Tuesday, August 11, 2009
3 Eternal Impact Studies
Gifted Membership
1. Think of a time when you ministered to someone else. What did this opportunity to serve mean to you?
2. Read Galatians 6:1-6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14. List the duties of these early Christian leaders.
3. Read Exodus 19:3-6 and 1 Peter 2:9. What does God promise His people? What does God expect from His people?
4. Read Romans 12:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. Who has spiritual gifts? How did they get them? How should people use their spiritual gifts?
5. Read Ephesians 4:11-16 and Hebrews 13:20-21. How are people equipped to serve in your church? How does this “equipping” enable people to do more of the church’s work? How does equipping lead to the church’s fulfilling its mission?
Worship
1. What confusion is there over the practice of worship today?
2. What are the severe consequences of false worship?
Genesis 4:5. Exodus 32. 1 Kings 11:31-33.
Jeremiah 1:16; 16:11; 22:9. Romans 1:25.
But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers (John 4:23).
3. True Worship involves
Reverence. How would you define the fear of the Lord?
2 Chron 19:7, Psa 19:9, Psa 111:10, Prov 1:7, Prov 8:13, Prov 14:26,
Prov 22:4 Acts 19:31, 2 Cor 5:11
Service. latreuo…, denotes the idea ‘to work, to labor, or to serve.’ In the Old Testament this service was most often priestly service. In the New Testament we are told that we are all priests of God (1 Peter 2:5,9). Romans 12:1. What service do we offer?
Hebrews adds to this the sacrifice of praise, of doing good and of sharing (Hebrews 13:15,16, Ephesians 5: 18-20). John 14:21 We show our love for Christ by…?
Giving How is this described as worship? 1 Corinthians 16:1-2
2 Corinthians 9:6-7, "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." Our giving is to be planned. We should not give because we feel we have to give. Nor should we resent that we need to give to please God. We should be glad that we can give to the Lord.
From Opposition to Victory
1. During this study what have you learned about what the Bible says about the early church? What have you learned about your own church?
What have you learned about your own role in your church?
What action will you take to make a greater eternal impact through your church in your community and the world?
Think of a time when you worked hard for a personal victory. How did you feel when you reached your goal? How were able to discipline yourself to reach that goal?
2. Read Acts 20:17-24. What opposition did leaders in the early church experience? How did they stay focused on their mission rather than the opposition? What opposition do churches in the twenty-first century experience? How can they stay focused on their mission? What is the same about the opposition the church faced two thousand years ago and today? What is different?
3. If you are aware of individuals who create opposition or disrupt unity in the church, pray for them now and every day this week. Ask God to help you be a positive example in the life of a disgruntled church member.
4. Read Ephesians 1:15-23. What did Paul pray for the church at Ephesus? If your church could do anything at all, with no thoughts of financial or human limits, what would you like to do?
5. Read Ephesians 1:3-14. What has God done for people and for the church? What is stopping your church (and others) from attempting great things for God? What can your church do to reach its potential?
6 . Read Ephesians 1:20-23. What did Paul write in these verses about the church and its Head? What power does Jesus have? How does Christ choose to work on earth?
7 . Read Revelation 1:17-18. What is the good news Christ wanted John to write?
As John wrote about the problems in the seven churches, he mentioned tolerating evil, false teachers/teaching, abandoning their first love, idol worship, immorality, and others.
What is your church doing well? What cautions do you think John might write, as Christ led, to warn your church about practices it needs to change?
Throughout Revelation, John calls the churches to remain faithful to God’s Word. How is your church doing that?
