JAN'15 WYCLIFFE STUDY NOTES

Transcription

1 JAN'15 WYCLIFFE STUDY NOTES JANUARY 2015

2 These notes are provided as a guide for our collective learning and worship programme at Wycliffe for January They provide an outline of the Sunday teaching material, and include study notes for Housegroups, plus suggested prayer topics. This year each morning service will be following the same teaching schedule; the 6:30 service will follow a similar theme, but be based on quite different Bible passages. The notes will try to provide optional studies for both the morning services and the 6:30 service The passages being studied in each of our four Sunday services are listed below. The exact passages and dates may differ between services. Note that there may be more studies than Housegroup meetings (recognising that Housegroups have various schedules for meeting). Please use the studies which you feel are most appropriate. Date Morning Services Evening Service 04-Jan 1 Peter 1:1-3 1 Peter 1:1-3: The year ahead 11-Jan 1 Peter 1:4-12 Acts 1:1-26 The Church Commissioned 18-Jan 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 Acts 2:1-36 The Church Empowered 25-Jan 1 Peter 2:4-12 Resurrection: Myth or Cornerstone? Introduction Theme for 2015 Contents Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 Study 4 Study 5 Study 6 1 Peter 1:1-2 - Being God s People Together 1 Peter 1: Living with a living hope 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 - A lifestyle motivated by hope 1 Peter 2: Now you are the people of God Acts 1 - The Church commissioned Acts 2 - The Church empowered Suggested topics for prayer

3 Theme for 2015 The theme for 2015 is Being God s People Together. We ll look at what the Bible teaches about being God s people, and look at some of the practical implications of this. In the morning services our main teaching will be: Peter s first letter in which he speaks to God s people of the first generation; Nehemiah a challenge to God s people to rebuild 1 Thessalonians written to a new Church, experiencing blessing and facing difficulties A mini-series on Being Church Together, looking at fellowship, hospitality, encouragement, and learning In addition in the summer term the whole church will address material by J John on evangelism Breaking News Our evening service teaching will be based on mini-series from Acts, interspersed with series covering Heroes of the Faith, mainly looking at characters from the Old Testament. I hope that in all these series we will find answers to questions like: Are we just a club, or are we really the people of God, the family of God? (Other than the subject matter of our talks, are we any different from any other society or party?) If so, what does it mean to be family? How do we support each other, pastor each other, care for each other, show hospitality to each other? And what is the impact of thus, the people of God / the royal priesthood, on our community and world? Graeme

4 Study 1 1 Peter 1:1-2 - Being God s People Together Peter writes his letter to groups of Christians in what is (roughly) what we now call north /north-west Turkey. He writes to encourage them in their faith, and to help them to understand what a wonderful privilege it is to be part of the people of God. He also warns these believers that hard times will come, and they need to be prepared to face trials and even persecution. We assume that the author was Simon Peter, one of the Lord s close disciples. Tradition also has it that Mark, who wrote the second Gospel, was a close associate of Peter, and so Mark s Gospel is based on Peter s memories of Jesus. In his first letter Peter doesn t repeat the details of the life of Jesus that are in Mark s Gospel. What he does do is talk about what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus in the first century. And that speaks to us about what it means to be disciples of Jesus in the 21 st century. If you want to use a commentary then I thoroughly recommend the BST series on 1 Peter. 1 Discussion 1. To whom is Peter writing (see v1)? Where did they live? (A map would be useful to get the locations!) What is the significance of the fact that they were scattered? 2 Discuss the contrast between being God s elect and strangers in the world? What does the term world mean 1 The Message of 1 Peter, Edmund Clowney, The Bible Speaks Today, IVP 2 The word used for scattered Diaspora often means scattered Jews. However it is unlikely that Peter was just writing to Jews. They were probably Christians from a range of ethnic backgrounds, including tribal peoples

5 here? What doesn t it mean? When we become Christians does our relationship to other people in the world change? How? 2. Did God choose those he foreknew or did he foreknow those whom he chose (v2)? 3. Whether we emphasise election or foreknowledge, these words make it clear that we re not an afterthought! We were in God s plan from before the world began. What else was planned since before the world began (see 1:20)? 4. How does each person of the Trinity contribute to our salvation? (v2) 5. What would it feel like if grace and peace were ours in abundance? 6. Think about our theme of Being God s People Together. What are the practical implications of this? Do we as a church feel like a people, a family? What practical things do you think we should work at? Pray that by the end of 2015 your group in particular and Wycliffe in general will have learned more of what it is in practical ways to be the people of God. And He s known me and He s loved me Since before the world began. How wonderful to be a part Of God s amazing plan!

