Introduction Recommendations for Study Recommendations for Table Discussion Thank You

Transcription

1 FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 11:00 PASTOR S CLASS FALL, 2014

2 Introduction Welcome to the 11:00 a.m. Pastor's Class! The enclosed study questions are provided to help you get the most from this class and to plum the depths of God s Word. There you will find no merely intellectual religion but, following the path of Romans 12:2, a transformation of the soul. Our hope and prayer for you is that the Holy Spirit would give to you such an awareness of how you are loved by God that you find a new love for others welling up within you. Recommendations for Study One of the wonderful things about studying a relatively short biblical book like 1 John is that you can read broadly and narrowly. Try to read the entire book each week. You might even begin to ponder about how the material of 1 John reaches into the rest of the New Testament and then extends throughout the Old. Then, read narrowly. Each week study the passage assigned for discussion in greater detail. You might choose to read the recommended biblical commentary for insights into the text. Next begin to answer the study questions. These questions are designed to lead you into the text and help you begin to ask personal questions. They re designed to challenge you. If one seems difficult, proceed to the next and then come back later to the one skipped. Rather than working through all of the questions in one sitting you might choose to tackle one or two questions each day throughout the week. Let the Word confront you, convict you, and comfort you. In this way let us press on to know the Lord, meditate on His Word and seeking His presence in prayer. If you are not able to complete the study questions, please still come to class on Sunday. Recommendations for Table Discussion Some of our best fellowship as Christians happens around tables. Here we have the privilege of listening to one another, caring for one another, offering a word of encouragement and blessing. We all have different personalities and varying spiritual gifts so let s use this time together for building up one another. If you happen to be a naturally talkative person, this is an opportunity for you to listen while someone else feels free to share. There will be questions answered during your private study that one may not feel comfortable to share, that s alright. Treasure those things in prayer. For those shared aloud, your table hosts are there to help lead and prompt conversations that are rooted in Scripture, moving towards one another in love, and pointing our eyes towards our Heavenly Father in praise. Thank You Thank you for joining this class and for contributing to the fellowship around your table. It is very encouraging to see your commitment to Christ and to His Word. Our hope is that the energy invested into this class will be blessed by the Holy Spirit as He continues to renew you be more and more like Jesus Christ.

3 11:00 Pastor s Class Schedule Fall, John Week # Date Scripture Title Teacher 1 7-Sep Introduction Todd Smedley 2 14-Sep 1:1-4 Prologue: The Fullness of Joy Todd Smedley 3 21-Sep 1:5-10 The Christian Life: Walking in the Light Todd Smedley 4 28-Sep 2:1-6 The Christian Life: Obedience Todd Smedley 5 5-Oct 2:7-17 The Christian Life: Living in the World Todd Smedley 6 12-Oct 2:18-27 The Enemy Rob Norris 7 19-Oct 2:28 3:3 Privileges and Obligations: Hope Terence Little 8 26-Oct 3:4-10 Privileges and Obligations: Righteousness Corey Gray 9 2-Nov 3:11-24 Privileges and Obligations: Love Rob Norris 10 9-Nov 4:1-6 Testing the Spirits Todd Smedley Nov 4:7-12 God s Love Todd Smedley Nov 4:13-21 Our Assurance Corey Gray Nov 5:1-5 True Faith (Part 1) Rob Yancey 14 7-Dec 5:6-12 True Faith (Part 2) Todd Smedley Dec 5:13-21 Christian Certainties Todd Smedley

4 I John September 7, 2014 ~ Lesson 1 Introduction 1. Get to know the people seated around your table. Is anyone new? Talk together about what you did during the summer break. 2. Have you read through 1 John? If so, let s talk about the characteristics of the book. What type of biblical book is this? To what literary genre does it belong? On quick glance does it bear some noticeable characteristics of that genre? 3. Who is the author of 1 John and to whom was the letter written? Are there some clues as to the purpose for which it was sent (2:18-19, 26; 5:13)? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 1

