Bible Studies from Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.
While originating as ideas for a confirmation class, I've also used these Sessions as an introduction to Church Membership. Along with these lessons I refer to:
Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy Rose Publishing
The Bible Made Easy for Kids (Dave Strehler) Christian Art Kids
I also recommend (on the historical side) the Channing Bete Booklets:
• “About Being Presbyterian”
• “History of the Presbyterian Church”
Sessions
(Additional Reading Pages 1-16 “Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy”)
The Bible is called a “Revelation” meaning an “Uncovering.” For us to know God, God must reveal God's self to us. Christians claim that the Bible not only teaches us to know about God, but to actually know God. God is revealed to us in different ways;
General Revelation
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)
But there is a problem...
Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. (Romans 1:20-21)
We can only know of God what God chooses to reveal to us.
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. (1Colosians 1:20-21)
Special Revelation
What God chooses to reveal to us is found in the books of the Bible.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8)
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)
The claim is made for the books of the bible that they are “Inspired” or “God Breathed.” That God has used people, their circumstances, their background, their upbringing... actual characters and experience.. to teach us what God is like.
First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Some reasons to trust the books of the Bible
The Evidence of Manuscripts. Those who have recorded and copied the scriptures over centuries have been painstakingly careful. We have hundreds of manuscripts to verify that our bibles preserve accurate records of what the original authors felt was vital to communicate.
The Testimony of Archaeology. Archaeological discoveries verify the accuracy of many biblical texts. (for example 'The Dead Sea Scrolls')
The Words of Jesus. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35) All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that the Spirit will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:15)
Examples of fulfilled prophecy between the Old and New Testaments.
It is often claimed that Isaiah 53:4-9 pictures Christ's ministry. Just one of many such texts
It's unity.
66 books... all creating an unfolding picture of God.
It's difference to many other religious works.
(Such as the “Koran” or “Book of Mormon”)
Not the work of any one human author.
Not the product of any one period in history.
It's history
No other collection of books has been subjected to the tests the Bible has been put to and survived.
It's influence
It has touched the whole realm of human life... art, politics, science, law etc...
It's depth
In over 2000 years no serious student of the Bible has claimed to have totally grasped its message,
Our own experience
It has touched us. That's why we are taking these classes.
The testimony of God's Spirit. It is important to link “Reading the Bible” with prayer and asking God to reveal what God wants us to know.
So prove it for yourself! The more we seek to live it, the more the Bibles words become alive to us.
Confirmation Journey - 2. God
(Additional Reading Pages 17-28 “Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy”)
People take 3 attitudes to God
• Atheist – believes in no God or gods.
• Agnostic – there might or might be a God or gods.
• Theist – there is a God (or gods).
ATHEIST. Means : “One without God,” but it is usually used of somebody who says there is no God or gods. Scriptures verdict? Psalm 14:1 'The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."'
Why might it be a foolish claim to make? Some suggest that to “prove” that there is not, nor ever was, a God or gods, you'd have to be capable of being everywhere, all the time, and testing every situation in which people had claimed God's intervention.
You would have to prove that the every book of the bible was, without a doubt, a hoax and that every person who claimed their life was in someway influence by God was deluded or insane.
You would have to show that every prophecy from the Old Testament fulfilled in the New Testament was a matter of coincidence. Above all you would have to, either deny the existence of Jesus, or prove that he was an ignorant, misguided fool and a corrupt and calculating liar.
In the 1960's a Soviet cosmonaut went up to space in his craft, looked out of the window and said “Hey, I don't see God here. There is no God.” Quite what he was expecting to see... maybe a little old man with long white beard... we are not sure. But such a statement is truly foolish!
AGNOSTIC. Means : “Ignorant of God.” but often means somebody who has not yet made their mind up. Agnosticism is expressed in different ways.
Blind. Someone who has never taken the time to look at or examine the evidence. Either because they have no wish to or nobody has ever caused them to question.
Dishonest. Someone who chooses to blind themselves, who out of laziness of fear will not examine the claim God makes upon their lives. They offer excuses, “It's boring”, “I have more important things to do” “It's irrelevant”. Yet actually the answer to the question of God's existence is far from irrelevant. It determines the way you look at the whole of your life.
