United Community Church Sermons

1. Lent is a season set apart for reflection and drawing near to God through denying one’s self something that you would usually depend on or enjoy. How does this help to commemorate and relate to Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness? How does this in turn help us to celebrate all the more on Easter Sunday?

2. The story of Nadab & Abihu in Leviticus 10 tells us something about God’s character and can be quite shocking for us to read. Why is it important to have a Biblical perspective on God’s nature and character? In what ways can the world around us erode that perspective?

3. Read Leviticus 10:1-2. Nadab and Abihu are disobedient and receive judgment from God? Why is it important that we remember that God is a righteous judge who brings judgment upon sin? How does this fit into the big picture of the gospel of grace?

4. Read the quote from J.I. Packer above. Why do people struggle so much with thinking about God’s judgement? Why is it crucial that God’s judgement of sin is included when we share the gospel with unbelievers?

5. Read v 3. Why is God’s glory a big deal? What is the link between our sanctification (growth in holiness and purity) and God receiving glory? Why is this important?

6. Read v 6. Aaron is not allowed to mourn for his sons. Who has been most wronged in the situation and why? What does this tell us about the importance of God’s glory?

7. How can being motivated by God’s glory help us as we make everyday decisions about what we choose to look at, think about, say, and do?

8. In vv 16-18 Moses confronts Aaron about a sin offering that was not eaten by the priests as it should have been. What does Aaron’s response in vv 19-20 tell us about his understanding of God’s glory? 

9. The book of Hebrews tells us that “with confidence” we may “draw near to the throne of grace” but it also tells us in 12:28-29, that we should “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” What does it mean to approach worship with reverence and awe? What can we do to make sure that we maintain this perspective when we worship God on Sunday’s and on other occasions?

Close by praying about what you have discovered in this study and for any other prayer requests presented to the group.

Not if, but when you fail the Jesus the Lord, you can trust in the faithful Savior, who never fails.

This image is courtesy of The National Gallery and is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.

It is a common practice during the 40 days of Lent to be especially intentional about setting aside time for daily Scripture reading and reflection. This year, as we conclude our preaching series through the Gospel of John, concluding Easter week, we will follow a reading plan that takes us back through the Gospel.

You will notice Sundays are reserved for worship and rest. You will also notice the reading plan starts on the first Sunday of Lent, March 2, rather than Ash Wednesday. This decision was made so that the post resurrection passages in the Gospel of John are read following Easter.

The plan includes a basic method for reading Scripture based on observation, interpretation, application and prayer. We recommend printing out the plan and keeping it in your bible. You can download the plan here.

On the first Sunday of Lent and as we consider the trial of our Lord in the sermon today, we are drawn to consider the pattern for Christian discipleship which is suffering followed by glory. This means that while the Christian life is lived in the power of the resurrection, resurrection glory remains a hidden reality until the return of Christ.

We find this suffering-glory pattern running through Paul‘s theology. In Romans 8 he says, “We share in (Christ‘s) sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:17-18). The pattern of suffering followed by glory is a pattern the Christian shares with Christ. And, furthermore, it is a necessary pattern. We share in the sufferings of Christ in order that we might share in his glory. Richard Bauckham comments:

As you meditate upon the passion of our Lord this easter, meditate on this theme of suffering before glory, and consider what it means for your discipleship journey.

Read John 18:12-27

Introduction

1. Following Jesus is difficult at times. Have you ever struggled to openly admit your allegiance to Jesus in front of others?

• Are there specific people or situations that make it especially difficult for you to be completely honest concerning your commitment to Christ?

• What can you do in these situations, or when you are with these people, to overcome the fear that prevents you from boldly professing your faith in Jesus?

  • Read 1 Timothy 1:6-7. From this passage, how is the Spirit of God working in Timothy’s life? How does the Spirit help in times of fear?

  • How is the Spirit of God working to help you be the person God wants you to be? Does the Spirit help you overcome fear in your life?

Text

1. What do the band of soldiers and those who came to Jesus at night do to him? Why do they bind him?

• Where do the soldiers take Jesus? Why do they take him to this person?

• Who is Caiaphas? What position does he hold? Who gave him this position?

• What had Caiaphas previously told the Jews concerning Jesus? Read John 11:49-53. Why did Caiaphas say what he did about Jesus?

2. When Jesus is led to the high priest’s home, who follows him? Who is this unnamed disciple?

• What is unique about the unnamed disciple that gives him the benefit of entering the courtyard of the high priest along with Jesus? Where was Peter?

3. When Peter goes in, who questions him? What does she ask? What does this question assume about the unnamed disciple?

• How does Peter respond to the girl’s question? What had Jesus told Peter earlier that night in the upper room? Read John 13:37-38.

• Re-read John 18:25-27. How many times does Peter deny Jesus? How does Mark’s account of Peter’s denial compare to John’s account? Read Mark 14:66-72.

• Peter denies Jesus while standing around a charcoal fire. What does Peter do while standing around another charcoal fire later in John’s Gospel? Read John 21:9-17.