5 4. What a person thinks always effects how they live. Describe the behavior and attitude of the false teachers to which John points as evidence of faulty theology. 5. Does the word gospel appear in 1 John? Where does the transformative power of the gospel appear? 6. Can you find where these themes appear in the letter? Fellowship with God Believing in Jesus Christ Walking in the Light Practicing Righteousness Loving other Christians Enjoying Assurance of Salvation 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 2

6 I John 1:1-4 September 14, 2014 ~ Lesson 2 Prologue: The Fullness of Joy 1. Rather than beginning his little epistle with the name of his subject or by artistically opening with a figurative analogy, the Apostle John begins with a pronoun. Then he sets this ambiguous object in concrete history, from the beginning. Why? 2. John s witness is supported by eye, ear, and hand testimony. With this pattern what is he saying about the word of life? Secondly what is John saying about his own authority? 3. Did you notice the two passive verbs in verse 2? Twice the Apostle says that this eternal life was made manifest. Why might this grammatical observation be significant? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 3

7 4. The entire Christian Life can be defined by verse 3. How would you rephrase it? 5. Do you think that believing in a literal incarnation of Christ is important? 6. What does it mean for you, experientially, to be brought into personal fellowship with God? Do you think of your relationship with God as fellowship? 7. Verse 4 tells us that God s purpose in John s writing is to complete our joy. What might submitting to this purpose look like in your life? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 4

8 I John 1:5-10 September 21, 2014 ~ Lesson 3 The Christian Life: Walking in the Light 1. Did you notice that the word message in verse 5 carries with it a definite article ( the ), meaning that a singular and specific message is in the mind of the author? To what message does John refer? 2. What does it mean to say that God is light? Where else is this taught in Scripture? 3. Did verse 6 give us some additional clues about the heresy circulating amongst Ephesian churches? What type of hypocrisy is John warning against? Have you ever thought like this yourself? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 5

9 4. Verse 7 contains a conditional clause. There are two types of conditions in the Covenant of Grace, antecedent and consequent. Antecedent (going before) conditions stipulate what requirements must be met in order for a result to be achieved. Consequent (going after) conditions imply that because something has happed there are logical responses. Which of these conditions has John employed in verse 7? 5. Martin Luther wrote, a person who confesses that he is altogether sinful embraces all sins in his confession without omitting or forgetting a single one (vv 8-10). Are you comfortable saying that you are a sinner? Are you quick to admit when you re wrong? Do your family members hear you asking for their forgiveness? 6. Now apply the gospel. To people who freely confess their sin, how has God promised righteousness in Christ? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 6

10 I John 2:1-6 September 28, 2014 ~ Lesson 4 The Christian Life: Obedience 1. Pastors speak to their people tenderly. Why did John address the members of the congregation as my little children? 2. What is an advocate? Can you think of other places in Scripture where God uses this concept? 3. Explain the word propitiation biblically (see Rom 3:25; John 1:29; 11:52-53). 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 7

11 4. What would it look like for you to live your life with a daily awareness that God s wrath against your sin has been propitiated? What would such an awareness produce in your heart? 5. John teaches us that true thinking ( knowing ) is always connected with obedient living (vv 3-6). Compare the verb tenses in verse 3 and discuss this together. 6. Put a face on verse 5. What does it look like to be motivated by gratitude? 7. Turn and read Luke 6: How does Luke s lesson about the tree and its fruit relate to what John is teaching us about profession and obedience? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 8