Honest. God is very interested in hearing about honest doubts and fears. There is a story in John's gospel in which people are confused by the teaching of Jesus. He tells them, John 7:17 “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” Elsewhere He tells people that if they seek an answer, they will find one! There have been a number of books written by people who set out to disprove Christianity and end up becoming disciples. (e.g “Evidence That Demands a verdict” by Josh Mcdowell)
THEIST. Means : “One who says there is a God (or gods)” A great many people claim they believe in some sort of divine presence, most identifying that with God. But, according to scripture, that's not enough. James 2:19 “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” Believing in something is a pointless action if it does not effect the way you live your life. In the next verse James says, “You fool! Faith without actions is useless.”
Let's put it this way. I may say that I believe in the Abominable Snowman, the Yeti, Bigfoot... whatever you wish to call him or her. I could even claim, “I saw Big Foot.” Yet, whether or not I did see the creature, or even if I didn't, but still believe he or she exists, it is not going to change the way I live my life. Who cares? It's just an opinion on a matter of little daily impact.
But when I say, “I believe in God,” that is a different level of belief. You can't answer without committing to actions that reflect your belief. There are different kinds of theists. Theism comes in different forms.
Pantheism – God is all (certain forms of Buddhism & Christian Science)
Polytheism – There are many gods (Hinduism)
Monotheism – There is One God.
Among monotheists are two kinds:
Unitarians (One God - Judaism & Islam)
Trinitarians (Christians claim God has revealed Gods nature in three united, yet distinct ways)
So Christian belief is “Monotheistic Trinitarianism”
Such ideas did not happen overnight! They represent a journey of discovery spanning centuries and millennium of belief and thought. People had come to know God as Father, through Jesus Christ, in the personal power of the Holy Spirit. “The doctrine of the Trinity” expresses this experience.
One way of looking at it:-
• As Father and Creator God planned salvation
• As Son, God came to earth to bring it about
• As Spirit, God applies what has been done to our lives.
WHAT SORT OF GOD DO THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE PICTURE FOR US?
1. God is Spirit. John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth."
We can't see God anymore than we can see the wind or a persons breath. Yet we can see the things God does in peoples lives, as clearly as we can see the leaves being blown by the wind. Just as we can feel the wind on our face we can know God's Spirit at work in our lives.
2. What is God Like?
a) INFINITE Psalm 147:5 “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.”
b) OMNIPRESENT (All places at all times) Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
c) OMNISCIENT (Knows all things) Psalm 147:5 “His understanding has no limit. “
d) OMNIPOTENT (All powerful)
e) ETERNAL Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
f) SOVREIGN (In control)
g) IMMUTABLE (Does not change) James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
That's as far as physical description goes. But that is only like saying Adrian Pratt is 5' 7” tall, weighs 150 pounds, has brown eyes and dark graying hair. There is a big difference between “knowing about” and “knowing” God. So...
3. What is God's Character? (What is God really like!)
HOLY. Leviticus 19:2 "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Free from evil. Separate and different from us. “Wholly Other”
RIGHTEOUS. Psalm 145:17 “The LORD is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does. Absolutely on the level. As light in darkness.”
JUST. Ezra 9:15 “LORD, the God of Israel, You are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in Your presence." God sets the standard for right and wrong and is the only one who can ultimately decide the difference.
JUDGE. Matthew 25:31-32 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” God alone can truly judge us, because God alone truly knows us.
SHEPHERD. Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Like a shepherd cares for sheep, God cares for us.
CREATOR. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning … God created the heavens and the earth.”
FATHER. Matthew 6:9 “Our Father, who art in heaven....”
MOTHER. Isaiah 66:13 “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.”
LOVE.
1John 4:7-11
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
(Additional Reading Pages 29-31 “Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy”)
That there existed around the beginning of the present age we call “A.D” a man known as “Jesus” or “The Christ,” who founded a religion known as Christianity, few would deny. Ancient historians such as Josephus, Agapius, Tacitus and Sentorius all make references, if not directly to Jesus, then at least to the religion of Christianity that bears His name. Then there are the books of the Bible themselves. It is hard to dismiss the evidence that Jesus actually existed.
What we are going to be looking at, is the claim made in the Books of the New Testament, that Jesus was not just any other person, but uniquely a revelation of God. Our starting point is John 1:1-5.
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Jesus here is pictured as being the “Logos,” a Greek word that had both philosophical and religious significance. John claims Jesus was uniquely related to God and involved in the work of God from the beginning of all things. Another writer, Paul, quotes in one of his letters, an ancient text about Jesus;
Philippians 2:6-11 Though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This text presents a picture of the life of Jesus being rooted in the heart of God and speaks of His mission as being one of service that eventually leads to Him being declared Lord of all.