  • What does the tale of these two charcoal fires tell you about the grace of God to restore people?

  • Is there someone in your life who needs to hear about the grace of God to forgive and restore them? Make a commitment to pray for that person and make plans to meet with them and talk about the amazing grace of God.

4. What question(s) did the high priest (Annas) ask Jesus? Does Jesus answer the question about his disciples? Why?

• How does Jesus respond to the question about his teaching? Why does Jesus tell Annas to ask those who heard him teach to witness about his teaching? Is it legal to ask the accused to testify against themself?

• What does one of the officers do to Jesus? Is it legal for the officer to do this to the accused before he is convicted?

• After Annas questions Jesus, where does he send him? Why does he send Jesus there?

• What is the obvious contrast between Jesus, and the way that he presents himself, and the way that Annas and the Jewish court present themselves?

5. What is the contrast between Jesus and Peter that the Gospel of John paints in this passage?

• What is the contrast between Jesus and Peter that the Gospel of John paints in this passage?

• Does the contrast in both scenarios (Jewish court and Peter’s denial) help John to present Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God? Remember John’s purpose for writing the Gospel of John? Read John 20:31.

Application

Jesus is right and true and stands in contrast to the illegal proceedings of his accusers and the denials of his closest friends. When the world attempts to discredit Jesus and deny him, resolve to stand in the light with Jesus rather than in the dark where fear and doubt can overcome you.

Close in prayer

1. Lent is a season set apart for reflection and drawing near to God through denying one’s self something that you would usually depend on or enjoy. How does this help to commemorate and relate to Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness? How does this in turn help us to celebrate all the more on Easter Sunday?

2. The story of Nadab & Abihu in Leviticus 10 tells us something about God’s character and can be quite shocking for us to read. Why is it important to have a Biblical perspective on God’s nature and character? In what ways can the world around us erode that perspective?

3. Read Leviticus 10:1-2. Nadab and Abihu are disobedient and receive judgment from God? Why is it important that we remember that God is a righteous judge who brings judgment upon sin? How does this fit into the big picture of the gospel of grace?

4. Read the quote from J.I. Packer above. Why do people struggle so much with thinking about God’s judgement? Why is it crucial that God’s judgement of sin is included when we share the gospel with unbelievers?

5. Read v 3. Why is God’s glory a big deal? What is the link between our sanctification (growth in holiness and purity) and God receiving glory? Why is this important?

6. Read v 6. Aaron is not allowed to mourn for his sons. Who has been most wronged in the situation and why? What does this tell us about the importance of God’s glory?

7. How can being motivated by God’s glory help us as we make everyday decisions about what we choose to look at, think about, say, and do?

8. In vv 16-18 Moses confronts Aaron about a sin offering that was not eaten by the priests as it should have been. What does Aaron’s response in vv 19-20 tell us about his understanding of God’s glory? 

9. The book of Hebrews tells us that “with confidence” we may “draw near to the throne of grace” but it also tells us in 12:28-29, that we should “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” What does it mean to approach worship with reverence and awe? What can we do to make sure that we maintain this perspective when we worship God on Sunday’s and on other occasions?

Close by praying about what you have discovered in this study and for any other prayer requests presented to the group.

Jesus is in control of every situation, including His own arrest and death.

Today’s passage reminds us that God is sovereign over all of life including our most difficult times. From the perspective of facing a trial, we must learn to rely on God’s sovereignty by refusing to see ourselves in isolation, but in relation to the God who made us in his own image.

The best way we can encourage one another during a trial is to point to God’s Word, but why are we hesitant to do this? There seems to be a general feeling among Christians that we ought not to recite, for example, Romans 8:28 if someone comes to us facing disappointment or tragedy. At one level, this is sound advice: we must never recite God‘s truth in a casual and insensitive way. However, recite it we must, with tears in our eyes if appropriate, because it is truth and it is sanity.

The biblical knowledge that God is sovereign allows us to comfort others with these great truths, just as we ought to do for ourselves. Christians in earlier generations understood that the sovereignty of God is the final refuge of the saint. They also recognised that his sovereignty is not a hard place to fall back on, but a soft and comforting truth. We would do well ourselves, and with those we care for, to meditate upon the well-known words of William Cowper‘s hymn:

If you have grown up in a church with a liturgical tradition, you may struggle to appreciate the meaning of some of the practices of the ancient church and therefore miss an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with the Lord by practicing them. A good example of this is Ash Wednesday (this Wednesday March 26th). You may be asking yourself,what exactly is this day? "What are the origins? Is this something I should participate in?

Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance, which for many in the Western church marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting before Easter following the example of our Lord who spent 40 days in the desert to fast and pray (Matthew 4:1-11).  It is also known as the “Day of Ashes,” so called because on that day in the early church would have their foreheads marked with ashes in the shape of a cross.