12 I John 2:7-17 October 5, 2014 ~ Lesson 5 The Christian Life: Living in the World 1. First, let s take a step back and make sure we understand how John builds his argument throughout these ten verses. What is the old commandment and where is it found? Does the old commandment functioning in its old way relate to the Covenant of Works or of Grace? Explain. 2. In Christ how has the old commandment become new? Or to say it a different way, the gospel not only liberates a man from the penalty and power of sin but it also transforms and empowers him to obey the great commandment. Where do the gospels record Jesus teaching on this topic? 3. John uses the analogy of darkness and light throughout verses 8-11 and includes word pictures of walking, stumbling, and the contrast of eyes opened and shut. Talk together about this symbolism. How does the analogy function in order to teach us spiritual truth? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 9

13 4. Does it surprise you that the preeminent test of one walking in the light is whether he/she loves a brother? Would you have made this the test of spiritual maturity? What does this say about the importance of love in a Christian s life? 5. Look carefully at verses Are these poetic lines in the grammatical mood of imperative (law) or indicative (gospel)? Then consider what John is doing pastorally here by addressing little children, young men, and fathers. 6. A rigid translation of 15a might read, Do not love the world or what is in the world. Describe that love. Secondly in 15b, consider the adjoining phrase the love of the Father. Is this is the love which the Father has for the Christian (subjective genitive), or is this the love which a Christian has for the Father (objective genitive)? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 10

14 I John 2:18-27 October 12, 2014 ~ Lesson 6 The Enemy 1. The noun antichrist appears in verse 18 as a singular noun and then as a plural ( many antichrists ). Where else does the Bible teach about this reference? What conclusions can be drawn? (see 2:22; 4:3-4; 2 John 7) 2. To whom does they refer at the beginning of verse 19? How have they earned this reference? 3. What does it mean that we are presently living in the last hour? What does this designation of time have to do with Jesus Christ? What other passages teach this? 4. Discuss verses together. This anointing doesn t seem to be physical does it? How is both the anointing and the knowledge of the truth about which John writes specific and Christ-centered? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 11

15 5. Are these verses a personal comfort to you? If not, they re intended to be. John reminds us of an unshakable confidence that we have by abiding in God s promises. Unpack this theme together from verses Now what does it mean when John tells Christians that they have no need for anyone to teach them? Does this mean that our church should cancel all of our Adult Education classes? More importantly does this mean that we shouldn t listen to sermons every Sunday morning? 7. Some have misunderstood the Book of 1 John by thinking that it establishes a standard of Christian perfectionism. Those who are honest about their own failure attaining such perfection then lose, if not seriously rattle, their assurance of salvation. But John writes for the exact opposite purpose! He writes in order to encourage us, to strengthen our faith, and to give us confidence even in the presence of our enemies. How might the Lord use this book to make you more confident in your faith? Talk about this together. 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 12

16 I John 2:28 3:3 October 19, 2014 ~ Lesson 7 Privileges and Obligations: Hope 1. What does it mean to abide in Christ? How is this concept inextricably linked to being born of him in verse 29? 2. What does abiding in Christ or being united to Christ have to do with this sense of confident hope on the day of his return and also with our own practice of righteousness? (remember Luke 6:43) 3. In 3:1 John s focus is on the quality of our Heavenly Father s love. He wants for us to experience the privilege and personal thrill of being called God s children. In what ways do you need to see this Fatherly love? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 13

17 4. Did you notice that the hope spoken of is qualified by visual language (vv 2-3)? What does this teach us about the nature of Christian hope? 5. Verse 3 is a total encapsulation of the doctrine we call sanctification. Explain. 6. Does this passage challenge you? What thoughts, motivations or patterns of behavior in your life do these verses confront? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 14

18 I John 3:4-10 October 26, 2014 ~ Lesson 8 Privileges and Obligations: Righteousness 1. What does it mean to make a practice of sinning (3:3, 6, 8-9)? 2. What is John so emphatic that to practice sin is the same thing as lawlessness? 3. Remember the first two chapters. Christians still sin and if one says that he doesn t, he s a liar (1:8). Here the Apostle warns against adopting a practical perfectionism (denying that Christians still sin) on the one hand, and a practical promiscuity (denying the law) on the other. What is the antidote to both legalism and license? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 15