We know that Jesus was born and grew up (like most people do). At the age of around 30 He had a ministry lasting 3 ½ years which left the world a different place. Features of that ministry included new authoritative teaching, telling simple stories called parables (that we still don't fully understand), working miracles (which people still find hard to accept,) and claiming things about Himself that nobody else, before or since, has claimed. He died an excruciatingly painful death by crucifixion and three days later His followers began claiming He had risen again from the tomb.
Taking all of this together we have to make some conclusions. It is not right to remain neutral. He could have been insane... He could have been deluding everybody... or... He could be exactly who He claimed to be... the Son of God, God with us, veiled in humanity. If the last option is true, then to neglect to understand Him would be foolish!
So we'll look at three things.
• His claims about Himself.
• His death on the Cross
• His Resurrection
HIS CLAIMS ABOUT HIMSELF
1. To Forgive. Matthew 9:1-6 “And after getting into a boat He crossed the sea and came to His own town. And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." Then some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Stand up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-- He then said to the paralytic-- "Stand up, take your bed and go to your home."
Jesus forgave people their sins. This was something only God could do. Indeed His whole mission was to bring forgiveness and salvation to the world. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15 “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the foremost.”
2. To Fulfill Old Testament Prophecy. Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” He claimed He was the fulfillment of the laws of the Old Testament and the visions of the prophets. In Him they were coming to pass.
3. He Claimed to be the Messiah. Luke 4:16-21 “When He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, He went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was His custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. Then He began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." The Messiah was a Jewish figure who fulfilled the promises of God by bringing a new age into being. The reading He claimed to fulfill that day was a well known Messianic prophecy.
4. He claimed a unique relationship with God. John 12:44-45 “Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in Him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees Him who sent me.” That's a big claim! “If you have seen me, you have seen God!” In another prayer, He describes Himself as being the Son of God. John 17:1-2 “After Jesus had spoken these words, He looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, since You have given Him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.”
5. He claimed that it was through Him that people came to know God. John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Another astonishing claim. Wherever and however people were discovering things about God and a way to connect with God, Jesus claims it is taking place though Him!
6. He claimed that a time will come when He will judge the world. Matthew 25:31-32 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” Jesus uses the term here “Son of Man” to describe himself. This was another Old Testament term of great significance.
7. He asked for total obedience and commitment on the part of those who would follow Him. Luke 9:23-24 Then He said to them all, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”
As we said earlier, anyone who made such claims has to be deluded, evil or the real deal. Certainly there were those during His ministry who reckoned He was both mad and bad! /it was for such reasons that He was put to death and nailed to the Cross. Why?
HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS
To ask, 'Why the Cross?” is to ask why Jesus came in the first place. The first Christian sermon ever preached explained that it was all part of God's plan. Acts 2:22-23 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through Him among you, as you yourselves know; this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. “
God told us He would be crucified. That act took place at Golgotha, a hill outside Jerusalem where criminals met their end. But the death of Jesus, as He tried to explain to is disciples before it happened, was neither a mistake nor the end.
Quote from book; “What Christians Believe”; “The later followers of Jesus who wrote the new Testament did not overplay Jesus physical sufferings, dreadful though they were. They believed Jesus went through something more than physical agony. He died to pay the penalty for the sins of the human race and it it was this suffering which became the central theme when ever the Good news was preached. And it was for this reason that the Cross, symbol of what is arguably one of the most horrific deaths by torture ever devised, became the symbol of the Christian message.”
Behind all this was the Jewish concept of sacrifice being necessary for the forgiveness of sin. In a previous session about God, we saw that God was “HOLY.” We are not holy! God says, “Do this”. We don't. We often can't. It is not in us. It is our nature to do what we want in preference to what God wants. God has given us the freedom to choose either our way or God's way. Biblically speaking, we are sinners, because we chose our own way. The problem with sin is that it separates us from God. “Sin” and “Holy” don't mix. Like ink and water. Sin is a messy business.
The Old Testament speaks of a covenant made between God and man. To “atone” for sins, an offering could be made, an animal sacrificed, in order that people could be forgiven. It is not so much that God is cruel and needs the death of a living creature to appease God's anger, rather that we are so blind to the enormous consequences of sin that we need a heartbreaking reminder of its deathly power.
