T H E S T O R Y SESSION 26 LEADER GUIDE

Transcription

1 T H E S T O R Y SESSION 26 LEADER GUIDE Before the Meeting Pray for each member of your group by name. Pray that God opens up the calendars for your members and gives them the time to read Chapter 26 from The Story before your CARE Group meets! Remind group members to bring their Participant s Guide. Walk through the material on your own prior to the meeting. Leading the Discussion - Session 26 Introduction: Ask someone in the group to read the Introduction this week. Talk About It: Ask someone to read the question and then take turns answering. DVD Teaching Notes: Encourage your group to bring their Bibles and read from the Scriptures when the participant guide references the Bible. Provide pens so group members can take notes as needed. Play Session 26 from the DVD DVD Discussion: Chapter 26 is both, beautiful and difficult. As God unwraps his plan to provide a lamb as a final sacrifice for all mankind, Jesus experiences the most excruciating part of being human - pain. God put on flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood, and the neighbors crucified him. Yet, the pain Jesus endured was not in vain; through his blood shed on the cross all the power of sin was crushed, and our future began. 1

2 1. As Jesus prepared for the Passover meal (a time laden with imagery of sacrificed lambs and shed blood) he did not stop teaching and showing his followers how to live (John 13:1-17; The Story, pp ). Describe the act of service Jesus offered his disciples (including Judas) and how they responded. As they are arguing about who is the greatest, Jesus who was the greatest leans over, and in an act of humility begins to wash their feet. Foot washing was the duty of the lowly or was usually reserved to servants. The disciples failed to realize Jesus came to serve and not to be served. Philippians 2:3; 5-7 (NIV) Paul tells us to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves...jesus; Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. Jesus knowingly humbled himself to the point of servanthood even though he knew his disciples would soon abandon him; in particular Judas, who betrayed Jesus with a kiss. This is a great time to remind your group if Jesus was the Creator of the universe and he humbled himself in the form of a servant than we too should humble ourselves this way. Life is not about me it s really about others. The disciples initially rejected Jesus offer to wash their feet. This might be a good time to ask your group do you ever struggle to accept God s goodness - His grace, forgiveness, and mercy? If so why? How does our willingness to serve reveal Jesus presence in our life and in the world? What is one unexpected act of service you can offer in the coming week? Our obedience is proof of our love for God and others. If we love God then a desire to serve comes from our heart. The 2 nd part of this question is critical- it s a great opportunity to get your group to being the hands and feet of Jesus. Listen intently, or you may need to begin the sharing. Some easy ideas are; cook a special dinner for someone, secretly pay for someone s coffee at drive thru, cut your neighbors lawn, invite someone to the Toyota Center! 2. Jesus is emphatically clear that he is the only way back to a restored relationship with the Father, the only path to heaven (John 14:6; The Story, pp. 370). How do some people (even Christians) push back on this exclusive claim of Jesus? Why is it important for us to embrace this clear teaching of the Savior? In our postmodern society relativism (which claims their exists no absolute truth) is a prominent belief, which most people have accepted (even many Christians). Relativism teaches us there are many paths to God, and we should tolerate one another s beliefs. This ideology has become the accepted norm in our society. 2

3 As followers of Jesus it is imperative we do not muddy the water of the teachings Jesus. He claims to be the only way to God, and we shouldn t be ashamed to say that in love. The reality is, because salvation is for everyone who believes Christianity is the most inclusive religion in the world. Every religion bases their salvation, or enlightenment, on good works. However, if we could work our way into heaven then God wouldn t be very grand - Jesus was the perfect sacrifice which created a bridge to God. Remember, in the Old Testament they had to sacrifice animals for their sins? Jesus becomes the sacrificial lamb - the bridge no other religion could make to reach to God! Jesus became one of us so that we might have access to God. This is a great opportunity to ask members of your group if they have ever been faced with this predicament, and how they responded? 3. Right before his arrest Jesus took three of his friends and went to a garden to pray (Matthew 26:36-46; The Story, pp ). What do you learn about the love and power of God, contrasted with the weakness and need of people, as you read this account? In the Garden we observe Jesus physical strain of the pain to come, and yet he demonstrates an unreal love for us. Jesus knows he is about to be arrested, tortured, publically humiliated, and murdered for our sin. Yet, his prayer is not my will, but your (God s) will be done. He accepts his fate, and embraces the coming events. When Jesus confronts the danger ahead he gets strengthened by an angel. Which tells us, we too can be strong in the face of opposition - when we are weak He is strong. In contrast, the disciples were so tired they could not keep their eyes open long enough to stand with Jesus. Ask your group if they can recall a time when they felt so weak they needed God. 4. The religious and the political leaders joined in a twisted tale of abuse and rejection (Matthew 26:57-67; 1-10; John 18:28-19:16; The Story, pp ). How did they treat Jesus and how did they respond? They treated Jesus like a criminal. He was falsely accused, mocked, spit upon, beaten, and scourged. However Jesus willingly laid down his life and endured it all in total silence. Isaiah 53 & Psalm 22 predicted what would happen hundreds of years before. Jesus demonstrates his power in his silence, and exposes weakness in their noise. Ask your group if they have ever observed this: A person who became weaker by speaking louder and speaking more, or someone who become more powerful by saying nothing. 5. Peter one of Jesus closest friends, vigorously denied three times that he even knew the Lord even as Jesus watched on (Luke 22:54-62; The Story, pp. 375). How must this have felt to Jesus? What are ways we deny Jesus and act like we don t know him? 3