In the Old Testament ashes were used for two purposes: as a sign of humility and mortality and as a sign of sorrow and repentance for sin. Dusting oneself with ashes was a way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. Examples of this can found in Job 42:3-6, Numbers 19:17, Jonah 3:6, Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13. The Christian connotation for ashes in the liturgy of Ash Wednesday has also been taken from this Old Testament biblical custom.

Today, many Christians, the practices of Ash Wednesday are the annual reminder of where our hearts should be in relation to God in deep appreciation of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Listen to how one theologian puts it:

These 40 days offer a chance to deny yourself for the purpose of being present to God; a chance to prepare ourselves for His passion on Easter; a chance to observe this season as a spiritual discipline for reflection on our need, for repentance of that which we use to make life work apart from God and for renewal asking God to do some new work of His spirit in us.

So, are you considering observing Lent?  Unfortunately for many Christians this means only,   “What do I have to give up?” However, the real question is, “How will I repent and return to God with all my heart?” This invites an even deeper question: “In what areas of my life have I gotten away from God, and what is His invitation to me for finding my way back?”

On Ash Wednesday UCC will launch a lent page that you can find a a link to here. We will provide a reading plan that takes us back through the Gospel of John and brings us to the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning. We will also provide some suggestions on fasting. You might also want to have a look at last years Lent project called “On Purpose” which focused on our technology use.

Introduction

1. This is a very familiar story of the last days of Jesus’ life. What new thing have you learned from studying this passage? Does this give you a new perspective on Jesus and what he has come to accomplish for all people?

Text

1. Where do the events of this section of Scripture take place? What is the name of this garden where Jesus takes his disciples? Read Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32; and Luke 22:39.

• Why did Jesus take his disciples to this place to pray? Did Judas know that Jesus would be in this particular garden at this time? If so, how did he know?

• Read John 13:27-30. After Judas left the upper room earlier that night, where did he go and what did he do? Read John 18:3.

• How many people might have come with Judas to arrest Jesus? Who was included in the crowd that came to arrest Jesus? Romans? Jews? Religious leaders?

• What detail(s) about the betrayal by Judas does John leave out of his account? Read Matthew 26:47-49; Mark 14:43-45; and Luke 22:47-48.

2. What does Jesus already know as Judas approaches with the band of soldiers? Could Jesus have hidden or escaped from the garden before the soldiers approached him? If so, what does this tell you about the authority of Jesus even when things seem out of his control?

• According to John’s account, who asks the first question as the soldiers approach? Is Jesus trying to hide or avoid those who would arrest him?

• What does the fact that Jesus begins the dialogue with his captors tell you about the authority that Jesus has, even in his arrest? Who is in charge?

3. When the soldier explain that they are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, what does Jesus tell them? What specifically does he say about himself as he identifies himself as the one they are looking for?

• How does the crowd respond when Jesus says, “I am he” in response to their question? What response do we see in Scripture when people interact with the divine? Read Ezekiel 1:28; 44:4; Daniel 8:18; 10:9; Acts 9:4, 22:7; Revelation 1:17.

• Why does John include the detail of the crowd’s response to Jesus? How does this detail help support the purpose of John’s writing? Read John 20:31.

• How will you respond to Jesus when you see him face-to-face in heaven? Read Revelation 1:17 & 5:13-14.

4. What request did Jesus make to his captors as he identified himself for a second time to those who had come to arrest him? Why did Jesus make this request of his captors?

• What does Jesus’ request tell you about the authority that Jesus has in this situation? Who is really in control?

5. How does Peter respond to the soldiers’ attempt to arrest Jesus? What does he do?

• How does Jesus respond to Peter’s bold act? Read John 18:11; Luke 22:51; Mark 14:48; Matthew 26:52-56. What does Jesus’ response tell you about who is in control.

Application

1. The overall impression that John conveys through his account is that is that Jesus was in complete control of His arrest and crucifixion. He was not a tragic victim, but rather the good shepherd who willingly laid down His life for His sheep and a sovereign ruler over every detail of what looked like a tragic situation.

• When tempted to think the Lord is not in control of your own tragic or difficult circumstances, how can you renew trust in God’s sovereign control over all things?

• For some they may no doubt that the Lord is in control, just that He is good. What texts should we turn to in order to remind ourselves of God’s character?

• How can your group pray for you now?

Christian unity is based on shared life in Christ; and is expressed through common love, purpose, and mission to the world.

A creed or confession of faith is simply a summary of Christian beliefs. According to Michael Reeves, "the creeds and confessions [of faith] of orthodox Christianity are the necessary, written responses of the church to the revelation of God in the Bible."

The earliest summaries of faith were in the Bible itself. Sometimes they were brief (Deut. 6:4-5; 1 Thess. 4:14; 1 Tim. 3:16) and sometimes longer (1 Cor. 15:3-5, 11:23-26). 

Later, and especially in times of doctrinal controversy, the church produced more detailed creeds and confessions (which do not have the same authority as summaries in Scripture—more on that below). The early church produced the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed, while the Reformation brought about statements of faith like the Augsburg Confession (1530) and the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646). Churches of the Reformation also trained and discipled Christians by using catechisms like the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) and the Westminster Catechism (1647) which summarize Scripture's teachings in question/answer format.