God would not by “Just” or loving of God said, “O.K. Never mind. Go ahead and destroy yourselves and the whole darn world! It doesn't matter. If you see someone in danger, you tell them. God could not let sin go by, that would be saying it was not a problem.
When Jesus came, He took the penalty of sin upon himself. He became the “sacrificial animal.” On the Cross he suffered for our sins, the consequence we deserve to suffer. He took our sins upon himself and cried out “My God, God, why have You abandoned me?'
Jesus is God the Son. In some mysterious way God has absorbed into God's being the wrath of sin. His love was fulfilled, and the way is open for people to have fellowship with God, through Jesus Christ. It was all part of the plan. Some 600 years before Jesus was born a prophet called Isaiah wrote these remarkable words...
Isaiah 53:1-10 “Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.
Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the LORD shall prosper. “
These verses speak of some of the things Jesus achieved. “Healing” “Wholeness” “Overcoming evil” “Overcoming sin.” The Cross is God's supreme demonstration of God's love for us. God gave all God could give... and then some! Paul writes:
Romans 5:7-11 “Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves His love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by His blood, will we be saved through Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
We must decide how to respond to this revelation. A way has been made for us to know God and receive the sort of life God wants us to have. But it is not an automatic process. It demands our belief and acceptance. We all have to ask God to help us understand what happened on the Cross. Why? because the story does not end with a Cross.
HIS RESURRECTION
Unless Jesus rose again, there is little point in having the Cross as a symbol of faith. It would be a symbol of defeat and failure. But looked at as a symbol of Jesus overcoming the world and death itself, well... that's a different story! C.S. Lewis (author of the Narnia books) writes; “The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say that they had seen the resurrection.”
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 “That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me.”
Indeed, if Jesus is not alive, then the church is wasting it's time, I'm wasting my life and attending a confirmation class is nothing more than a vain exercise in delusion! At least that is what the Bible claims;
1 Corinthians 15:14 “If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.”
Our faith, which we particularly proclaim at Easter time is clear. “Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!”
(Additional Reading Pages 32-42 “Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy”)
So far, we have looked at God, as Creator and Parent, and God revealed to us as Jesus Christ. This session is all about the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost). The Holy Spirit is the personal presence of God who brings the presence of Jesus alive in our lives.
Firstly, we are going to take an overview of what the books of the Bible reveal to us about how the Holy Spirit worked in people’s lives, including that of Jesus Himself. Secondly, we will focus on how the Spirit can work in our lives today.
THE SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is often pictured as being the breath of God. The Hebrew word “Ruach” is often used (which was the sound a horse would make when expelling breath!) The Spirit was also seen as the powerful creative force, involved in creation, untamed, an invading force that fulfilled the work of God.
The Spirit came down upon people to enable them to fulfill particular tasks, in particular speaking God's word... (prophesying)
2 Chronicles 24:20 “Then the Spirit of God took possession of Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada; he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? “
He took control of them, sometimes in unlikely ways...
Numbers 11:25 “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied.”
He filled people with creative power;
Exodus 31:3 “I have filled him with divine Spirit, with ability, intelligence, and knowledge in every kind of craft”
As God 's revelation unfolded, God spoke of a time to come when peoples relationship to God would be in new way... of a new covenant relationship.
Jeremiah 31:33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
The law “written on hearts” that Jeremiah spoke of cane to be understood as the work of God's Spirit, as we read in Joel...
Joel 2:28-29 “Then afterward I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.”
THE SPIRIT IN THE GOSPELS
When Jesus is born, the Holy Spirit becomes uniquely focused within and upon His life.
Matthew 3:16 “And when Jesus had been baptized, just as He came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him.”
The Holy Spirit gave Jesus the power in His ministry. The promise was given, that as He was baptized in the Spirit, so that baptism would be passed on to His followers. John the Baptist tells us:
Mark 1:8 “I have baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Jesus, as His earthly ministry drew near it's close, spoke of how the holy Spirit was to take His place in the disciples lives.
John 15:26 "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, He will testify on my behalf.”
Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit was as much a part of God as He was... and that the Spirit (whose nature was love) would dwell in peoples lives.
John 17:26 “I made Your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."
Jesus promises to continue to make Himself known to His followers. How?
By being in them! How can he be in them?
In the personal presence of the Holy Spirit, which we saw from Jeremiah and Joel, would be poured upon all people and write God's law on peoples hearts.