19 4. Stop and take a second. Don t let this moment pass without taking the opportunity to evaluate your own life in light of these verses. Are you a person who tends to think of himself too highly? Have you become too lenient with patterns of sin in your life? Chances are--we all have. Take some time to pray privately and to ask for the Lord s help. 5. Verse 9 offers lots of hope for Christians longing for righteousness in their lives. First it mentions the seed dwelling within. What is that seed? (Hint: remember Genesis 3:15 and Galatians 3:16) 6. The Apostle closes this section by returning to the preeminent Christian display of true righteousness loving one another. Connect this back to the beginning of the passage. Talk together about how being remade into Christ s likeness and walking in righteousness is especially manifest by loving one another. 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 16

20 I John 3:11-24 November 2, 2014 ~ Lesson 9 Privileges and Obligations: Love 1. Here, the verbal construction that you have heard from the beginning appears in past tense and helps to remind us of when God s people heard this message time and time again. Can you re-trace the biblical development of the Great Commandment from Genesis forward? 2. Don t miss this rich phrase in verse 14 we have passed out of death into life. What key redemptive moments recorded throughout the Old Testament Scriptures does that phrase remind you of? Does it remind you of a sacrament that we celebrate? 3. In verse 15 John echoes the Lord Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount. What are the parallels between Matthew 5 and this passage? Talk together about how Christ undoes Cain s curse by becoming the loving elder brother (Hebrews 2:11, 17). How does this verses call us to spiritual likeness to Christ? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 17

21 4. The Apostle admits that Christians are great at speaking about love to one another but often poor in loving one another. How does verse 18 challenge you personally? 5. John understands the sensitive Christian conscience. He knows that we are perennially aware of our failures and therefore continually in need of spiritual encouragement. Spend some time studying and then discussing this reflex taught in verses about persuading tender consciences with God s gospel promises. 6. Be careful not to pull verse 22 out of context by detaching it from verses How is this lesson on prayer inseparably joined to abiding in God? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 18

22 I John 4:1-6 November 9, 2014 ~ Lesson 10 Testing the Spirits 1. To what or whom does the word spirits refer in verse 1? Let the context guide you. 2. What does it mean to test the spirits? Can you think of examples from Jesus own ministry about men and women who confessed that He was the Christ? 3. What does it mean to go out into the world? 4. People today often talk about being spiritual but not explicitly Christian. How should we assess this statement in light of these verses? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 19

23 5. The verbal phrase (you) have overcome them, referring the antichrist spirit, appears in the past tense which typically tells us that something has already been accomplished. What does it mean that Christians have already overcome this spirit? 6. What do you think is John s purpose in reminding his readers their God is greater (literally: bigger )? 7. In our increasingly pluralistic society we need spiritual discernment. What do these verses teach us about the importance of knowing what we believe and why we believe it? 8. What do these verses teach us about listening? Does this encourage you or discourage you to enter into dialogue with others about what they believe? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 20

24 I John 4:7-12 November 16, 2014 ~ Lesson 11 God s Love 1. Verse 7 returns to the author s thematic refrain. Can you remember how many times through the book John has set up the test of love? 2. Compare this passage with 1 Corinthians 13: Jesus Himself taught that others would know we are Christians because of how we love one another (John 13:55). How is this great love of God apparent in your life? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 21

25 4. Verses 9-10 summarize the gospel. How many details of the gospel can you enumerate from these two verses? 5. Verses teach us how the gospel (what God has done) motivates and empowers our Christian lives (our obedience in response to the gospel). Connect the dots together. How is your failure to love in any particular moment stemming from a failure to apply the gospel? 6. The Apostle speaks of the unseen God (v 12). Of which member of the Trinity is he speaking? Relate this to John s presentation throughout this epistle? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 22

