’t know if the miracle continued through his sermon, but we do know the response, as 3,000 were baptized. But we are getting ahead of the story.

Some thought those speaking in different languages were drunk—you would have to conclude there was some type of disconnect that prevented them from understanding. One can only speculate what that disconnect was, but it seems clear something must have prevented them from hearing their own language. Earlier Jesus had used the term, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Perhaps these didn’t have the ears to hear—thus the communication link was broken.

Peter stood and addressed the crowd:

“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams’” (Acts 2:14-17).

Peter then preached about Christ, telling them Jesus was the Messiah they had been looking for.

“Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:22-24).

Peter talked to them about David, who spoke about the Messiah.

“Seeing what was to come, [David] spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:31-33).

The people were so moved by the power of the Spirit and Peter’s words, they were cut to the heart and asked what should they do.

Peter replied, “Receive the gift.”

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).

Many look at this verse as a formula—A (repent) + B (be baptized) + C (be forgiven) = D (receive the Holy Spirit). But this is taking this out of context and implies receiving the Spirit is the result of our actions—our works.

Let me suggest another way to read this passage in context with Peter’s message:

Repent—change the way you look at Jesus, the way you think about him—thinking he was only a man, or a rabbi, or a prophet. He was much more than a man; he is the Messiah who came to deliver us. He is the One you killed, but God raised him from the dead. He is the Lord—change the way you think of him, change the way you respond to him, repent of your disregard for who he is; repent of the things you thought about him and said about him and receive the gift of his forgiveness.

Participate in his baptism, putting to death all the former things you thought about him and receive the gift of his baptism, which gives you new life.

Receive the gift God is giving us today—the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who helps you see who Jesus truly is and repent of your former thoughts. It is the Holy Spirit who helps you believe the truth of your forgiveness and enables you to live in that truth. It is the Holy Spirit who changes your heart and mind to see the love God has for you. It is the Holy Spirit who helps you see you are God’s beloved.

This is what you should do.

Another way to say this:  When people receive the Spirit, receive what the Spirit is teaching them, they repent.

And 3,000 people made that choice and were baptized. The gift was received, and it is still being received.

When people receive the Spirit, receive what the Spirit is teaching them, they repent.

Pentecost reminds us that when God makes a promise, he fulfills it. God’s desire is to speak to us and for us to hear him in our own language, in our own way of understanding. Pentecost also reminds us that God sent the Holy Spirit to us to communicate his love for us and our belonging to him.

He tells us to repent—change the way we think and live—and receive the gifts he gives us. In other Scriptures we read that the Holy Spirit reminds us we are God’s children—adopted as his own—joint heirs with Christ. The Holy Spirit comforts us, strengthens us and reminds us of who God is. God communicates his language of love through the Spirit. May every day be a day of “Pentecost” a day of experiencing and listening to the Spirit.

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: Luke 24:44–53 • Psalm 47:1-9 or 93:1-5 • Acts 1:1-11 • Ephesians 1:15–23

This week’s theme is Ascension Sunday. Prior to his ascension, Jesus reminded the disciples that the law and the prophets were written about him, and he would send the “promise of the Father” to them. Psalm 47 and 93 tells us our Lord is “robed in majesty” as King over all the earth. Acts 1 describes the ascension as well as a reminder that Jesus will return in the same way he ascended. Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus, that they would know Jesus, who is the fulfillment of all things.

Forward and Upward

Luke 24:44-53 and Acts 1:1-11

 Introduction: You may want to ask what comes to mind when people think of the Bible. What is their favorite story?

Often when I talk with someone about the Bible, what comes to their mind are stories from the Old Testament. There are many stories, songs, and prophetic writings in the Old Testament talking about the story of Israel—their beginning as a nation, their rescue from Egypt, the various kings, judges and prophets, their capture, their freedom. It’s a fascinating story that seems to end rather abruptly when a remnant returns from exile to the promised land, still under the control of another powerful nation.

The Old Testament, with its stories of the people who died, whether by war, famine, or natural causes, seems to end with little forward or upward movement. There seems to be no resolution to the injustice, or the failures of kings, judges, or prophets. The story seems to end with God’s people longing for deliverance—seeking a Messiah. These were the writings used by God’s people for years as they waited for the Messiah. For some, these are still the writings they focus on because they rejected the Messiah when he came.

