jesus brings - october 2014 - bible study 1
TRANSCRIPT
Jesus Brings…
“Freedom”
Bible study 1
Romans 7: 14-25
Romans 8: 1-15
Discussion Have you ever done the opposite of what you were told to do just to assert your independence? How did that work out?
Read Romans 7:14-‐25 1. According to verses 14-‐20, why does Paul feel so wretched?
2. Do you think these verses describe Paul’s experience before he became a believer, or after he came to faith?
3. What is the significance for our lives of Paul describing his experiences as a believer?
4. In Romans 6:17-‐18, Paul states that Christians are no longer slaves to sin. Yet here he claims he is a slave to sin (verse 14). How would you explain this difference?
5. How can a person’s anguish and frustration with sin be beneficial (verses 24-‐25)?
6. To what extent can you identify with Paul’s struggles in these verses? How have you felt trapped by sin, either in the past or now?
Read Romans 8:9-‐16 1. Romans 7 described how the law of sin brought about our spiritual death. What has God done to free us from the law of sin and death (verses 1-‐4)?
2. What does “no condemnation” (verse 1) mean to you? What ideas does this bring to your mind?
3. According to verse 13, who is responsible for putting to death the misdeeds of the body? How is this accomplished?
4. How is living under the authority of God different from living under the authority of sin?
5. How do we experience the reality and privileges of being God’s children (verses 15-‐17)?
6. What evidence do you see of your life being controlled by the Spirit?
7. How do you experience freedom under God?
Jesus Brings…
“Peace”
Bible study 2
Isaiah 9:1-7
Ephesians 2:11-22
Discussion What is peace? Is it simply the absence of war? If every war in the world stopped tomorrow, would there be peace on this earth? Is there a difference between “world peace” and “personal peace”?
Read Isaiah 9:1-‐7 1. What does it mean to “walk in darkness”? (verse 2)
2. Verse 3 speaks a lot about joy and rejoicing. What does this look like according to verse 4?
3. Verse 5 is a prophecy about the birth of Jesus. What does verse 6 tell us about the role Jesus will assume when he arrives?
4. What does verse 7 tell us about the reign of Jesus?
5. Is Jesus reigning now? And if he is, why is there not “peace on earth” today?
Read Ephesians 2:11-‐22 1. In Ephesians, Paul writes to a church mainly from a gentile background (that is, not Jewish). They were not a part of the “people of God” (the Israelites or Jews). They have no history with God, until now. Through Christ Jesus. Can you imagine (or remember) what it would be like to live without Jesus? What does verse 12 tell us that is like?
2. Verse 13 tells us that through the blood of Christ, we have been “brought near”. What does this mean?
3. Verse 14 speaks about the law being the “dividing wall of hostility” between us and God. It divided us because it showed us how we fall short of God’s demands. We are all law-‐breakers. We have all failed when it comes to living up to God’s standards. But Jesus came to make the two (Gentiles and Jews) one. He has become “our peace” (verse 14). What does this mean?
4. Verse 16 says that both Jews and Gentiles are reconciled to God by the cross. What does this mean?
5. How do you think this makes the Jews of the day feel, knowing that there is now NO division between the two and no wall between them and God? How would it have made the Gentiles of the day feel?
6. Jesus preached peace to those who were far away (Gentiles) and to those who were near (Jews). How did Jesus bring peace to Jews and Gentiles? (see verse 15 and verse 18)
7. What role does the Holy Spirit play in bringing us peace with God? (verses 18 and 22)
Jesus Brings…
“Reconciliation?”
Bible study 3
Matthew 10:34-39
John 15:18-16:1
Discussion Have you ever had an argument with someone about your faith? Do you have close friends or family members who seem to hate you, or dislike you a lot, because of your beliefs?
Read Matthew 10:34-‐39 1. Why does Jesus suggest that faith in him will bring divisions in our households?
2. In what ways can we find ourselves loving our friends and family MORE than God?
3. What does it mean for YOU to take up your cross today? (In what ways does your faith require you to be self-‐sacrificial and loving?) Given that the cross was an excruciating and humiliating public punishment, in what ways does your sacrifice reflect this sort of humiliation and pain?
4. How do we “lose” our life for Jesus? (verse 39)
5. What things make it difficult for us to hand over our life to Jesus – his plans and desires for us?
Discussion How often do you share your faith / beliefs with others?
Read John 15:18 – 6:1 1. Why might the world hate us?
2. In verse 19, what does it mean when Jesus says: “I have chosen you out of the world”? What does it mean practically in YOUR life?
3. What is it that Jesus says will make the world hate us so much?
4. Verse 26 says that the Holy Spirit will testify about Jesus. How do you think He will do that?
5. Verse 27 says we also MUST testify to Jesus. This is not optional. How do you testify to Jesus?
6. It is often easier to say “I live a good Christian life and that is my witness to others.” Whilst that is true, Jesus is talking to his disciples in this verse. Then they didn’t just go and “live good lives”. Do you think that perhaps we are called to do more than just “live” – perhaps we are called to seek opportunities to speak?
Jesus Brings…
“Hope”
Bible study 4
Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
Matthew 19:13-30
Discussion In which things do people in our world put their hope?
Read Matthew 19:13-‐15 1. Why do you think the disciples tried to stop the children coming to Jesus?
2. If you were the parent of one of those children, how would you have felt when Jesus laid his hand on your child?
Read Matthew 19:16-‐30 3. In verse 18, why do you think the man asked “which ones?”?
4. The man thought he had kept ALL the commandments. He thought he was pretty good. Yet Jesus then gives him a fuller idea of what it means to love his neighbour – sell everything and give to the poor. Have you ever considered that “loving your neighbour as yourself” involves sharing your wealth with them? What would that actually look like in action for you?
5. Jesus focuses on wealth as a significant problem for the people of this world in coming to follow Him. Why is wealth such a big blockage for people following Jesus, perhaps even more so today?
6. What is the good news of hope from Jesus in verse 26? What does this verse mean for you personally?
7. Consider verse 30 – what could this mean for you in relation to caring for the poor among us? How does verse 29 encourage you to act now? How could your actions today bring hope to people in our world today?
Discussion What satisfaction do you think people get from their work? What satisfaction do you think people get from their wealth?
Read Ecclesiastes 5:8-‐20 1. Verse 12 – increased wealth means increased sleepless nights! What do you think of this?
2. Verse 15 reminds us that we come into the world with nothing, and we leave this world with nothing. Why do you think so many people worry so much, then, about how much we have at the end of our life? Do you worry about how much you’ll have when you die? Why or why not?
3. Reflect again on verses 18-‐20. Where do you find your satisfaction and hope in life? Are you “occupied with gladness of heart”?