A Personal Relationship With Jesus 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1-3 This Bible study was compiled and approved by WELS Congregation and Ministry Support Group Commission on Adult Discipleship.
A Personal Relationship With Jesus Study Leader Notes: When the group is larger than seven, find ways to split them into smaller groups to discuss several of the pertinent questions (your choice) and have them report back their insights. Do your best to make sure the discussion is open and no individual dominates including you, the leader. This Bible study is not intended to cover all the passages or facets of this subject. It is intended to provide a platform for discussion or catalyst for further study. Feel free to change the questions and make them more pointed for your situation. Depending on the time and the people present you may want to delete the text from the participant s guide and have them look up the references in their own Bibles. The answers are provided as food for thought to spark more thinking on the topic not the final word or perfect application for all situations. It is not the pat answer that you seek, but growing insights into the theological foundations and practical applications for the participants church/area of ministry. Encourage open conversations for discovery of God s will for your ministries and for clarifying the importance of this for the Church at this time. Don t feel you need to rush through this topic to finish the sheet in one session. Deeper study and more personal interaction are valuable. If lively, more involved discussion is benefiting your group, consider carrying over the study to another session instead of skipping questions to reach the end. A Personal Relationship with Jesus 2
Getting Started Name three people from the Bible who had the benefit of personally being with Jesus on earth. Peter, James, John, Mary his mother, Mary Magdalene, Martha, Nicodemus, the woman who poured perfume on his feet, (Paul) etc. Imagine the type of impact it might have had on you if you were one of those people. Have participants think through what it would have been like to walk along with Jesus hear his teachings, see his compassion, observe his miracles witness his life, death, and resurrection. (Also remember that the many of his close followers didn t understand the fullness of that relationship until after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost). Discuss what happens when people begin to see their relationship with God only in terms of their membership in a church or synod (instead of primarily with Jesus). If we think only of belonging to a congregation (such as St John s ) or a synod ( WELS ), the tendency may be to see ourselves as merely members of an organization (with rules and privileges). Being a member of the right church or doing the right things can become more of the focus than being connected with Jesus by faith and purpose. With that mindset greater church activity does not necessarily produce more mature followers of Jesus. We can be busy with church but lose the sense of awe concerning the Lord. Our activities may end up merely to serve the organization or keep it alive, rather than to personally serve our Savior in response to his love. Evangelism becomes getting people to join church and actively support it rather than developing a deeper connection to Jesus in faith. The tendency can be to also see mission work as something other people (missionaries / evangelism committees) do to represent us as a church body, rather than something we carry out in our daily lives. Raising Christian children becomes the work of the church or Christian school and not of our homes. Worship becomes something I only do at church. Seeing ourselves only as members of a church, we might fail to recognize Christ s continual presence in our daily lives, fail to personally take part in His kingdom work, and fail to reflect our faith in Him in our daily interactions with others. A Personal Relationship with Jesus 3
Getting Into the Word Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17: 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1. Unfold some of the words or phrases that demonstrate Paul s personal appreciation and awe of his connection with Jesus. Paul bubbles over with praise to God for the tremendous blessing he has in Christ. It meant so much to him and was real for all aspects of his life. As he reviewed his life it convicted him as chief of sinners. He marveled at the abundance of grace that the Lord poured out on him despite his sordid past. He saw Christ s life, death and resurrection as carried out personally for him. It continued to amaze him that Christ would have gone to such measures to redeem and accept him and then to honor him by appointing him to Christ s service. All this became the source of his energy and the focus of his life (cf. Philippians 1). 2. Express how your personal relationship with Jesus affects your life. Every believer has a personal relationship with Jesus. The Holy Spirit has seen to that by the miracle of faith that makes that connection. What a gift that is! That becomes more apparent as we too discover how much we deserve condemnation. We also have become God s people only through Christ and the abundance of His mercy. Repentance was Paul s response to the knowledge of his sinfulness, and joy was his response to Christ s grace and mercy. A deeper appreciation of our personal relationship with Jesus brings a similar response in us. The more we understand the impact of his life, death and resurrection, the more we will understand the tremendous privilege we have in being his children, saints in his sight, and more than conquerors through our victorious Lord who loves us. All of that continues to have an effect on our priorities, values and goals in life. A Personal Relationship with Jesus 4