God's Word is the center of UCC services. Whether we are praying, preaching, or singing, all of the words we use are intended to faithfully summarize and expound truth of the gospel as revealed in the Bible. We then seek to apply them to our lives and hearts by the power of the Spirit. 

A creed or confession of faith that accurately summarizes Scripture is no different. As a summary of the Bible's teachings, creeds should lead us to worship as we together declare the truths God has revealed. 

While most agree that we should sing in a church service, many may not realize that singing words on a screen is essentially the same (without the music) as a reciting a creed. Just think of the song "This I Believe (The Creed)":

What glorious truths! The power of this song in a service—itself a summary of a creed, which is a summary of Scripture—helpfully demonstrates how edifying it is to declare the incredible truths of the gospel together, whether in song or readings.

Written creeds and confessions of faith, when recited in church, remind us that our church is part of the universal church of God's people which has existed for thousands of years. We are not an isolated group preaching our own interpretations of the Bible, but instead are connected to the rich traditions of God's people across history. They are powerful in reminding us of our unity with the universal church, just as Jesus' prayed for in John 17.

Creeds also keep us humble, reminding us that we don't determine our own truth and instead submit to God's Word and what it reveals. Michael Reeves writes that

Our culture emphasizes that, as individuals, we are all able to define truth for ourselves, that no authority can tell us what to believe. This tendency has affected Christian churches, many declaring they have "No creed by Christ" or "No creed but the Bible." While the intention may be good, this is misguided. Many people and cults today who claim to believe the Bible deny many of the clear teachings of Scripture. Creeds ensure that God's people are not deceived by every wind of doctrine that they encounter (Eph. 4:14). They are "guardrails" of the gospel.

Modern people are also very attracted to innovation, of always equating the new with the better. When it comes to the Christian faith, there is a temptation to see ancient truths as outdated and no longer authoritative. As sinners, we recognize our weakness in being tempted by these parts of our culture. Reeves helpfully explains that "Written confessions presuppose that we are fickle people. We naturally stray from what God has said to follow the siren voices of our imagination and our culture. If we want to remain loyal to the gospel, we must bind ourselves to it. This is what confessions do."

Like everything that we say, sing, or pray in a Sunday service that is not the Bible itself, a creed does not have the same authority has God's Word. We acknowledge it to be true only insofar as it reflects truths revealed in Scripture. This is an important limit we must recognize. 

Think of a full moon on a clear night. Though the moon is not the source of the light, it is bright as it reflects the light of the sun to us in a clear and vivid way. In the same way, a creed is not the source of truth, but it clearly and accurately points us to the ultimate source, God's Word. 

In todays sermon Hugh Latimer was quoted regarding the nature of true Christian unity: “Unity must be according to God’s holy word or it is better war than peace. We ought never to regard unity so much that we forsake God’s Word for her sake.” But who was Hugh Latimer?

Latimer, born around 1485, spent the first thirty years of his life a zealous Catholic who opposed the reformation strongly. This all change when a young man named Thomas Bilney approached him and asked if he could privately explain his own Reformed faith? Latimer agreed, and from then on he “began to smell the Word of God, and forsook the school doctors and such fooleries.” Latimer gathered up the arrows he had been shooting at the Reformation, and he started pointing the bow in the other direction. Throughout the next couple decades, he distinguished himself as a fervent Reformer and preacher of the Word of God. After many fruitful years of preaching, Queen Mary came to power in 155s and Latimer was sent to a cell in the Tower of London.

On October 16, 1555, after spending eighteen months in a tower cell, Latimer was sent to be burned at the stake wit another reformer named Ridley. Latimer last record words were words of comfort to Ridly moments before they were burned for their faith: “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”

Three years later, Mary I died and passed the kingdom to her half-sister Elizabeth, a Protestant queen. This changed everything. Latimer and Ridley’s candle burst into a torch and the church spread. Because Latimer was willing not to settle for false unity which neglected the Apostles teaching, the kind Christ prayed for, we have a wonderful reformation heritage to belong today in the line of the Apostles teaching.

Read John 17:20-24

Introduction

Here as we close is a mere glimpse of the picture the unity that Jesus gives us in John 17. There is something very powerful and to my mind very moving about the Lord Jesus, on the night before He died, looking across the centuries and praying personally for us and each of us who follows Him today in the 21st century. We are caught up in a key moment in the prayer life of the Son of God.

Into the Text

1. In His prayer for the church might have prayed for success, or safety, or happiness, or for suffering to be minimized, but He prays for unity.

• In verses21-23, how many times does Jesus use the word “one” in this prayer?

• Discuss a time when you have enjoyed a sense of “oneness” with Christians whom you had previously not known and who were at least on the outside very different from you. Did this surprise you?

2. What did Jesus tell his disciples to do so that the world would recognize them as his disciples? Read John 17:23 & 13:34-35.

