GOSPEL IN LIFE [ leaders Manual ] A free resource compiled by Terran Williams for Common Ground Church to accompany Gospel in Life, which is written by Dr. Tim Keller and published by Zondervan.
CONTENTS SESSION 1...CITY: The world that is SESSION 2...HEART: Three ways to live SESSION 3...IDOLATRY: The sin beneath the sin SESSION 4...COMMUNITY: The context for change SESSION 5...WORK: Cultivating the garden SESSION 6...WITNESS: An alternate city SESSION 7...JUSTICE: A people for others SESSION 8...ETERNITY: The world that is to come Note: There are 3 participative moments in the night: the before-video conversation, the after-video conversation and the prayer time. Do your best to maximize both the limited time and the contribution of every person. To do this, depending on the size of the group, do some or all three of these moments in smaller subgroups of 3 to 5 people, not just as a whole group.
Session 1 CITY: The world that is Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7) Welcome! It s great to have you all. Let s start with 3 pointers: 1. There s no pressure to contribute, but it would be great if we all had a turn to speak. Extroverts, share by all means but let s be aware of quieter people in the group. 2. Also, let s be aware that we re in different places on our spiritual journey. Some of us might not even be followers of Christ. Some of us might be new in the adventure. Some of us have been following Jesus for years. So no one need feel intimidated. Just be real about where you are don t be embarrassed if you don t understand stuff, or if you haven t started to follow Jesus yet. Hopefully this group will help us all move forward in our journey. 3. The more you put in, the more you will get out of it. So I encourage you to come every week, to come on Sundays too, to seriously reflect on, and apply what, you re learning during the week and to put in the effort to get to know people in this group, even if you feel they are very different to you. It really will be worth your while. Brief get-to-know-you activity: As a quick get-to-know-you activity, let s stand up and chat for 90 seconds per person to 3 different people. We ll talk about our past, present and future. With person 1, what cities other than this one have you lived in, in the past. With person 2, share a challenge you re facing in the present. With person 3, share a plan you have for the future. Read Jeremiah 29:4-14 (have enough Bibles or copies of the Bible passage for all). This was written in 586BC when Babylon had taken captive the elite of Jewish society the artisans, professionals and leaders. So Jeremiah wrote to them, telling them how to relate to the city they found themselves in. In verses 4-7, what is the basic advice God gives to these Jewish elites? After video conversation: Was there anything in DVD that was new to you, or confused you, or enthused you? In the DVD we heard that God has purposes for the city, but that in our rebellion against God, the city works against God s purposes for it. For you, what are the most obvious signs that our city is out of sync with God s purposes for it? Keller speaks of how life in the city can deepen not destroy our faith. What aspects of city life have the capacity for pushing us closer to Christ and his gospel? The city is ideal for driving us to the gospel of grace. Keller says: In the city we re going to find people that appear spiritually hopeless or are of no religion of other religions or with deeply non-christian lifestyles, and you will discover many of them are kinder, deeper and wiser than you. You will also find that many of the poor and the broken are much more open to the gospel of grace and more dedicated to its practical outworking than you are. Has this been your experience? If so, how can this drive you more to the God who accepts you on the basis of grace not works? In the most recent year of your life, would you describe yourself as: 1. Someone who has sought to impact the city for Christ but who has compromised your Christian identity in the process? 2. Someone who has not sought to impact the city but who has maintained your Christian identity in the process? 3. Someone who both sought to impact the city but who has maintained your Christian identity in the process? 4. Other No one need pray aloud, after all prayer is simply talking to God, but if ever there was a safe place to give it a go, it would be this group. Respond to God in prayer. 1. Pray for the well-being of the city. 2. Commit yourselves to seek its well-being. 3. Ask God to fill you with insight into the plans he has for us in this city. 2 3