3. Look at v. 15-17. How has your life also been an awesome display of God s mercy and grace? Paul wanted to display his life as an example for us of how merciful God is. If God could love a horrible sinner like Paul and make him his child, you can understand the mercy, grace, and patience that he applies toward us also. Look at the covenant he established with us in baptism as he clothes us with Christ. Frequently revealing and expressing God s amazing impact on our lives can demonstrate a similar message of God s grace. 1 John 3:1-3: 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 4. What amazing aspects of your personal relationship with Jesus do you want to keep in focus from the time you wake up to the time you return to sleep each day? We are lavished with the Father s love! We are called God s children brothers and sisters of Jesus. The world may not acknowledge that, but we know it is true in Christ. The saving event of Christ s crucifixion should overshadow the power and guilt of our sin during the day. The renewing event of the resurrection gives us hope and strength to move ahead with whatever the day brings. Like Jesus did on a regular basis there are times we need to tune out the other relationships and roles we have and spend time with our Father who loves and cares for us. (Look at the honor, deep dependence and constant communication Jesus had with the Father. John 17:11, 20-21). 5. Look at verse 3. How our personal relationship with God in Christ affect our daily lives? Knowing that we wretched sinners are honored children of God by grace inspires us to illustrate that kinship to God by the way we live and act. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure (cf. Ephesians 5:1-2). Our personal connection with Christ leads us to daily repentance and renewal through the Holy Spirit s work. We want nothing in our lives to violate or diminish his honor and the relationship we have with him. We look forward to the time when we will truly be like him because we will see him as he is. The greater our sight of Jesus in our lives, the greater our lives will reflect him no longer living for our selves but every aspect of our lives for him who died for us and is raised again (2 Corinthians 5:15-17). A Personal Relationship with Jesus 5
6. Identify facets of a personal devotional life that help strengthen a one-on-one relationship with Jesus. As the Holy Spirit brings us into faith, he also puts us into a lifelong learning process to understand what Jesus is to us every day. In my private devotional life I am able to spend quiet time hearing Jesus talk to me in his Word as it applies uniquely to my life and I am able to pour out my inner struggles and requests to him in prayer personally and alone. My daily devotional life increases my focus on Christ s continual relationship with me and my continual dependence on him. This is part of my personal journey of faith and service rather than an institutional membership. 1 John 1:1,3: 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 7. Look at John s focus in his earthly relationships. How can my personal relationship with Jesus find greater expression within my congregation and synod? By faith we too have seen, looked at and touched the Word of Life Jesus himself. We too have something exciting to share in our fellowship with God through his Son. It is that relationship (more than a relationship with a church or synod) that should rise to the top of our relationship with each other. The closer we are to Jesus, the better we are prepared to naturally share with others the hope and joy that comes from Him. We can be big brother or big sister to each other with a heart that glows with the love Christ has shown us (1 Thessalonians 5:10-11). 8. Discuss the value of appreciating and celebrating our wider connection with Christians in the invisible church the communion of saints who are saved through their faith in Christ. Our hearts often are saddened with false ecumenism and guard against it. Yet our appreciation of Christ s impact on individual lives through faith spans time and denominational boundaries. Celebrating the hand of God in the history of the Christian church and appreciating the examples of vibrant personal faith in many faithful Christians over the years helps us remember the continuing power of the gospel throughout times. The stories of their struggles and their victories of faith (like Martin Luther) can inspire us to grow in our relationship with Christ too. Understanding that others outside our denominational fellowship also have a strong, vibrant faith in words and life that clearly honor Christ helps us to realize the individual nature of faith and prevent the exclusivity that imagines our connection with God lies with our membership in a specific church. The more we show that we praise God for A Personal Relationship with Jesus 6