THE SPIRIT IN ACTS AND EPISTLES
Following His crucifixion, resurrection and Ascension, the disciples return to Jerusalem. It is there that all these promises about the Holy Spirit start to be fulfilled.
Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit! Strange things happened. People said; “What?” Some said they were drunk! Peter stands up and, in the very first sermon by a disciple, tells them...
Act 2:15-17 “Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning.
No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”
So... the early church was made up of people who had received the Holy Spirit. Sometimes you may hear people saying that to be a Christian we need to “Ask Jesus into our heart.” What they mean is that we need to ask God to fill our lives with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, who is the personal presence of Jesus. God can do this, because that is why Christ died, to save us from sin and open a way for God's love to be known in our lives.
That presence should make a huge difference. Paul, when writing to the Roman church, tells us....
Romans 8:9-11 “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in you.”
Complicated, yet important words. Paul claims that unless the Spirit lives in our hearts then we have not yet become a true disciple. He teaches that Christian life is all about allowing God to be in charge and direct the way we are living. This is such an incredibly hard thing to do, that it can only be done with the help of the Holy Spirit.
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Spirit works in three huge areas;
• Initiation - “He brings us into the family of God”
• Imitation - “He gives us the power to live Christ-like lives”
• Illumination - “He gives us the light to guide us and serve one another”
INITIATION
He brings us into the family of God. The first thing He does is reveal to us the truth about our need of God. (This is sometimes called 'conviction')
John 16:8 “And when He comes, He will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment”
If we respond to what He shows us, He takes up residence within us... we become a temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
Not only that... but He'll let us know that we truly belong to God!
1 John 4:13-14 “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world.”
As we get to know Him, and understand how much our lives matter to God, we find ourselves being changed. God's commands and instruction really start to matter to us.
1 John 2:3-4 “Now by this we may be sure that we know Him, if we obey His commandments. Whoever says, "I have come to know Him," but does not obey His commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist.”
Of course, this does not happen overnight. It is a learning process that lasts for our whole lives. We have to stick with it, or as the next verses say “Abide in Him”
1 John 2:27 “As for you, the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in Him.”
He gives to us a love for other Christians and makes us one with them. We are one in the Spirit
John 3:23-24 “And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us. All who obey His commandments abide in Him, and He abides in them. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit that He has given us.”
IMITATION
The Spirit gives us power to live like Jesus and do the things He is calling us to do. It is a way, not of obedience to any written code, but entirely governed by our sensitivity to the leading of God's Holy Spirit.
Romans 7:6 “But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.”
Jesus invites us to allow our lives to be directed by His love in our hearts.
Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”
We are all given gifts by God to use for God. It is the work of the Spirit to activate these gifts in our lives so they become used for purposes of God's Kingdom. We are not alone in this... but serve together.
1 Corinthians 12:11-14 “All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.”
ILLUMINATION
He gives us the light to guide us and serve one another. The Spirit lights us up to possibility! How? Sometimes the Spirit guides us by closing one door and opening another... as in this story about Paul!
Acts 16:6-10 “They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
He guides us in as many different ways as we are different people! Yet one thing is a common feature of the Spirit's guidance. He gives us peace. How? God speaks to us through other people, through the reading of Scripture, through times of corporate worship and personal devotion, and through our willingness to serve others.
Colossians 3:15-17 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Most importantly, the Holy Spirit lights us up us to the importance of the love of God.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. “
(Additional Reading Pages 43-52 “Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy”)
From the outside Christianity looks as though it is all about certain things. Helping people. Going to Church. Being a decent person. But you can do all those things … and not be a Christian. At the heart of Christian faith is something a whole lot more dynamic. A personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is that special relationship that both inspires and gives the power to live the way Jesus has taught us. In this lesson we'll explore what the Bible teaches about having a living relationship with God.
We'll start at the beginning. The Book of Genesis. We read at the end of the first creation story....
Genesis 1:31 “God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
Humankind were created as the pinnacle of all that God created. Humans are given a special role and have tasks to complete.
Genesis 1:26-29 “Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.”
Among the many tasks given are:
• being good stewards of creation
• populating the earth
• taking care of the environment and the animals.
We also learn that humanity is created to enjoy God and worship God.
Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created."
As we look around our world today we see what a terrible mess we've made of things. The world is overpopulated and many go hungry. There are wars and human trafficking, terrible things such child abuse and murder. The environment is polluted by our greed. Many species of animals are now extinct. For many people worshiping God is not on their “To Do” list.