They do not see that the Old Testament isn’t just the story of Israel—the over-arching story is the story of God himself. When we read the Old Testament, looking for manifestations of God’s presence and power, we find the Father, Son, and Spirit are at work from creation to freedom from exile. The God of the Old Testament was faithful to his covenant and to his people. He was always at work, renewing his covenant with them when they fell short, sending his prophets to call them back into faithful relationship with himself and to give them hope in the midst of despair.

The God who was hidden from their view, was to be made manifest in an amazing and unexpected way—in the person of an infant, born to a virgin, and placed in a manger.

When God personally entered the universe he created, he came in such a way that he experienced every part of our human experience, even to the point of a cruel and horrific death at the hands of the humans he lovingly created. This God in human flesh, Jesus Christ, participated in our humanity by living as we live, shared in our death by taking on the death we deserved to die, and was buried in a tomb. Even though Jesus tried to prepare them for Sunday morning, the disciples were still amazed to find him alive again after he rose from the grave.

 

After rising, he met with his disciples and said:

These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44 NASB).

In other words, “This is what I’ve been telling you all along.” The story of the Old Testament—this collection of law, prophets, and psalms—was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. The ascension—still future from when Jesus said this—was a critical part of the fulfillment of what was written long ago.

Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:45-28 NASB).

When the living Word came to earth to live as one of us, he made substantial and understandable what God had spoken to his people about himself—that he was and is a loving, gracious, and faithful God. As God in human flesh, Jesus was someone who could be seen, heard, and touched, and was someone who lived in unbroken loving fellowship with his Abba, God the Father.

Knowing the disciples still struggled to see what was really going on, Jesus opened their minds to help them understand. Then he said the following:

“And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49 NASB).

Apart from the intervention of God himself, we cannot know or understand the truth about who God is and who we are in Christ. To understand that Jesus came to earth to live our life, die our death, and to rise again bringing us with him from the grave, requires an intervention. This intervention is the promise of the Father—the Holy Spirit. Jesus told them to stay in the city until they received that promise.

 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven (Luke 24:50-51 NASB).

When Jesus ascended to heaven, he took all humanity with him—so that each of us is hidden with Christ in God. There is a distinctive forward and upward movement to each of our lives as we participate in Christ’s ascension. By the Spirit, we are to keep our minds and hearts on things above, not on things on this earth. When we come to Christ by faith, we turn away from the past and turn toward our eternal future with Christ, living and walking “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus’ purpose in returning to the Father was to send the Holy Spirit, so we could be effective witnesses to the glory and goodness of God. The Holy Spirit—the promise of the Father—enables us to understand that Jesus is our Savior and helps us to know the heart and will of our Abba, our Father in heaven, so we can bear witness to the truth about Abba and Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit opens our minds and changes our hearts. The Spirit of God brings us to repentance and faith as we respond to his work in our hearts and minds, inspiring us to turn to Christ. As we grow in our participation in Christ’s nature by the Spirit, we become more and more effective witnesses to the story and glory of God as demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

Part of the fulfillment of all those things written about our Messiah Jesus Christ was that God’s word would go out into all the world, so that one day all people would know and worship God. We are continuing the story written so many millennia ago in the Old Testament. We become part of the new story—”living letters,” as the apostle Paul describes God’s people. As we abide in Christ, resting in him, drawing on his strength and power, we become effective witnesses to the gospel. This is our participation in God’s story which began so long ago.

It’s important to note that our participation isn’t just observation. Jesus told his disciples they would be “clothed with power from on high” (v. 49). We don’t need power to simply observe, but we are given power to participate in this great story. We are included in Jesus’ ascension.

The apostle Paul longed for the people of God to understand this. To believers in Ephesus, Paul said his prayer was that:

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe (Eph. 1:17-19 NASB).

That hope, that great power, is the Holy Spirit living in us. And the Holy Spirit is not just a power, but a person—the third person of the Trinity—to be worshiped and adored just as we worship the Father and the Son.

When we are filled with the Spirit, we are filled with God’s life and being—we are in unity with who we really are as God’s children, made in his image. When God goes to work in us by his Spirit, he does amazing and wonderful things. But he also enables us to wrestle with our brokenness and our failures and shortcomings. He helps us in our struggles and suffering by helping us feel the presence of the Living Lord. The Spirit of God empowers us to speak the words of life to those around us whom we encounter during our everyday life.