• When the church is divided, what message does that send to the world? What is the number one reason that most people give for not attending church?

• Make a list of things that divide Christians and the church today. Are these non-essential truths that have no bearing on salvation? If they have no bearing on salvation, will those things divide us in heaven? If not there, why do they divide us here?

3. Read verses 20. Jesus prays for His church to be united in truth which we flows from the Apostles teaching and is preserved in His Word. In the sermon it was said:

You see, truth and doctrine matter if unity is to be more than some sort of lowest common denominator synthesis where anything goes.

• What happens when we minimise doctrine in order to seek to preserve unity? Have you experienced this?

• Should a church hold biblical convictions on secondary matters? Doesn’t that divide? How can a church hold convictions on various matters of Christian faith and practice and not alienate those who disagree?

4. In the sermon it was said:

And here, right at the beginning of the Lords’ prayer is a plea for historic and doctrinal continuity between the Apostles and the post-Apostolic church. Between the church in the first century and the church of all subsequent centuries right down to our own…

Jesus is praying that the churches faith would not change and would in fact remain recognizably the same meriting the title if you like “Apostolic” because of its loyalty to the message and mission of the Apostles teachings. A united church says Paul in Ephesians 2:20 is one built upon the foundation of the Apostles with Jesus Himself as the Cornerstone.

• One way we can express unity with the Apostles teaching is by reciting historic creeds in corporate worship such as the “Apostles Creed”. How do you feel about reciting creeds together? What are some strengths and dangers of doing so? (Check out the post above based on a longer UCC blog post on the use of Creeds in corporate worship)

4. As Jesus continues in prayer, what does he say in prayer about the purpose of Christian unity and truth among his followers? Read John 17:23. (The following questions may help to guide your discussion but feel free to skip over them)

• What would happen if the world saw Christians united together standing on the truth of God’s Word? Could the church grow if that were really to happen?

• Would people you know be drawn to Christianity if Christians stood upon the truth of God’s Word and were united together and had genuine love for one another?

• What needs to happen in your life for you to be a Christian who stands on the truth of God’s Word and is united with your brothers and sisters in Christ?

• How can UCC demonstrate broth truth and unity to our neighbors?

5. Some Christians think we should do away with denominations and Christian labels such as “baptist”, “Lutheran”, “Reformed” or even “Christian”. In the sermon it was said:

We will have different prejudices and preferences, but if we know Him and if we share His life we can experience the supernatural unity about which this chapter speaks. We trust the same Savior, we share the same life, and we are moving toward the same eternal destination together and that knowledge enables us to live today with some variety. It does not force us toward uniformity in the place of true unity. We can disagree (we can even be more right than another on a matter) without being disagreeable—that is true unity. That is spiritual unity, unity so deep that it transcends everything that divides and has room…

• What do you think? Does true Christian unity leave room for variety? re denominations denominations, Christian affiliations and labels a settling for second best?

 6. What changes need to be made in your life so that Jesus’ prayer of unity can be true of you? Here are some suggestions:

• Study Christian doctrine to understand others points of view better.

• Study church history to understand how the church has grappled with unity throughout its history. (Note: on the above two points, UCC has a school of theology that offers theology and history courses that you can join. Also, we have lots of generous members with big libraries who would be happy to lend you a book to read and to discuss it with you.)

• Resolve not to speak about other Christians, church leaders, or churches in a way that puts them in a bad light.

• Take the UCC membership class in order to truly unite more closely with its vision, beliefs, and practices.

Close in prayer.

Christians are those people whom God the Father has given to His Son, who know and obey Him, whom He keeps while they’re in this world (but not at home in the world).

In his vast theological writings, Puritan theologian and pastor, John Owen, frequently refers to a disciple’s sanctification as the pursuit of “gospel holiness.” Gospel holiness is obedience to Christ motivated by belief in the gospel, not by one’s moral effort. It is a view of sanctification, the gradual process of being conformed to the image of Christ, that recognizes the essential, ongoing role of repentance and faith in Jesus. To clarify the difference between self-made “sanctification” and gospel-motivated sanctification, John Owen labors to differentiate between gospel holiness and morality. In his distinction, the latter is the product of human effort, not of grace. Although morality and holiness may, at times, look similar on the outside, they are altogether different on the inside. Morality is self-centered; gospel holiness is Christ centered. Morality holds self up high in reaching for moral virtues, but gospel holiness holds Christ up high in virtuous failure and success. Gospel holiness requires the truth of God’s Word and his grace to believe and obey the truth. This truth and grace, which comes to us in Jesus (John 1:17), is central to holiness and is the subject of Jesus prayer for us in John 17:17.

In conclusion Owen’s description of holiness is challenging and forthright:

In todays sermon we gently bump into the question: Is there an order to the salvation that we receive in the Gospel?

Early in the 18th century, Lutheran theologians Franz Buddeus and Jacob Carpov coined the phrase order salutis to refer to the idea of a sequence or order in salvation. Many scriptures point to an order to salvation, but the problem is there is much variance both in order and which aspects of salvation are included.

