Friday, May 09, 2014
Multiply Studies 19-24
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Jesus the Messiah Read Mark 1
What are some of the answers people in our culture give to Jesus’s question “Who do you say that I am?” Why are these answers inadequate?
Why is it important to understand that Jesus was fully human and fully God? How should this reality shape the way you think and speak about Him?
What does Mark 1 indicate that Jesus has power over?
Why is it important to recognize that Jesus was fulfilling the promises and prophecies made in the Old Testament?
Based on what you studied in the session on the kingdom of God in the Old Testament, why is Jesus’s proclamation of the kingdom of God important? Mark 1:15
How should the concept of the kingdom of God and the reality of Jesus as the King affect your daily life now?
Carefully read Ephesians 2:1–10 and Colossians 2:13–15.
What do these passages say about the significance of Jesus’s death and resurrection?
Read Acts 3:18–21. How did the early apostles present persuasively that Jesus is the Messiah? Why was this important? Is it important to present this today?
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Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18–20)
Read Luke 24 and Acts 1:1–11. As you read, place yourself in the scene and try to feel the significance of these events. How do the circumstances surrounding the Great Commission add significance to Jesus’s words?
We can get so caught up in our own personal relationships with God that we forget to think about the global implications of the Great Commission. Why is it important to see the mission of the church as a global calling? Revelation 7:9-17
Why do you think Jesus would give us the strategy of disciple making as the means for accomplishing our mission on earth?
Take a minute to consider the significance of baptism. Write down some thoughts below. If you have been baptized, include some reflections on your own experience with baptism.
What role should teaching play in our Christian lives and in the life of the church? And why?
Most likely, you already believe that God’s presence is with you as you seek to honor Him in this world. But take some time to meditate on that simple truth: “I am with you always.” How should this statement affect your daily life and the way you view your God-given mission?
Have you ever tried to follow Jesus apart from the power of the Holy Spirit? Why is this approach bound to end in frustration?
Given your specific setting, what would it look like to pursue the Great Commission through the power of the Spirit?
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Consider the significance of the promise of the Holy Spirit in Ezekiel 36:25–27. Explain why this promise is so important in the history of redemption.
How should seeing the Holy Spirit as a person and as God Himself change the way you relate to Him?
Read Acts 2 carefully. As you read, pay attention to two things: (1) references to Old Testament truths and promises and (2) references to the Holy Spirit. What references do you see in Peter’s sermon to some of the key concepts you studied in the Old Testament sessions?
What does this passage say about the Holy Spirit? How was the Holy Spirit working at this significant moment in redemption history? John 16:5-15
Read Romans 7 and 8. What does Paul’s comparison of these two ways of living say about the role of the Holy Spirit and our need for Him?
How have you seen the Spirit of God working in the life of your church?
How are you partnering with other members of the body of Christ to be used by the Spirit in fulfilling God’s mission on earth?
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Read Acts 2:42–47 slowly. After you read it, spend a few minutes meditating on what characterized this group of people. What stands out to you?
Why do you think the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching? What implications does that have for the church today?
Why was fellowship so important for the early church? Why is it important for the church today?
In your own words, describe why the Lord’s Supper is significant.
Does communion carry this significance in your church? Why or why not?
Explain why prayer is essential to the life and mission of the church.
What would a devotion to prayer look like in the life of your church?
Read 1 Corinthians 12. How should Paul’s analogy of the church as a body affect the way we think about the church? In what ways are we more than individuals? Does the life of your church look anything like the body that Paul described in 1 Corinthians 12? How so? If not, why do you think this is?
What do you find most compelling about the way the book of Acts describes the life of the early church?
Does your church possess the compelling characteristics of being Generous, Holy, Fearless, and Multiplying? If so, briefly describe them and thank God for them. If not, why do you think these characteristics are lacking?
What do you think the Holy Spirit would want your church to do in an effort to fulfill the church’s mission in your unique setting?
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How should God’s heart as revealed in the Old Testament and in Jesus’s ministry affect the way we think about and relate to those people who seem “unreachable”?
After He rose from the grave, Jesus announced to His disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them so that they could be His witnesses “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The rest of the book of Acts explains how this played out, beginning with the growth of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 2) and ending with Paul’s proclamation of the gospel from prison in Rome (Acts 28).
Read Acts 15. How is the global aspect of God’s plan of redemption demonstrated in this passage?
Take a minute to meditate on Galatians 3:28–29. Why do you think Paul made such a big deal about the relationship between Jews and Gentiles?
What does it mean to be a “fisher of men”? Is there anything about your life that would identify you as a “fisher of men”? If so, what? If not, what can you do to grow in this area?
How would you describe your church’s attitude toward and participation in spreading the gospel to all nations? How might you encourage your church to work toward this end?
What is your own involvement with missions? Are you at all involved in going, sending, training, supplying, praying, etc.? What changes might you need to make to this area of your life? Would you consider going on a short term or long term mission?
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:9–10)
Are we a multicultural church and what does that mean for us? Ephesians 2:11-22
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Therefore [because of Jesus’s obedience and sacrifice] God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9–11)
Have you done much studying or thinking on how and when the world will end? If so, what has been your impression of the end times? If not, why do you think you haven’t approached this issue in the past?
Read Romans 8:18–25. How does this promise affect your view of the world?
Read Revelation 1. Based on this description of Jesus, how will Jesus in His second coming be different from in His first coming?
Read Revelation 21–22. As you read this beautiful description of the New Creation, don’t get caught up in trying to interpret every detail. Instead, try to picture and feel the beauty and peace of the scene that awaits us. What stands out to you most from reading this account?
Based on what you read in Revelation 21–22 and what you read and discussed in the session on creation, how will God’s new creation reflect the reality of God’s initial creation before the fall? How will it be better?
How should the promise of judgment at Jesus’s return affect the way we think about and interact with the non-Christians in our lives?
Is there anyone in your life whom you need to be more purposeful in reaching out to? If so, spend some time asking the Holy Spirit to give you confidence and wisdom in reaching out to this person with the gospel.
Read 2 Peter 3:8-14 How should the end of the story affect the way we live today? Be as specific to your own situation as possible.