Christian faith wherever it exists, the more we can understand the power of the gospel to lead others to see their place in the Una Sancta (the invisible Church people who belong to Christ), This is a blessing that supersedes our membership in a certain church body. The more we understand our synodical history is part of Christian history, the better we appreciate how our Christian faith becomes loyal to our synodical connection to make a clear confession in an unclear religious world. 9. Why is a close, active connection to a congregation that is loyal to Christ so important to my personal relationship with Jesus? Our church membership is not a condition of our faith or salvation but something we do as a response to our faith. We are first and foremost God s children through faith. But we also become members of Christ s Church as a result of our faith. We begin to realize more and more that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Our growing respect for the truth of God s Word and the great blessings in the gospel of Jesus will lead me to stand with those who also proclaim it clearly. We are joined together with the other members of the body of Christ by virtue of a common faith to carry out a common goal. Here I gain greater insights as I study Scriptures with others who have the same respect for Scripture as I have. Here I receive admonition when I tend to stray, here I see the grace of God in the lives of others, and here I make a public witness of the truth of God s grace in Christ. Here I receive and share in the powerful covenant of Christ in the sacraments of baptism and communion. Here my personal connection with Jesus finds a unique outlet of praise and service. In this environment we consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds and encourage each other in faith as we see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:23 ff). 10. List several blessings congregations and synods can anticipate as they increase the focus on the personal spiritual growth of people. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This can be applied to the corporate body as well. It can, therefore, be said that the stronger each individual s faith is, the stronger the body will be. Being together as brothers and sisters is inherent in the body of Christ s relationship and provides the atmosphere to grow even stronger in faith. When people are growing spiritually, congregational and synodical priorities reflect real spiritual agendas focused on connecting people with Jesus. The more people grow in seeing the big picture, the more they put aside the arguing and fighting over eternally insignificant matters. As people grow in faith in Christ and the resulting spiritual life, the congregation becomes more understanding of God s mission for us; people more actively support it with their energy and offerings. Christians begin to see their role in doing mission work where they are (home, work, community) and A Personal Relationship with Jesus 7
educating the next generation in the greatness of our God. The more individuals grow spiritually, the better they are in recognizing false teaching when they see it and ensure the gospel is clearly communicated here and throughout the world. 11. Describe how your congregation / area of ministry can best help people understand how they are the church in every aspect of their lives through a growing relationship with Jesus (rather than view themselves as merely being a member of the right church). Think through ways you can put greater emphasis on individual spiritual growth instead of an overemphasis on congregational-related activity. Think of active ways you can promote greater involvement in Bible study and discussion at church, in small groups and, above all, at home with families. Let people s relationship with Christ be at the heart of meetings and conversations. Think of ways to help each one to understand their gifts to be used in God s service not only in the church but wherever he places them. Pray that God s Word would so richly impact individuals that they would love the man or woman next to them enough to tell them about Jesus. You may need to focus people back to the basics faithfully reflecting Christ in our roles inside and outside of church as fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, employers, employees and neighbors. A grassroots love for sharing Jesus from the family up will build such a healthy church. 2 Timothy 1:12: I am not ashamed, because I know whom I believe, and am convinced he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. Summarize Summarize what you learned and discussed about the importance of an individual s understanding of his personal relationship with Jesus. Share Share stories of people whose lives display their close relationship to Jesus in everything they do. A Personal Relationship with Jesus 8
Challenge Look at the emphasis in your life: Do you find yourself identifying more with your membership in your congregation (or synod) or with the daily relationship you have in Christ? How is a growing relationship with Jesus evident in your role as father, mother, son, daughter, employer, employee, and neighbor? Look at your congregational life: Does your evangelism activity invite people to church or to get to know Jesus better? Do people mistake spiritual life as church membership, activity on committees, attendance, and support of the congregation and synod. or is it based on the individual s personal growing relationship with Jesus? Design a plan to make use of every opportunity and activity to reflect an ongoing relationship with Jesus throughout the day. Prayer Consider where we have poorly represented God s love in these matters. Pray for wisdom in these matters so that the full body of Christ might be encouraged in carrying out his mission. Include thanks for the many women who have served their Lord faithfully. A Personal Relationship with Jesus 9