Perhaps the most recognised verse on salvations order is Romans 8:28-30:

Here, Paul seems to put forth the order of: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification and glorification. However it is a worthy to consider the different tenets of salvation in Scripture and as you do to be thinking of the order in which they come as well as their relationship to one another.

If you would like to study more a starting point is read what Theologian Sinclair Fergussen describe his understanding of the start of ordo salutis: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/which-comes-first-in-the-ordo-salutis-faith-or-regeneration/

Read John 17:6-19

1. Jesus recognises that these disciples had always belonged to God. Jesus says “yours they were” (John 17:6) and “they are yours” (John 17:9). Paul writes:

Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” (emphasis by UCC)

• Do you think of yourself as a Christian as one who has belonged before all eternity to God the Father?

• In the sermon it was said: “once we grasp that we are Christians because of the eternal choice of the Father whose we were, and the gift of the Father to the son, and the revealing of the Father by the Son to those who are given. Once we understand that than we are anchored because our Christianity is not rooted just in the shallowness of our own decision, but in the depth of the eternal life of God.”

• Discuss the anchoring effect of knowing you have eternally belonged to Jesus?

2. What does Jesus pray for his disciples?

3. With reference to John 17:13, what does it mean to have “joy fulfilled in themselves”?

• Why did Jesus pray this while he was still with them?

• Do we have the full measure of Jesus’ joy within us?

4. Why do Jesus’ disciples need protection? What difference should it make in the life of a disciple that Jesus is praying for their protection?

• What struggles do we face in our lives that require protection from God?

5. What is the relationship of a disciple of Jesus Christ to the world? What extremes are to be avoided?

6. What is sanctification? What does Jesus say that it involves? (See the above post on Sanctification for own talk one theologians take on sanctification)

• How practically can the truth of the Word of God work for our daily sanctification? What does that look like in your own life. Give examples. (See: John 1:1-5, 2 Timothy 3:16)

7. Jesus prays for the mission of his disciples. What is the relationship between sanctification and mission?

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” - 1 Peter 2:9.

Close in prayer.

The redeeming cross is where Jesus died supremely reveals his glory and is the spring of eternal life for all who believe in His name.

Many of us feel a strong need to prove ourselves. We think we are not good enough for God. C.J. Mahaney in his book “The Cross–Centered Life” asks us:

• Do you relate to God as if you were on a kind of permanent probation, suspecting that at any moment He may haul you back into the jail cell of His disfavour?

• When you come to worship, do you maintain a ̳respectful distance‘ from God, as if He were a fascinating but ill-tempered celebrity known for lashing out at His fans?

• When you read Scripture, does it reveal the boundless love of the Saviour or merely intensify your condemnation?

Mahaney goes on to say:

How amazing it is that Jesus prays in John 17:1-5 that we would know God for who He truly is! Maybe your human father was like that, stern or distant. Maybe you approached him hesitantly or reluctantly. But your Heavenly Father is not like that. Jesus actions on the cross are the outflow of the Father‘s love for you and make it possible to have a relationship with you.

One of John Stott’s (1921-2011) influential books was The Cross of Christ, originally published by InterVarsity Press in 1986. The book clearly and helpfully expounds on Christ’s sacrificial death, fleshing out the core doctrine upon which our faith rests. Here are 5 quotes about the cross from the book:

Read John 17:1-5

1. What has God, the Father, given to Jesus? How does this gift from God help us answer the question of who Jesus is?

• Are there other places in Scripture where we see that Jesus has been given authority? Read Matthew 28:18; John 5:27, 10:18; & 12:49.

• When we read the word “flesh” in verse 2, who or what does that word refer to? Is anyone excluded from the authority of Jesus?

2. What does Jesus have authority to give to all people? Have we seen this message previously in the Gospel of John? Read John 1:4; 3:14-16; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27 & 40; 10:10 & 28; 11:25; and 14:6.

• What is the purpose of the Gospel of John? Read John 20:31.

• What is the source of life that John presents throughout his Gospel? Can someone find real life, the way humans were created to live life, apart from Jesus? Why or why not

• How has your relationship with Jesus helped you experience real life?

3. How does Jesus define eternal life in verse 3? Is this definition different than what you have been taught?

• What does it mean for you to know God and his son Jesus Christ? Is this merely knowing information about God and Jesus?

• What can you do this week, to help others know God and experience eternal life?

4. What is the work that Jesus has accomplished? How does this glorify God?

• What can we know about Jesus and his purpose for living as a man when we look at the cross and realize the work that he accomplished there?

• How specifically is the glory of God displayed in the cross?

5. As Jesus prays for himself, what is his request of the Father in verse 5?

• What will happen to Jesus after he accomplishes the work of salvation through the cross? Read Philippians 2:5-11.

Application

6. Because of who Jesus is and what he has accomplished through the cross, we can look to him as a source of strength when we face trials and challenges in life. As you begin 2020 make a commitment to really know God and experience eternal life now and forever.