26 I John 4:13-21 November 23, 2014 ~ Lesson 12 Our Assurance 1. This section unpacks the biblical doctrine of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Try to outline the benefits listed in these verses related to the Spirit and His work. 2. What does it mean to say that the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5)? 3. How does the Spirit of God assure Christians of their Heavenly Father s kindness (Romans 8:15-16)? 4. What is a testimony according to 4:14 and how does it relate to other verbs in this sentence? Does this word appear elsewhere in Scripture? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 23

27 5. What does it mean to confess (vv 14-15)? Compare 4:15 to 1:9. What are the differences between these two verses? 6. Expand verse 16. Can you think of other passages of Scripture that speak about the love that the Heavenly Father has for His children (to get started, remember Deuteronomy 4:37; Job 7:17; Psalm 103:13; and Hebrews 12:6)? 7. Verse 18 is a very important verse. What are the practical implications of this verse in your life? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 24

28 I John 5:1-5 November 30, 2014 ~ Lesson 13 True Faith (Part 1) 1. The Heidelberg Catechism asks this question, How many things are necessary for you to know, that in this comfort you may live and die happily? Can you answer this question from 5:1? (see also John 9:41; 15:22; 17:3) 2. Did you notice that John wrote, Everyone who believes has been born of God rather than born by God? Both are certainly true, but what s the difference? 3. To whom does John refer in 5:1b, whoever has been born of him? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 25

29 4. At least two different loves are equally identified as evidence that one loves God (v 2). What are they? 5. What does it mean when the Apostle teaches us that our Heavenly Father s commandments are not burdensome? (see Matthew 11:30) 6. In what way does this faith that overcomes the world (vv 4-5) point us to Christ? (see John 6:33; 1Cor 15:57; Eph 6:16) What does it teach us about the Christian s union with Christ? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 26

30 I John 5:6-12 December 7, 2014 ~ Lesson 14 True Faith (Part 2) 1. To what do water and blood refer in verse 6? What other biblical passages help your study? In what way do these words function as historical markers for the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ? 2. How does verse 6 teach us about the most important witness of the Holy Spirit? (see John 15:26; 16:13) 3. Now carefully follow the progression of verse 8. Where does Scripture teach us about the Holy Spirit s presence and what He was testifying of during these two moments in the life of Christ? (this establishes John s argument in verse 9) 4. Exactly what is a believer to place his or her trust in according to 5:10? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 27

31 5. Talk together about verse 12. Ultimately the gospel does make an exclusive truth claim. Can you think of any clearer example? (compare John 3:36) 6. What does this passage have to teach us about evangelism? In what way does it serve as an example in sharing the gospel? 7. Describe true Christian faith. 8. Why does theology matter? 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 28

32 I John 5:13-21 December 14, 2014 ~ Lesson 15 Christian Certainties 1. The Apostle John reminds us again of the purpose for which he wrote this epistle (vv 1-2). How was this purpose achieved in your life this semester? Do you have more confidence in Christ now than you did 15 weeks ago? 2. Spiritual confidence shows itself in a life of prayer (vv 14-15). How has the depth of your prayer life grown as you ve studied 1 John? 3. Though Christians are called to challenge and even correct one another when it comes to their fight against sin, verse 16 is about a particular Christian certainty that we have in prayer. Explain. 4. What is the sin leading to death? (see Matt 12:31; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10) 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 29

33 5. How does verse 18 teach us about the two parts of the doctrine of perseverance? Does it relate to John s closing words in verse 21? 6. Did you notice the repetition of the word true coupled with understanding in verse 20? What does this teach us about God Himself and what does it teach us about how we come to know Him? 7. Why do you think John ends the book with a call to keep ourselves from idols (v 21)? 8. Take some time and reflect back on the things that you learned from 1 John throughout this semester. In what areas of your life have you been comforted, challenged or corrected? Spend some time in prayer committing these things to the Lord. 11:00 Pastor s Class Fall 2014 Page 30