Jesus The Wildman? March 31 April 1, 2007 North Coast Church Pastor Jesse Bradley Good Wine For A Lame Party John 2:1-11 A LAME PARTY: John 2:1-5 A healthy spiritual life might include some parties. No contact = No impact. No difference = No impact. A crisis does not eliminate all of our choices. Matthew 5:13-16, Proverbs 25:28, John 7:1-9, Mark 2:15-17, 2 Timothy 4:5 GOOD WINE: John 2:6-10 The Jars = An outrageous choice. Find out if the ritual is from God. Don t get stuck in empty rituals. The Wine = A dangerous choice. Alcohol can lead to sin. Jesus introduces something better than rules. Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 23:25-28, Ephesians 5:18-20, Proverbs 23:29-35, Isaiah 55:1-3 THE SEND OFF: John 2:11 1) Don t just enjoy the wine. 2) Be creative and make the party better. 3) Remember transformation is more important than a short-term fix. James 1:16-17, Psalm 8, Acts 17:22-34, Romans 8:28-29, Luke 5:1-11
Growth Group Homework For the week of April 1, 2007 Welcome to the Spring Quarter of Growth Groups. The homework has been shortened a little to allow ample time to reconnect with your group, discuss the covenant, and kick off your first meeting with a potluck dinner. Have a great Spring Quarter! MY STORY 1. Looking back over your notes from this week s sermon, what did you find most challenging or interesting? 2. Growing up, did you have any preconceived ideas about what Christians should or shouldn t do that you later learned were inaccurate? If so, what were they? 3. There are a lot of different attitudes toward the use of alcohol in both our society and among Christians. What has most shaped your attitude about the consumption of alcohol? Has it changed over the years? If so, explain how and why? DIGGING DEEPER 1. We heard this weekend that Jesus first miracle had an impact on the faith of His disciples. What lessons of faith do you think Jesus was trying to teach His followers in each of these passages? Mark 4:35-41 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." [36] Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. [37] A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. [38] Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" [39] He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. [40] He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
[41] They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" [NIV] Matthew 14:22-33 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. [23] After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, [24] but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. [25] During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. [26] When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. [27] But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." [28] "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." [29] "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. [30] But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" [31] Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" [32] And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. [33] Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." [NIV] Have you experienced the comfort of Jesus in the midst of a storm in your life? If so, how would you describe what you ve learned through those kinds of experiences? 2. The death of Lazarus was another opportunity for us to watch Jesus make choices in the midst of a crisis. After reading John 11:1-6; 17-43, answer the following questions: John 11:1-6 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [2] This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. [3] So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." [4] When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." [5] Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [6] Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. [NIV] John 11:17-43 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. [18] Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, [19] and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. [20] When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. [21] "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." [23] Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." [24] Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; [26] and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
[27] "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." [28] And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." [29] When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. [30] Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. [31] When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. [32] When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." [33] When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. [34] "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. [35] Jesus wept. [36] Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" [37] But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" [38] Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. [39] "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." [40] Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" [41] So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. [42] I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." [43] When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" [NIV] What do you think about how long Jesus waited to visit once He knew Lazarus was sick? How do you think Jesus used this crisis to minister to the people? How have you seen crisis bring about opportunities for you to serve others? To be served? TAKING IT HOME 1. As you consider the two reasons Jesse gave for lack of impact (no contact or no difference), is there one of these that you d like to see yourself grow in? 2. Is there someone you know who is in a crisis right now that you could serve? What steps could you take to help meet needs in the situation?