Session 2 HEART: Three ways to live They did not know the righteousness of God but instead sought to establish their own. Romans 10:3 Get-to-know-you: Who of you were brought up in religious homes? Do you see that as a positive or negative thing? At the end of last week, I asked you, One thing I want to remember or change is So, how did it go this last week? Read Luke 15:11-32 Respond to God in prayer. 1. Thank him for his grace and gift of justification. 2. Repent of any younger brother tendencies in your life ( obeying no-one ). 3. Repent of any older brother tendencies in your life ( obey God in order to try control him or earn his acceptance ). After video conversation: Was there anything in the DVD that was new to you, or confused you, or enthused you? Which of the two brothers is easiest for you to identify with, and why? What emotions and attitudes does the older brother display, and what does this tell you about his relationship with God? What do you think it means to repent not only for our bad things, but also for the reason we did our good things? Keller says: If I gave you a test on justification by grace alone through faith alone through the substitutionary work of Christ alone, you d probably get a 100%. Truth is we probably wouldn t get 100%! John Stott defines justification like this: It s a legal term, borrowed from the law courts. It is the exact opposite of condemnation. To condemn is to declare someone guilty. To justify is to declare them righteous. In the Bible it refers to God s act of unmerited favour by which he puts sinners right with himself, not only pardoning or acquitting us, but accepting us and treating us as righteous. Well if that s the case, then what motivates us to live obedient, repentant lives? If Jesus is our true older brother, how does it change the way we live on a daily basis? 4 5
Session 3 IDOLATRY: The Sin beneath The Sin My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13) Respond to God in prayer. 1. Repent of idolatry. 2. Rejoice in Christ as the overmastering positive passion of our lives. At the end of last week, you answered the question, One thing I want to remember or change is So, how did it go this last week? Read Romans 1:18-25. According to these verses what is the reason that our hearts have become futile and darkened (look especially at the beginning of verse 21)? And what are the results of this idolatry? Read Jeremiah 2:11-13 and 2:23-25. What strikes you about our tendency to idolatry from these verses? After video conversation: Was there anything in the DVD that was new to you, or confused you, or really excited you? We all have our set of idols that lure us in. What are the good things in your life that tend to idolatrously replace God in your life? Have you yet experienced Christ breaking the hold of an idol in your life? If so, tell us about it. Thomas Chalmers says that underneath the sin of idolatry is a disbelief in the gospel. He says that if we want to change, Jesus Christ must become our overmastering positive passion. Does your experience resonate with this claim? What are some ways we can concretely make Christ the overmastering positive passion of our lives? 6 7
Session 4 COMMUNITY: the context for change Jesus praying: I have given my disciples the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them. (John 17:22-23) Respond to God in prayer. 1. Thank God for the gift of community. 2. Ask that Christ s love would ignite your hearts to love, share with and serve others. At the end of last week, you answered the question, One thing I want to remember or change is So, how did it go this last week? Read 1 Peter 2:9-10. According to these verses, what happens to our identity when we come to Christ? Read John 17:20-23. According to these words by Jesus, why is the quality of our relationships so important? After video conversation: Anything that really spoke to you in the DVD? Any questions it provoked in you? Do you feel you re part of the sort of community Keller described? If not, what can you do personally to move in that direction? The first reason community is so crucial for the Christian is we cannot know God deeply apart from it. How has that been true for you? The second reason community is so crucial for the Christian is you cannot change deeply outside of community. How has that been true for you? The third reason community is so crucial for the Christian is that we can t win the world apart from it. How has this been true for you? From your experience, what practices make for strong, healthy Christian community? Brainstorm practical ways by which your own group can deepen its life together as a community. 8 9
Session 5 WORK: cultivating the garden Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (Colossians 3:23) B 5 B 6 (Note that in the Common Ground series we re doing sessions 5 and 6 of the DVD in reverse order) As a group, or perhaps in smaller groups, respond to God and what we re learning in prayer. Ask God s Spirit to freshly anoint you for the work you do, giving you the wisdom and strength you need to advance God s kingdom there. Is there anyone who needs prayer for anything they re facing at work? If you re seeking employment, let s pray for you now. Optional get-to-know-you-statement which introduces today s theme. Complete the following: The best part and worst part about my job is (share both). At the end of last week, you answered the question, One thing I want to remember or change is So, how did it go this last week? Read Genesis 1:28 and 2:15, and Colossians 2:22-24. Without going into depth, any major insights into the meaning of work from these verses? After video conversation: Anything that really spoke to you in the DVD? Any questions it provoked in you? Why do you work? If you re honest, what are your primary motivations? Keller said that resting in Christ helps us not to build our identity on work, which means we are able to take and enjoy rest from work. Does that resonate with you? What are the main ethical quandaries and temptations that you experience in your unique line of work? Besides telling co-workers about Christ, what are some practical ways you can take Christ to work with you? 10 11