The Bible explains this situation by picturing something called “The Fall.” It tells a story of how 2 perfect human beings are placed in a garden called Eden, and told to enjoy life and do all the things God asked of them. But one thing they are not to do. Eat the fruit of a special tree.
You know the story! A serpent tempts Eve, she gives in. She tells Adam... hey... this fruit is awesome. He gives in. When they are found out... Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent. “It's not our fault. We couldn't help ourselves!”
Just before their claims of innocence, we find that “Guilt” enters the picture. They realize they are naked … not just physically, but their whole lives, thoughts and desires.... good and bad... are seen by God. They are so ashamed that they want to just hide from God. But that never works!
Genesis 3:7-10 “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
They lose their innocence, they are no longer in paradise and suddenly life becomes a matter of hard work, struggle and eventually death. The story has often been seen as describing every humans journey. We begin with the best of intentions, but there is something in all of us that rebels against doing the right thing and chooses the wrong way. This causes us to lie, to feel guilt, and to feel shame. This fallen condition is described in the Bible as “sin.” It is a deadly condition. Paul writes “ For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)
1 John 3:4 “Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”
When we talked in a previous session about God, we learned that God is holy. And like ink and water... like light and darkness... and law and lawlessness... “Sin” and “Holiness” do not go together! We are estranged from God.
Christian teaching has talked of two ways of sinning that curse our lives.
Original Sin. Something that we are born with. A genetic mutation that seems to touch every human life.
Psalm 51:5 “Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.”
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned.”
Actual Sin. The specific things we do that create a distance between ourselves and God and between ourselves and each other.
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
We discussed in a previous session how Jesus gave His life upon the Cross as a sacrificial offering for sin, to make a way for us to no longer to be separate from God. Scripture solemnly warns us that the ultimate end of those who turn their backs on such an offer... is terrible! “The punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might.”
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 “For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”
Although Scripture talks about heaven and hell, and of God's judgment, in our world today most people are not that worried about their eternal destiny. Many are just struggling to get through each day! People are more concerned about how to find a decent life while still on earth rather than what may happen when life is over.
At the same time many people find life to be meaningless, frustrating, confused, without direction and without purpose. Many fill their life with “stuff” that cannot satisfy and trust in beliefs that are shallow and have no basis in anything other than self-interest.
The Bible describes this situation as being rooted in sin... and pictures many people as being more like the living dead, than they are living the joy filled, abundant life God desires for them. In John 8:12 Jesus tells us; "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
Paul, writing to a church in Ephesus puts it this way...
Ephesians 2:1-3 “You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.”
I can totally identify with that. In my own life, before I became a follower of Jesus, I thought I was just fine! In actual fact my life was controlled by all kinds of forces outside of myself. The spirit of the age, my parents, my friends, the things I watched, the books I read, my environment... and many of those forces pushed me in the direction of not believing in Jesus Christ and suggested that to take the gospel seriously was just plain stupid. I was spiritually dead.
But then... what this verse talks about... happened to me.
Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-- by grace you have been saved-”
And my story is no different than millions of others who claim today to be Christians. It's a story told many times in the Bible itself. In Acts Chapter 16 there is story about Paul and Silas being placed in jail for preaching the gospel. The crazy dudes are singing hymns, praising God! That's how much they trusted that God was in charge. “In jail? No problem. Let's sing!”
While they sing, an earthquake happens, their chains fall off, the doors burst open. But they just carry on singing and make no attempt to escape.
The jailer, who has been listening to them talk about Jesus and witnessing their praise, is terrified. If they escaped, his life could be on the line! You get the feeling that he suddenly realized that they were the ones, not he, who were truly free.
Here's a bit of the story... Act 16:27-30 “When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
The answer they give the jailer is this...
Acts 16:31 “They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."”
The way to experience the life God wants us to have, to “be saved” from a pointless existence on earth, and as an added bonus discover there's nothing to fear about whatever may come next... is to “Believe on the Lord Jesus.” Jesus also spoke about this experience as being “Born again” or as being “Born from above.” You will sometimes hear people talking about their Christian experience as “Having a new life in Christ.”
As we said at the start, because we often focus on the things that people do, like going to church or giving money to charity, we can get the wrong end of the stick when it comes to matters of discipleship and faith.
We wouldn't be the first....