The power and presence of the living God in the person of the Holy Spirit is at work in us because Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. Jesus didn’t just float away and leave us stranded, hopelessly lost in our broken and sinful world. No, he ascended to his Father’s side bearing our humanity with him, and then he sent the Spirit out on all flesh. We are brought into intimate relationship with God himself by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

There is power in the indwelling presence of God by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul talked about the surpassing greatness of this power:

These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:19-23 NASB).

The Spirit is at work in every human heart, bringing about the perfect response to Abba and is drawing us each into the truth of who we are as the beloved, redeemed children. The message of the gospel is repent and believe—turn away from ourselves, our fallen ways of living and being, our broken and evil views of God and one another, and to turn to Jesus Christ, trusting in his perfect relationship with his Abba. Jesus responded perfectly to his Father on our behalf, and he calls us by the Spirit, and through the witness of his people, to faith in him.

As you can see, the stories we read about in the Old Testament—which were fulfilled in Jesus Christ—opens out into a continuing story—a story that includes you and me in the plotline. Jesus has come, fulfilled all the Old Testament Law, Prophets, and Writings, and now, seated at the right hand of Abba in glory, is writing a brand-new story with new characters and plot twists. We participate in this great story as we trust in Christ, walk in the Spirit, in loving relationship with God and one another.

On this day, as we commemorate the Ascension, we look upward—seeing what the ascension means for us—and we look forward to the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to return and restore all things. As participants in the already, not yet, of God’s kingdom, we look forward with hope and anticipation, while living with our eyes on Jesus, our ascended, glorified Lord and King.

Prayer:

Thank you, Abba, for sending your Son Jesus, to free us from sin and death, and to bring us up into your life as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thank you that Jesus is at work now, making a place for us, moving us forward day by day into our true being as your beloved, redeemed children. We thank you for the promise that by your Spirit you will finish what you have begun in us. May we be filled with your power and presence, Spirit of Truth, and overflow with your love, Abba, so we may powerfully and effectively speak the words of life to all those around us, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.

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Small Group Discussion Questions

Readings: Acts 16:9-15 • Psalm 67:1-7 • Revelation 21:10, 10:22-22:5 • John 5:1-9

This week’s theme is God makes us whole. Acts shares the story of Lydia’s conversion. Lydia, from Thyatira, is regarded as the first baptized convert in Europe. In Psalm 67 we are reminded that all are invited to praise God for his universal mercy. He brings us to perfection as all are ruled with equity. Revelation reminds us that Jesus is the temple. Through him God restores our heath and makes us clean. All are given access to the water of life. The sermon is developed from the story of the healing at the pool of Bethesda. Jesus tells us to stand up before God and receive the blessings he provides.

Stood Up by Jesus

Read John 5:1-9, NRSV, before sermon:

 Have you ever felt stood up by God? And when we say “stood up,” what we mean to say is that we have been let down. Maybe that’s how the person with a disability felt “who had been ill for thirty-eight years.” That’s practically a lifetime of being down on the ground. Enough time to convince us that God doesn’t see us, doesn’t know our situation and basically doesn’t care. Have you been there? If so, maybe this little story told by the apostle John can lift your eyes to see a different perspective.

The story begins with John telling us “Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” John has used this “up to” language many times in his stories of Jesus. The word in Greek is “anabaino” which simply means to ascend but it’s the word used to translate many ascensions in the Old Testament—stories like Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai or the ascent to Mount Zion or to Jerusalem. Within Jerusalem the same language is used in going up to the temple, and then within the temple there is a further ascent into the holy of holies. More examples could be listed, but in essence, when John uses anabaino, he is using a word that points back to God’s presence in Israel’s history. God is the one Israel’s priests and leaders have historically ascended to. So, when Jesus enters the story by going up to Jerusalem there is more than a change in physical elevation taking place, the story has to do with Jesus ascending in order to stand us up in the presence of God. Let’s look at the text:

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha [Bethesda], which has five porticoes, (John5:2 NRSV). 

John gives us some details to ponder in the story. The setting is at the pool of Bethzatha or Bethesda depending on translation. Bethesda means “house of mercy,” so you will see a number of hospitals named Bethesda.

