North Kona Sermons - Kona Coast Nazarene

Questions for Reflection ​In the primary passage for Sunday’s sermon, Peter alludes to at least two other New Testament scriptures. Both were teachings of Jesus (Peter didn’t have the New Testament at the time of his writing) that Peter likely heard. Read Luke 15:1-7 and John 10:11-13. Who is Jesus in these scriptures? What are the two primary truths we can learn from these passages (hint: Jesus will do two things to win your heart!)? 1 Peter 2:21-25 quotes Isaiah 53 several times. Isaiah 53 is a “Suffering Servant” Song. It is quite a moving chapter in scripture. Jesus literally “bore our sins” to the point of death. Should this spur us on to serve our neighbors? Jesus gave everything! How much do you think he expects us to give to the Kingdom? To give to those in need? How can we be Christlike in this regard?

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:39-44 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) Mark 15:34 ​The Lordsaid, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey... Exodus 3:7-8

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ 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 natureof a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered,“Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?”he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:1-17

Questions for Reflection John 8:1-11 — The Woman Caught in Adultery. I wonder how she was caught in the act (as it clearly says in this passage)? Was she set up? Where was the man? How was it a trap for Jesus? So many questions to help us understand this short passage. I encourage you to wrestle with this one this week: What kind of king "plays" in the dirt? Drawing in the sand is for children, the poor, those that live in the alleys.What can we learn about God that he would come among the sinners-in-the-streets to draw on the ground? John 9:1-6 — New Eyes from Saliva and Dirt. Here we see Jesus offering sight with spit and dirt. Read it. Picture it. What can we see more clearly—understand more deeply—when we see God willing to use the material of everyday life to offer hope and vision? Has God stepped into your "mess" and offered hope yet? Can you see better since God touched your life (and your eyes)? How do we best share this with others?

Questions for Reflection Read the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Do you find any comparisons between that story and Pentecost in Acts 2:1-12? How is language used differently? What are the differences in the outcome of the two events? What's the significance in Pentecost of all people hearing the Good News in their own tongue? (Note: this is not "speaking in tongues" because the comparative references in verses 2:4 and 2:11 make it clear that we're dealing with native languages). What "language" do you hear the Good News most clearly in? Does everyone hear that language clearly? Why is this important for ministry and evangelism?

Questions for Reflection Read Romans 6:4-7 and Ezekiel 37:1-10. Are there any correlations between baptism and the Valley of Dry Bones? Do the two passages share the same outcome? Consider that Paul, the author of Romans and many other books of the New Testament, was imprisoned four times. Do you think he understood what it meant to feel darkness and death? How might this inform his understanding of new life in Christ, or freedom in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 5:1)? Do you think the life given to the bones through the Spirit in Ezekiel is the same Spirit that offers life today? What makes you think this?

Questions for Reflection Lets be honest with each other: Do you really think that God called Abraham to bless the world? Really? From Genesis 12, what do you think that means? Jesus makes it very clear that He has set us an example of service and blessing (John 13:1-17). It's a ministry strategy straight from God! Do we use this strategy in church? What ministry strategy do we usually use? How might we do ministry that blesses our neighborhoods? We've been in a series about being missionaries where we live.Do you think it's possible to be missionaries without going on a mission trip? Honestly! What scriptures come to mind that help you understand that we are all called to bless and be sent to save the lost? (They are all over scripture, try to find some for yourself.)

Pastor Ryan preached on the Seron on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. He said that the current condition of the church in America is influenced negatively by Christians living unfaithfully. Do you think this is true? Do we faithfully live out the sermon? What are we better at? What are we worse at? We're in a mini-series about being missionaries where we live. Is the Sermon on the Mount a good mission strategy? Do you think the world and those that are lost would be attracted to Christ if we lived this way? If "evangelizing" literally means "bringing good news", does it matter how we deliver the news when we evangelize? Does our behavior and actions have an influence on our evangelism? What about our private lives? What is it that "turns the world off" to our Good News?

If the Great Commission is our call to baptize and make disciples "to the ends of the earth" (Matthew 28), what do you think we have under-emphasized? In other words, where have we gone wrong in fulfilling this call? Is it evangelising? Is it baptizing? Is it discipling? Read John 15. Do you think being a disciple and "abiding" or "remaining" in Jesus have anything in common? What's the biggest challenge in truly discipling others to grow and mature into the image of Christ? It took Jesus three years with some of His disciples. Do we need to spend that long intentionally discipling or shepherding others? Should we? Think of a time in your life where someone had a big impact on you (how you saw the world, how you behaved, what you liked or desired, how you felt about yourself, etc). Why was their influence so profound or impactful? Read John 13:1-15. How did Jesus have an impact on His close followers? Should we use this method when we disciple? Why, or why not?

The Great Commission in Matthew 28 begins with "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me..." In 1 Corinthians 15:27-28 we learn that the purpose of the authority is so that God would become "all in all". If the point is that God is to be worshiped, praised, honored, and obeyed ("all in all") what do you think is required of all of us that are called to missions? Should our lives model this before our mouths share this? Where do we have work to do? Are we models of the life in Christ that we are called to share with the world? Is there anything we need to change?