4 While Jesus was God, and understood what was to come he was also human. It would be a fair statement to say, it broke Jesus heart to watch one of his closest friends deny him. Give group the opportunity to list ways Christians in general betray Christ. Refrain from being critical of other believers we are all guilty of this in some form or another. 6. What do you learn about the heart of Jesus as he hung on the cross (Luke 23:32-43; John 19:25-27; The Story, pp ), interacting with those who crucified him, the thief who reached out to him, and his mother? The conversations Jesus had while on the cross illustrate God s great care, love, and compassion for humanity. Jesus is suffering, and he takes time to ask God to forgive the very people who are murdering him unfairly. Jesus said, Father, forgive them they don t know what their doing. On the cross he takes the time to invite the thief into a relationship with Him, and invites him into his kingdom. Before passing he even takes time to make sure his mother will be taken care of. Jesus says, John this is now your mother. Ask the members in your group how they can learn from the example of Jesus how we should treat others when we are persecuted unfairly. 7. One of the briefest, most powerful statements in The Story is when Jesus said, It is finished. From a Lower Story perspective, what must people have thought when Jesus spoke these words? From an Upper Story spiritual reality, what was Jesus declaring and what does this mean for us? In its original language it is finished was an accounting term meaning paid in full. It also meant complete. From a Lower Story perspective the people may have thought he was simply passing away. From an Upper Story perspective there is much nuance: He was declaring on the cross the work of God s redemptive plan to get us back was complete - the cross was the ultimate-final sacrifice - no more was needed. Once we give our heart to Christ we are guilt free (Romans 8:1). This may be a good time to ask people in your group if they struggle with allowing God to forgive them of all their sins. If they struggle, in love, remind them to God all sin is equal (while some sin has greater consequence) and God forgives all; the cross was all that was needed. 8. Hebrews 10:19-22, the passage Randy read in the DVD segment, points out three things that happen when we enter into a friendship with Jesus. How have you experienced (or how are you experiencing) one these in your life: We can draw near to God with absolute confidence We no longer have a guilty conscience We live with a sense of being cleansed and pure 4

5 You may have different answers, but please encourage everyone they have equal access like all three of these to God. What can we do on a daily basis to walk in an intimate and living relationship with God? This is a very important question! Please don t rush the process. Leave a minute for silence, and encourage people to share. Spend time with God: challenge the members of your group to take at least 15 minutes a day to read your Bible, pray every day, pray with your family, make time to stop and listen to God (Jesus calls this going into a closet )- The following week follow up! 9. Read movement 5 of The Story (p. 11 of the participant s guide). How is God s power and presence in the Upper Story impacting what happens in the lower story? You may have many answers, but it should sound something like this. In the Lower Story, while the pain of Christ on the cross may seem to have marked the end of his life- the Upper Story is writing a new story through his death his life is not ending, but our life with God is just beginning! Closing Prayer: Have members of your group pair into groups of two, or three. During the prayer time, ask your group to pray for the areas in their lives they are having issues trusting God with. Then come back together to close out the meeting in prayer. Between Sessions: If you group hasn t already get involved in serving together! the group to let them know you are praying for them. Call one member this week and pray for them on the phone. Make quiet time with God each day. Rest. 5