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.”
Proverbs 14:15 “The simple believe everything, but the clever consider their steps..”
We can also fall into the trap of thinking that we don't need the grace of Jesus Christ to help us, but can somehow do everything God requires of us without God's help. That was the road Paul tried to follow, and he even tried to do away with Christianity... before he became a follower.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”
A song by a singer called Larry Norman puts it this way... (in a song called “Forget Your Hexagram”)
“You can't hitchhike to heaven, Or get there but just being good,
The rules were set down long ago, When the spikes went in the wood.
Heaven is in your mind, When love is in your heart
Maybe you'll find the way, But first you have to start...”
So how do we start?
Paul gives us some HUGE clues.
1 Timothy 1:15 “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -- of whom I am the foremost.”
So does Peter;
1 Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.”
The final book of the Bible, Revelation, invites us to listen for the call of God.. as though Jesus were knocking on the door of our hearts asking to be let in...
Revelation 3:20 “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”
The first ever Christian sermon preached makes it a matter of A.B.C.D.
Acts 2:38 “Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
A. Turn Away “Repent.” There must be a genuine desire to break away from living for self and a desire to live for God.
B. Be Baptized “be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ”. Baptism and Confirmation are symbolic rites. They speak of a) Letting our old nature be drowned and buried so God can treat us us as new people; b) joining the church to take sides publicly with God's people.
C. Confess “ so that your sins may be forgiven” Believe that because Jesus died for your sins God is offering you a new life.
D. Do! “and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Live into the new life in Christ that God desires for all God's children. Just do it!
For many people, their journey of discipleship began with a moment of commitment. Many have found what has been called “The Sinners Prayer” to be a great way of committing to the journey. I remember saying words similar to this when I first started to take the call of Jesus seriously in my own life. I highly recommend it. All these years later, I remain amazed at the way God has blessed my life and the journey that life has taken me.
“Dear God,
I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness.
I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son.
I believe that He died for my sin and that You raised Him to life.
I want to trust Him as my Savior
And follow Him as Lord, from this day forward.
Guide my life and help me to do Your will.
I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."
(Additional Reading Pages 53-73 “Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy.”
One way to know God is to spend time with God each day. Set aside a specific time for prayer and Bible study and plan to stick to it every day. If you make it in the morning it will set the course for the rest of the day. Here are some suggestions to help you make the most of that time.
1. Be Still. God, the source of all truth and love, is here. Take time to realize God's presence. Be glad that God speaks when we listen and hears when we pray. Thank God for the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 'Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name'.
2. For what are you especially thankful this morning? Name some of God's gifts to you; friends, family, lessons learned, challenge of difficulties, new responsibilities, etc. Thank God particularly for Jesus Christ, and the freedom He has given you. 'Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength.'
3. Accept Jesus Christ into your life for TODAY, with all His qualities of outgoing love, honesty, purity, and unselfishness, and with His passion to do God's will. Where you failed yesterday to measure up to Christ's standards, be honest about it; accept promptly God's forgiveness and release in the power of the Holy Spirit; get up and go in His strength. 'Create in me a clean heart , O God' (Psalm 51:10) 'Go and sin no more' (John 8:11)
4. In the light of God's love and the world's needs, what new responsibilities for people and situations does God want you to make today? Find out God's plan. Make notes of the things you feel God is calling you to do, people to pray for etc. Listen to God and obey fearlessly throughout the day. 'In the world you have trouble, but courage! - I have conquered the world' (John 16:33)
5. What new message has God for you from the Bible this morning? What new light does your study throw on God's plan for the world and your part in it? 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my word' (John 14:15)
6. Remember your duty today is to witness for God, by example, character, in your home, at your school or college, at your place of work and in your spare time. Be ready to witness to God's grace, mercy, and guidance. Be alert to pass on any message that would help or cheer another. You have prayed 'Thy kingdom Come'. How are you going to help God answer that prayer?”
(Eric Liddell - Olympic Gold winning runner - 'Chariots of Fire' - Missionary in China)
BIBLE MEDITATION (From the Book “The School of Prayer” by Olive Wyon)
Find a way that suits your temperament. To some extent the method you choose will depend upon the imagery which you normally use when thinking about any subject. Do you see things in your mind or do you hear words and sounds when you are thinking? Or do you tend to put everything into words which you say silently to yourself? A little self-examination will reveal the way your mind works most easily, and you can choose a way of meditation that will fit with your state of mind.
