June 23, 2019 - Summer Series, Building Blocks No. 3 Believing Jesus

June 23, 2019 The smaller groups in our church community are inside our homes where we go deeper, build friendships, and walk out the Christian life with each other. HOME CHURCH GUIDE + “Breaking the Ice” question (group facilitator) + CHECK-INS: Introduce, check-in + CARE: Needs in the group + COMPASSION: What is the group planning? Are you inviting your neighbours to join in? + GROUP ANNOUNCEMENTS Church-wide, group-only + DIG IN: Discuss questions as a group + END AND HOMEWORK: Final questions, prayer huddles for personal requests. Consider breaking into small groups (huddles) of 2-4, by gender, if large enough. General “guest sunday” DISCUSSION questions: + Read again (two translations) John 1:1-18. What does this passage bring to mind for you, both from the teaching and outside of the Sunday teaching? + In the Old Testament, God acts regularly by means of his “word”. What he says, happens. How does this help us understand what John is trying to tell us about the “Word [who] became flesh” (verse 14)? + This is the theme of John’s gospel: If you want to know who the true God is, look long and hard at Jesus. How does our understanding of God get off track when we try to think about who He is apart from Jesus? + In what ways does the darkness either fail to understand or actively resist the light of Christ in our own lives and the world around us? How is your thinking “darkened”? OVERVIEW OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN DATE: Written around ~80-100 AD/CE - late first century, reign of emperor Domitian AUTHOR: John, “The disciple Jesus loved” - other views... PLACE: Ephesus most likely SUMMARY VIEWS OF PURPOSE: ‘The Spiritual Gospel’ ART/IMAGERY: The eagle “FLY-OVER” OUTLINE OF JOHN: 1:1-18 The Prologue 1:19-12: The Book of the Signs 13-20 The Book of Glory 21 The Epilogue + Verse 12 states unequivocally that this salvation is “to anyone who did accept him.” God wants people from everywhere to be born in a new way, a new family began through Jesus. Anyone can become a “child of God” in this sense – which goes BEYOND the fact that all humans are special in God’s sight. This can happen in this life now, when people “believe in His name.” How does believing in the name of Jesus transform someone’s life turning them into a new person? A. The Word’s activity in creation 1:1-5 “In the beginning” echoes Prayer Requests: Cosmos “Light” and “life” There is a difference between the Bible as “the word” and Jesus as “The Word”. B. John’s witness concerning the light 1:6-8 E. The final revelation brought by Jesus Christ 1:16-18 “so that all might believe” “Fullness” of Jesus C. The incarnation of the Word and the privilege of becoming God’s children 1:9-14 “Grace upon grace” Closest possible relationship with God the Father. “The basic sin in John’s Gospel is the failure to know and believe in Jesus.” -Raymond Brown The Divine Name “Dwelt” “To pitch one’s tent among…” NOW WHAT? Key verses to memorize 1,14, 17 and the Nicene Creed Constantinople 381 There is great art and beauty in the poetry... Christianity tells us that “Sin is not a series of bad choices, but a state of being from which bad choices continually come. This means... “Glory” “Grace and Truth” The light is available to all, we are now carriers of that light. This little light of mine...are you gonna let it shine? What does that look like for you? The word and Word of God is still speaking and creating light and life. D. John’s witness concerning the Word’s preeminence 1:15 John the Baptist is identified as a prophet and witness – but NOT to be confused with the Messiah as some were doing. Finally, it’s not good enough to be born into a Christian family, blood does not save you nor make you a believer, rather receiving the light of Jesus by faith– believing he was and is alive and is fully God–and obedience following his teaching. You can be Baptist and be without the eternal love. Our only hope is a divine invasion. Jesus is our hope.