Until the 19^th century, there was no evidence of this pool and people believed John was creating a metaphorical illustration. However, archeologists later discovered the remains of the pool fitting John’s description. It is in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem.

John also wants us to note that the pool is next to the Sheep Gate, which was the gate sacrificial lambs were brought through. As the story unfolds, John is creating a picture of contrast between the rituals of sacrifice—along with the superstitious waters of “healing”—with Jesus himself, who is both our true sacrifice and our living water. John was a good storyteller.

In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years (John 5:3-4 NRSV). 

We are introduced to our poor cast- down soul as “one man” who was among “many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.” This description of disabled people serves as a rather poignant pointer to life in this fallen world.

This refers to a life without direction, a life with distortion and pain, and ultimately a life that is hopeless. Like this one man, we can find ourselves among many people with disabilities, people who are paralyzed and unable to find any healing or wholeness for their lives. We can feel there is no one to help us when we forget that we are made to walk with the Lord.

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6 NRSV). 

Jesus enters the scene. Keep in mind that John is primarily concerned in his Gospel account of showing us that Jesus is the full revelation of the Father. The first thing we see Jesus do is take notice. He “saw him lying there” and he also “knew that he had been there a long time.” No matter what our lifelong experience has been, the Father sees us and he knows our situation. It’s out of this deep personal knowing Jesus asks the man the question “Do you want to be made well?”

At first glance it sounds like a “tongue-in-cheek” question. Of course, he wants to be made well; who wouldn’t want to be well. But good questions are grounded in personal awareness. Jesus must have known that this man would need to wrestle with that question. Thirty-eight years of anything is a lot of undoing. The man’s healing would amount to a whole new life of change for him.

• Who has been bringing this man here for the past 38 years?
• Who has been caring for him and feeding him?
• Are you ready to do things on your own?
• Are you ready to stop depending on others and learn a skill to earn an income?
• Are you ready to enter society in a new way, with all its blessings, and all its requirements?
• Are you ready to start showing personal responsibility?

The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me” (John 5:7 NRSV). 

The man’s answer didn’t tell us explicitly if he wanted to be well. But it did tell us that he had been trying to make himself well for a long time. His description of all the reasons he couldn’t make it to the pool was placing blame on others who refused to help. This is what happens when we are working a program for our own healing, or what we may call legalism.

When you can’t live up to the program—and you never can—you can always look down at others. It’s easy to put the responsibility elsewhere—to blame others—to get the attention off ourselves. Jesus knew this about this man, and he knows this about us. And his response is one of grace.

Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk” (John 5:8 NRSV). 

Here’s a man who has been let down for thirty-eight years by legalism, a man who is unable to stand up, and Jesus’ response to him is a powerful word of grace: “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” These weren’t empty words. They were words of power that created a new reality. The man only needed to believe and to respond.

At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk (John 5:9a NRSV).

Jesus gave him legs to stand on and told him to take the mat home—he no longer needed his mat to protect him from the ground. He no longer needed to wait for others to take care of him; his healing was complete. Jesus stood him up. The story doesn’t end here:

Now that day was a sabbath (John 5:9b NRSV).

This lectionary selection cuts the story in half by ending with “Now that day was a Sabbath.” What? Why this little bit of information from John?

It’s not another example of a story culminating into a nasty showdown between the legalistic religious rulers of the day and the Lord of grace and healing, but John has a significant point to make. In this story we are given this little twist to aid us in our understanding of what the Sabbath rest is all about. Here, on the Sabbath day, Jesus tells the man to pick up his mat and walk. He wasn’t trying to goad the religious leaders—he was helping this man and us understand that resting in him is not lying around all day; resting in him is experienced as standing and walking in the presence of God. Jesus is our Sabbath rest.

We all face times in our lives when we feel like the man at Bethesda. We are waiting and waiting for someone to help us—for someone to come and fix the problem. We’ve all had times when we’ve blamed others for the situation we are in—there is no one to help me get to the healing water.

This week, ask God to help you see that he is the living water—in fact, the living water came to you. Ask him to help you see you need to pick up your mat and enter his Sabbath rest. Ask him to help you remember that he has stood you up—that is, he has helped us stand.

Jesus has forever stood us up in him, and in him we will never be let down.

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Small Group Discussion Questions