6 Study 2 1 Peter 1: Living with a living hope After the opening greeting we looked at last week, Peter begins the main part of his message with a burst of praise. He is excited about the wonderful hope he has in the Lord, and wants his readers to experience it. It s important that they do, because hard times are ahead. The hope comes from the resurrection of Jesus. In this section Peter also links the Christian hope back to the Old Testament prophets; the Gospel isn t just something that has happened out of nowhere it is the fulfilment of all the Old Testament promises. Discussion 1. Before we look at the details of the chapter, it would be good to think about how Peter was given new hope by Jesus resurrection, particularly after the way he had denied Jesus, ( see Luke 22:54-62; John 21). 2. Can you share how the resurrection of Jesus has given you new hope in life? 3. Try to list some of the stages of our salvation that we are to praise God for, (v3-6a) possibly 6 or 7 items can be found here. 4. (Why not stop and give thanks now). 5. What might we have to suffer? (v6b). What do you think this might have meant for Peter s readers? What might it mean for us? What might it mean for some Christians in the world today? 6. How does trouble help our faith (v7)? 7. Are you filled with inexpressible joy? (v6a, 8). All the time? Sometime? Never? 8. Try to find some examples of Old Testaments writers who spoke about the sufferings of Christ and glories that would follow, (v10-12)

7 Pray for people in the group, or others you know about who are suffering because of their faith in Jesus. Reflection on what God has done for us fills us with exultant joy. Edmund Clowney

8 Study 3 1 Peter 1:13-2:3 - A lifestyle motivated by hope We ve learned so far in 1 Peter that we are the people of God - God s elect, that we have a tremendous hope because of the resurrection of Jesus, but that there could be trouble ahead. So as we move on Peter presents us with a challenge about how we should respond in our daily living. This involves the challenge to be holy. It also identifies the word of God as the transforming power. Discussion 1. Some of the therefores of the Bible are important. They link what s gone before to what lies ahead. In v13 what does the therefore look back to? 2. We are called to action (v13); what is the motivation for the action given in this verse? 3. Peter talks about some of the things we are to leave behind evil desires (v14), the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers (v18) and malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander (2:1). What sort of things have we had to leave behind? 4. Specifically what might be characteristics and lifestyles of post- Christian 21 st Century Britain that Peter (if he were here) might describe as empty ways of life? 5. What does it mean to Be holy v16. Are we holy? 6. How does Peter describe the Gospel in v19-21? 7. Whatever we may feel we have had to leave behind (as in Q3, above) once purified we are given a clear indication of what should mark our behaviour. What is it? (v22) 8. What is the role of the word of God in bringing us to new life (see v23-25 and 2:2-3)?

9 Pray for each other that we may be transformed from empty ways of life to be the people of God who love one another deeply There is a marvellous simplicity in a holiness patterned on God himself; it does not require encyclopaedic grasp of endless directives and prohibitions. It does flow from the heart; its key is love. To be holy is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and to love our neighbour as ourselves Edmund Clowney

10 Study 4 1 Peter 2: Now you are the people of God In this passage we have Peter s most comprehensive explanation of what it means to be the people of God. Perhaps the key thing to remember is that although we come individually and personally to share in the living hope that the Gospel brings, we find ourselves not alone, but as part of a people. A Christian who doesn t want fellowship is like a footballer who doesn t want to play in a team they ve missed the point. Hopefully this study will increase our vision of what God has joined us into! Discussion 1. There are 5 or 6 words or expressions used to describe the people of God in this passage. List them (v5, 9-10). Then discuss what each of them means. (e.g what does it mean for us to be a spiritual house, or a royal priesthood?). 2. Can you find some Old Testament significance or example for each of the expressions identified in Q1? 3. Jesus is central! (v4,6,7,8). In what way? How does our response to and love for Jesus help us to be the people of God? 4. In what context did Jesus quote the same scripture as in v7 (Psalm 118:22-23) in Matthew 21:33-46? 5. What does it mean to declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light? (v9). Is this praising God in church, or evangelism, or both? 6. But don t forget a new life demands a new lifestyle (v11-12) What sort of sinful desires war against your soul? How can we help each other to resist these? Compare v12 to Matthew 5:16

