Grace Community

Contemplation questions at the end of the Sermon

1) From Looking at Ephesians 5:25-33 and focusing on Christ and the Church, what stood out to you about that relationship?

2) What is one attitude or behaviour you have towards the church that you'd like to pray for change in?

Study Questions

1) How does Titus 2:14—“[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”—help us understand who we are? How should this, in turn, affect all aspects of our lives? (Consider also 1 Corinthians 6:20.)

2) What would you say is the purpose of the church? Could you summarise it in a short sentence?

Read Ephesians 4 and discuss:

• Who does Paul expect will do the work in the church?
• Which verse(s) talk about the goal of ministry, and what is that goal?
• Which verse(s) describe how that goal will be achieved, and what do they say?
• When everything is working properly, what is the outcome?
• How well does our church’s vision align with this?

"We seek the love and truth of God, revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, as described by the Spirit through the Bible, and as a result, strive to become more like Him."

3) Given all that you have just discussed, why is it important to exercise due diligence before granting someone church membership—especially considering that membership may involve participation in decision-making processes? Who should be responsible for this due diligence, and why?

4) As with all organisations, some must take on leadership roles. Why is this even more important in the church? (Consider Acts 20:28–30; Galatians 1:6–9, 3:1; Revelation 2:14–16, 20.) What does Hebrews 13:17 tell us about the relationship between elders/overseers and the congregation? How does it highlight the seriousness of an elder’s role (also consider James 3:1)?

5) What kind of leadership should an elder/overseer exercise, and how does this often differ from the world’s version of leadership? (Consider Matthew 20:25–28; 1 Peter 5:2–3.) Titus 1:9 states that an elder “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” While an elder instructs and rebukes, who ultimately enforces church discipline? (Consider Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5:4–5, 12–13; 2 Corinthians 2:6.) What is the nature of this "punishment," and what does this reveal about the importance of building a loving church community? 

 Home Group Questions

1) When you come to a passage like this (or Romans 16), do you skim-read it, or do you take time to reflect on it? Why? Why do you think Paul would take the time to write passages like this when it would have been a financial expense, rather than simply having Tychicus pass on his greetings? Why should we take the time to contemplate and study passages like this? (2 Timothy 3:16) Was there anything in the sermon that challenged or encouraged you as we looked at these people?

2) Read verses 7-9. Apart from delivering the letter, what are Tychicus and Onesimus tasked with doing? Why do you think this was so important to Paul? (Consider this in light of Colossians 1:3-8 and 1 Thessalonians 3:6-7.) How can looking beyond our own church and seeing how God is working elsewhere be an encouragement to us? How might we, as individuals or as a church, do this better?

3) Paul receives comfort from his fellow Jews, especially because of their shared history and suffering. In order for people to truly comfort one another, we must be willing to be open and honest, which requires vulnerability and trust. Why is this important? (Consider Proverbs 27:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; James 5:16; Galatians 6:2.) Do you find this easy or difficult? Why? How do you think a church could cultivate a culture of openness and support? Have you received comfort, or been able to give comfort, to others who have faced similar suffering or shared a similar history to you? (Consider 2 Corinthians 1:2-7.)

4) Consider the diversity of the people Paul had with him—Jews, Gentiles, a highly educated doctor, a former slave, someone who had previously faltered in ministry but was restored, someone who seemed faithful but later walked away, a church planter who was a fervent prayer warrior, and a messenger boy who became a travelling pastor. How is this a picture of the makeup of the church? (Consider Colossians 3:11.) How does this diversity testify to God’s grace?

5) What are the similarities between Epaphras’ prayer and Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-14? What does this teach us about how we ought to pray for our fellow believers?

Home group Questions

Read Colossians 4:2-6. From the passage or from the sermon, was there anything that stood out to you—anything you observed, anything that challenged or encouraged you? 

1. Before we engage in any church program or evangelistic outreach, why is it so important to be devoted to prayer? What do these passages tell us?
    
   • Colossians 2:19 (Paul’s explanation of the problem with the false teachers)
   • Acts 16:14
   • John 6:44
   • Matthew 9:35-38
2. Why do you think Paul talks first about our walk around outsiders before he talks about how we speak to outsiders? (See Matthew 5:16; Titus 2:7-8). Why should it be of greatest importance for a believer to live a life consistent with the values and standards of our ‘new life’ in Christ, i.e. living as representatives of Jesus? What does inconsistency in behaviour reveal about a Christian’s belief, and what might it communicate to those who observe it?
3. Why is it so important that we not only live a Christlike life but also make the best use of our time by speaking the gospel truth? What do Romans 1:16 and 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 tell us about how people are brought to salvation, and how is that encouraging for us?
4. Why do many Christians find evangelism difficult? What do you think would help you or other Christians become braver and more urgent in evangelism? Do you think a deeper love for Jesus makes evangelism more natural? Why or why not?
5. Consider this quote from Jeff Vanderstelt regarding a one-size-fits-all approach to evangelism: “We go about ‘preaching’ gospel snippets, thinking we’re speaking the gospel to others, but what people hear is not good news. Oh, it might contain gospel elements, but they don’t hear it as good news because they are not hearing the truths of Jesus applied to their lives and situations. What they get is just a set of phrases and propositions that don’t make much sense to their context, culture, or language.”
    
   How does this relate to Colossians 4:6? How might a deeper knowledge and understanding of how Jesus is the answer to all human needs and cravings for satisfaction help us in our evangelism?