Session 6 WITNESS: An alternate city You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone. Let your light shine before others. (Matthew 5:14-16) B 5 B 6 (Note that in the Common Ground series we re doing sessions 5 and 6 of the DVD in reverse order) At the end of last week, you answered the question, One thing I want to remember or change is So, how did it go this last week? Read 1 Peter 3:15 and 16. What are the key insights in these two verses that help us as individual Christians and as a church reach out to people who don t yet know Christ? As a church community we re meant to demonstrate an alternate city with kingdom values very different values with regard to money, sex and power to that of the world. Where are we as a church falling short in this call? What can we do to get it right? Respond to God in prayer. 1. Commit yourself to being on a mission with Christ. 2. Pray for people far from God by name, asking God to open up opportunities for having spiritual conversations with them, and opportunities to invite them to church. after video conversation: What most interested you in this DVD? We re meant to be a city on a hill a city that is gospel speaking. What intimidates you about having spiritual conversations with people? Frank Retief, founder of St James Church writes: People without Jesus go to hell if you really believe that you ve got to take risks, take a chance and be prepared to fail. When last did you take a risk to communicate Christ to others? Keller then challenges us to be able to clearly and gently present the gospel to people. What can you do to become more ready and able to do this? Right now, who are the two or three people who don t know Christ with whom you re hoping to share your faith? We re meant to be a city that is transformed. Is there any inconsistency or hypocrisy in your life that you re aware of that undermines the gospel s credibility in the sight of non-christians? 12 13
Session 7 JUSTICE: A people for others Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:17) Optional get-to-know-you: Who of you were brought up in a home where active compassion for the poor was practiced? If so, how? At the end of last week, I asked you, One thing I want to remember or change is So, how did it go this last week? Read Isaiah 58:6-12. Anything that speaks to you in these verses? Respond to God in prayer. 1. Pray for God s heart for the poor. 2. Commit yourselves to be agents of God s shalom. 3. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh for the work of shining his light. after video conversation: Was there anything in the DVD that was new to you, or confused you, or enthused you? What do you understand by the call to bring about shalom and do justice? What do you think is the relationship between telling people about Jesus and doing shalom/justice? Aren t we meant to just tell people about Jesus? Why is doing justice even needed? It s natural to want to help people who are like you, who like you and who you like. What would it mean for you to help people who are not like you, who don t like you, and whom you don t like? How can you bring about shalom in your home, or in your place of work, or in our city? 14 15
Session 8 ETERNITY: The world that is to come No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. (Revelations 22:3) Respond to God in prayer. 1. Thank God for the future that awaits! 2. Thank God for all he has taught us in this series. Optional get-to-know-you: Would you say you re scared of dying? What do you believe will happen when you die? Share the biggest change you ve noticed in your life since we started this series. Richard Mouw writes about the verses we re about to read: My own hunch is that God has provided us (in these verses) with a rich storehouse of images of the afterlife for God s people. All of them are hints in the direction of what is beyond our comprehension. So we may feel free to draw on one or another of them as a particular situation in our life may require. Now listen to it being read. As you do, consider if there are any images that most stand out to you. Read Isaiah 60:1-22. Now share the image that most stands out to you and why you think its meaningful for you. after video conversation: Was there anything in the DVD that was new to you, or confused you, or enthused you? Tim Keller shows how Isaiah 60 says that the cultural achievements of all cultures will be included in the New Jerusalem. What aspects of your work do you think might be incorporated into God s final kingdom? How does this affect your understanding of work? If the future community is one of perfect shalom what are some tangible ways that our church community can be a better foretaste of that future community? What are some things competing with God as your glory and your everlasting light? What do you think would change if God were your only glory and everlasting light? What are the benefits that you can experience by pondering the future that God promises us as his people? 16 17