11 Share together which of the expressions used to describe the People of God (as in Q1) you each find most inspiring. Pray for each other that as a group / church we may experience and demonstrate this. Peter's declaration of our 'peoplehood' in Christ has vast consequences for the life of the church of Christ. The church is not just a religious association formed by saved individuals to give united expression to their faith. Rather, the church is more a people than Israel was under the old covenant. Scattered in the world, indeed, as Israel was in dispersion, but a people nonetheless, bound together in the community of those who are united to one another as surely as they are united to their Lord. Church fellowship is not an optional advantage, to be chosen or ignored like membership in a social club. It is the calling of every Christian. There is a spiritual ethnicity to the church of Christ; Christians are blood relatives, joined by the blood of Jesus. Edmund Clowney

12 Study 5 Acts 1 - The Church commissioned The Book of Acts is generally called the Acts of the Apostles, which describes it well it charts the activity of the Apostles as they continue the Lord s work after the Ascension. Some people argue that it should be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit ; it describes how the Spirit is given as promised by Jesus, and how he transforms and empowers God s people. Then again, when you read the first 2 verses, you could argue that it should be called the Acts of the risen Lord Jesus, as he continues his work - from heaven through his Apostles in the power of the Spirit that he started when he was on earth. And as we read on we find the measure of success is that the word of God spread. Life in 21 st Century Britain is different from life in 1 st Century Israel. But we serve the same risen Lord, in the power of the same Spirit, and we share the same commission. In one sense the book of Acts is still being written; we live in Acts Discussion 1. What is the former book that is mentioned in v1? 2. Why do you think this book starts (v3-4) with resurrection of Jesus, as this was covered in the former book referred to in v1? 3. How would Acts read if Jesus hadn t risen from the dead? 4. What were the disciples to wait for (v 4-5)? Why was it so important that they did wait? 5. What was behind the disciples question in v6? How did Jesus answer it? Do you think they may have missed the point? 6. What will the Holy Spirit enable the disciples to do (v8)? Does this apply to us today? If so, how? 7. v10 describes what we usually call the Ascension. We don t preach about it very much (though our Anglican brothers and

13 sisters remember it on the Thursday 10 days before Pentecost). What is its significance? 8. What did the disciples spend the next 10 days doing (v14). Is there an example here for us? 9. v15-26 describes the process of how Judas Iscariot was replaced as an Apostle. Are there any lessons for us about how we should or shouldn t appoint church leaders? Pray for each other that you would each know the power of the Holy Spirit and be effective witnesses to Jesus

14 Study 6 Acts 2 - The Church empowered In chapter 1 we read how Jesus insisted that the disciples waited until they received the promised Holy Spirit. In this chapter they receive! It s a very full chapter: the Spirit is given in a very visible and audible way; many visiting Jews question what is happening, as they hear the word of God in their own languages; Peter explains what is happening, and gives what we might say is the first New Testament church sermon. Many of his listeners are convicted of their sin and need of God, which leads Peter to give the first Christian Altar Call come to faith and are baptised, and we see how they begin to live their lives together as the People of God. Discussion 1. What had been promised about the gift of the Holy Spirit? (see for example Luke 3:16; Luke 11:13; John 14:16-17, 26; John 16:5-15;Acts 1:5-8) 2. Is what is described at the day of Pentecost (v1-6,13) what you would have expected when the Holy Spirit was given? 3. We looked above (in Q1) at how John the Baptist and Jesus foretold the gift of the Spirit. Who else had prophesied that the Holy Spirit would come in power (v17-21)? 4. Jesus said (John 15:26) that the Holy Spirit would testify about me. How does this work out in Peter s sermon (22-36)? 5. Why do you think the response to Peter s sermon was so dramatic (v37,41)? 6. Look at how Peter answered the question what shall we do? (v38-39). Discuss in what way this is the normative route to becoming a Christian. How important is baptism? 7. Read v These show what the Christians were doing right ta the beginning of the church period. What can we learn about: What activities we should have as we meet together? The sense of the presence of God?

15 The way the believers cared for each other? Ongoing evangelism? Pray that we as a church will have the same desire to support each other as these early Christians seemed to have.

16 Suggested topics for prayer Thanksgiving Reflect on what the Lord did for us as a Church in 2014, and give thanks Share individual things for which you are thankful, and give thanks together. Week of prayer If you attended the Week of Prayer at the start of the year, then please share some of the thoughts you had from this. Pray for some of the big things for 2015 Recruitment of a permanent Children s Team Leader Recruitment of a new Lead Pastor; at least two potential candidates meeting the recruitment group this month Pray for our project with Shinfield, in particular that the right people will volunteer to move to be part of that congregation Pray that lots of local people will come to know Jesus in 2015