Take turns sharing two ways that you will commit to in knowing God better this year.

As you close meditate on or sing the words penned by Isaac Watts in his famous hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

The risen Lord Jesus will turn our sorrows into lasting joy as we look to Him in faith and prayer.

In perhaps his most famous sermon ´, “The Weight of Glory”, C.S. Lewis Lewis, author of Chronicles of Narnia and may other wonderful books, makes a remarkable statement:

“We are far too easily Pleased.” Lewis would continue on to say that not only are we “far too easily pleased” when we settle for fixing our soul’s inconsolable longing on anything other than God, but also that we’re too easily pleased if we would only see God from a distance and not soon be drawn into him. "(This, says Lewis, is the weight of glory.) What a challenge. We far too easily pleased if we find our “joy” in anything less than God and a personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. Are you too easily pleased?

Read John 16:16-33

As we begin this study on the great theme of Christian joy from our text, discuss the following the following quote from C.S. Lewis:

• What does Lewis mean when he says “we are half hearted creatures” who are “far too easily pleased”?

1. Read verses 16-22.

• 1. What do you think the difference is between the love, peace, and joy that Christ offers his disciples in this passage and what the world offers? What has your experience been between these? 

• How or why does Jesus transform the world's joy into sorrow and the believer's grief to Joy?

• Does the joy that Jesus promises mean the absence of sorrow? Can joy and sorrow co-exist? What illustration does Jesus use to explain the relationship between the two?

2. What happens to you that causes a loss of focus upon Christ? How does it make you feel that your sorrow is temporary?

3. If Jesus is here in our midst, then why do we tend to place our eyes on our circumstances and problems? How does this scatter us from His love, precepts and peace? 

4. Read verses 23-28.

• What does it mean to you that God will hear your prayers and listen to you so you can commune with Him? How is this truth a rare and sacred privilege? 

5. In C. S. Lewis’ autobiography, Surprised by Joy, he tells that before he became a Christian, when he was a seeker he experienced what he called an other worldly joy, a specific Joy that defies our modern understanding. These would come to him like pings but they would quickly leave. He would later recognize these sudden aches of longing were a deep spiritual hunger for God and not just for an intellectual knowledge of God, but for a real relationship with Him…

• How is your relationship with the Father your greatest triumph and joy? How can it be more so? Or, what do you do to cultivate intimacy with the Father?

• Is there correlation between periods of joylessness and neglecting our relationship with the Father?

6. What happens to you that causes a loss of focus upon Christ? How does it make you feel that your sorrow is temporary?

7. Read verse 33.

• How does the fact that Christ has overcome the world so we can have peace strengthen your faith and perseverance? How can you make this more so?

Close in Prayer.

Begin with a general discussion of fear and insecurity. What are some of the biggest fears/insecurities people around you experience today?

1. Read Psalm 46 together. Mention something which jumps out at you.

2. List the metaphors for God found in this text. Do any of them surprise you or particularly resonate?

3. Discuss the ways the psalm talks about water. How does this relate to significance of water in other parts of the Bible?

4. Jerusalem was repeatedly attacked successfully by other nations. So how should we understand verses 4 and 5?

5. Whom is God telling to “be still” in verse 10 and why?

6. How is the meaning of God-with-us (vv 7, 11) for Israelites different from the meaning of God-with-us for Christians today?

1. Is it always sinful to feel insecure?

2. Though we may know God is our fortress, we still experience fears. What we know with our head does not seem to reach our hearts. Why is that?

3. Discuss a specific fear or insecurity which you have struggled with. Can you identify an idol of the heart behind?

4. Discuss this quote by Blaise Pascal: “I have discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they are unable to stay quietly in their own room.”

5. In your devotional time, do ever spend time in “stillness” before the Lord? What benefit might it bring?

We need all the benefits bought by Christ on the cross to be saved and to enjoy a relationship with the Father. What we need, God has supplied to us by the Holy Spirit!

Since the Pentecostal movement began a little over 100 years ago, there has been a renewed emphasis in evangelical circles on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Obviously, there has been much good that has come with this; but there has also been a lot of confusion and error that has come with it as well. Addressing widespread confusion in error about the Holy Spirit, Pastor John Mac Arthur wrote the following:

He goes on to cite many examples, which you can see on You Tube: “Whole congregations doing the ‘Holy Ghost Hokey Pokey,’ people ‘tokin’ the Ghost’ (pretending to inhale the Holy Spirit and get high, as if He were an invisible reefer), and women writhing on the floor, miming the process of childbirth. Old-fashioned snake handlers look tame by comparison.” He cites several preachers who say that the Holy Spirit told them to punch, kick, and violently assault people in an attempt to heal them. An elderly woman died at a “miracle crusade” when he pushed her over backwards by the preacher.

Because of this widespread confusion about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it is essential that we learn from our Lord, through the Scriptures as He teaches how the Holy Spirit will work in the disciples and, by extension, in the church, today (read the post below for a starting point in this). If you are looking for a single, modern book that lays out a biblical foundation for the person and work of the Holy Spirit, I recommend J. I. Packer's excellent and balanced “Keep in Step with the Spirit”.

Do you know the Spirit? Are you depending on him for communion with God? If you haven’t cultivated a relationship with the Spirit, here are a few ways to begin:

• You may need to begin with repentance over your neglect of the Spirit. Confess your sinful self-reliance to the Father and the Spirit, asking the Son for forgiveness, and thanking God for the gift of the Spirit.

• Make a point of addressing the Spirit throughout the day in ways that reflect his role in your life (understanding, discernment, decision-making, power to overcome sin, desire for God, faith in the gospel, etc.)

• Memorize and meditate on texts that show you who the Spirit is so that you can get to know Him (Numbers 27:18; 1 Samuel 16:13; Exodus 31:3; Joel 2:28-29; Acts; Romans 8; 15; 1 Corinthians 2; 2 Corinthians 3; Gal. 3-6).

• Rejoice in the gift of the Spirit as a Person who indwells you with power to believe the gospel, and glorify and enjoy God!

  Communion with the Spirit brings us a general happiness and contentment that cannot be found anywhere else. Augustine referred to the Trinity as Lover (Father), Beloved (Son), and Love (Spirit). The love of God is poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). To know the Spirit is to enter into the never-ending fountain of God’s love, where we are loved by the self-replenishing fountain of perfect Love itself. The Spirit guides us into Christ, where we draw near to the Father as his accepted sons and daughters. Jonathan Edwards brings the roles of the three persons of the Trinity together in communion with God well when he writes:

The Spirit brings us into communion with God.

Read John 16:1-15

1. The life of Jesus is exemplary not just in what he did but also how he did it. Jesus fought the good fight of faith but he did not fight alone. Jesus did not sever himself from the Trinity in order to accomplish his mission. He remained in communion with the Father and dependent upon the Spirit to carry out his mission. The Spirit empowered and motivated everything Jesus did.

• When we consider Jesus, why is it important that we look to him as an example of godly character but also to see his example of dependence upon the Spirit? (Give some examples of how Jesus pursued dependancy upon the Spirit?)

2. What “alternative power supplies” do you depend on other than the Spirit? (Distraction, emotion, duty, intellect?) What are some ways we can ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ (see, Gal 5:25).

3. (Optional) Believers are never commanded to be baptized with the Spirit, but rather to walk in the Spirit and to be filled with the Spirit. Why is this distinction important?

4. (Optional) How does a proper ‘theology of the Spirit’ affect relationships:

• In the church? Think of the relationships in your church community - if you were an unbeliever, what would you conclude about who God is?

• In the unbelieving world? Think of the relationships in your work, school, community?

5. In the sermon it was said in connection with Jesus referencing the Holy Spirit as “Truth”: The Bible is not a loose collection of spiritual sayings, a theological textbook, or a moral compass. It claims to be God’s personal word of Truth: “All Scripture is breathed out by God...” (2 Timothy 3:16). Scripture is God’s breath, his speech to us. The word for “breath”, both in Hebrew and Greek, is used to refer to the Holy Spirit (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 33:6; Hebrews 3:7). God communicates truth to us through his Spirit by his Word. The Holy Spirit has given us the truth in Scripture and He is not giving anymore authoritative revelation since the completion of the canon of Scripture.

• Some argue that the Holy Spirit still gives non-authoritative revelation today. Agree/disagree? What are the practical implications of this?

• To what extent (if any) does the Spirit guide us through our thoughts, impressions, or feelings? Give biblical support.

6. John reminds us that we need to ask the Holy Spirit to give us understanding and illumination as we study the Scriptures, that makes sense right. In the words of David Dockery, “By God alone can God be known.”

• Read 1 John 2:27. What does John share here about how the Spirit teaches and gives understanding of God’s Word? (See, Romans 8:16)

7. Read verses 1-3 and 13-14. As we receive the ministry of the Spirit, we are to join his purpose in glorifying Jesus through our witness in the in the midst of suffering by the power of the Spirit. Tragically, we tend to think of suffering as something we must do on our own strength and avoid it at all costs. Listen to John Piper: “What a tragic waste when people turn away from the Calvary road of love and suffering. All the riches of the glory of God in Christ are on that road. All the sweetest fellowship with Jesus is there. All the treasures of assurance. All the ecstasies of joy. All the clearest sightings of eternity. All the noblest camaraderie. All the humblest affections. All the most tender acts of forgiving kindness. All the deepest discoveries of God‘s Word. All the most earnest prayers. They are all on the Calvary road where Jesus walks with his people. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. On this road, and this road alone, life is Christ and death is gain. Life on every other road is wasted.”

• Piper tells us that some of our sweetest moments with Jesus and greatest opportunities to glorify Him come on the road to suffering? Give examples from your own life? How did you experience the Spirit empowering you during that time?

Close in Prayer.