One practical point: unless you find it a distraction, use a note-book; for most of us writing helps to fix our attention and imprints our thoughts into our memory. (If you are an exceptionally visual person you may wish to draw or doodle).
A simple exercise; Choose an incident from one of the Gospels.
1) Pick out and write down all the people present in the scene.
2) Describe the scene: make it as visible as possible, till you can almost see and hear and feel the incident. Note how each person in the story acts and speaks and try to enter into their minds; make an effort to understand them; and see each one in relation to Jesus, the central figure in each scene.
3) Answer the following questions;
• What does this story teach me about God?
• What does this story teach me about myself?
• What does this story teach me about the will of God for me, and my life? (i.e. my attitude towards other people, my actual daily life?)
4) Turn what you have learned into a short, sincere prayer, in your own words, asking God to help you carry something of what you have seen into your daily life.
5) If you can pick out a word or phrase, from the passage in question, or a verse of a hymn or song, which sums up your meditation, carry it away with you. Write it down in a place you can find it again!
“Teach us how to pray” – The Lords Prayer (Matthew 6:9, Luke 11:2)
Our Father, who art in heaven
We pray as a community! God is “OURS”. It's not just about us, it's about all of us.
A Heavenly Father (not an earthly one!)
Not distant, but surrounding us with love.
'The knowledge we are in God's presence is the ground of every prayer' (R.J.H. Steuart)
Hallowed be Thy name.
God is wholly holy. Love that defines all other loves.
Self-giving Jesus love. Name above all names.
'All that we have and all that we are is to be offered to God' (Olive Wyon)
Thy Kingdom come
God is Kingdom building, not building our personal empire. Don't confuse the two!
'Reign in my heart. Reign in my will. Reign in my thoughts. Here am I; send me'
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
We were made for God's glory.
'Prayer is the lifting up of our hearts and minds to God to worship Him; that is, to give ourselves to Him that His will may be done, and done as far as possible through us” (E. L. Strong)
Give us this day our daily bread
Carry on giving us what we need to get through each day. Manna in the wildreness!
“Do not start worrying' Where will my food come from? Or my drink?” (Matthew 6)
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
Sins. Trespasses. Debts. These stop us really living.
Restore our relationships.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Keep us out of trouble. All of us. Deliver us from the bad stuff!
For Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory for ever.
It's all in God's hands. Leave it there.
Starts, Carries on and finishes with God.
AMEN.
'Much obliged' So be it!
(Additional Reading Pages 74-89 “Basics of the Christian Faith - Made Easy.” Also, the booklets “The History of the Presbyterian Church” and “About Being Presbyterian”)
In the Bible the church is never spoken of as a building but a body of people. To belong to the church is not belonging to a particular building, but to a particular group of people. In Greek it means “The Assembly Of Called Out Ones.”
The Invisible Church.
Ephesians 5:23 “Christ is the head of the church, the body of which He is the Savior.”
Ephesians 5:25 “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her”
The Church is an invisible community of all who are “Saved” by the grace of God in Christ. Only God truly knows who they are.
The Visible Church
Hebrews 10:24-2 “Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Christians are encouraged to meet together to learn God's requirements, to learn how to serve and to worship. In the New Testament, when a person became a Christian, they became part of a local community of Christians. To ask “Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?” would never enter their minds! Being with other believers was the natural outcome of believing in Christ.
If a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior then they are already part of the church. (The invisible Church). But there is a further step to take, which is to identify with a local community (The Visible Church)... which is where church membership and confirmation comes into it.
The Church exists primarily to worship God. Worship is a HUGE thing. It involves service of other people and of God. It involves the whole of our lives. It's not just what we do on Sunday! But an important part of it IS what we do on a Sunday.
Exodus 20:8-10 “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God.”
God's people have always found it necessary to meet together to worship, pray, learn and serve. In the Old Testament the Sabbath was a Saturday, but after Jesus rose again from the dead, Christians would meet on Sunday, the day of resurrection.
The New Testament uses several pictures of the church to help us understand what it is. No one picture gives us the full truth, but together they show up what God intends God's church to be like.
A Body. Ephesians 1:22-23 “And God has put all things under His (Jesus) feet and has made Him the head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Just as the various parts of the human body work together, so everyone in the church makes different contributions, but in unity. Jesus like the head of a body, gives the church its direction and life.
Christ's bride. Ephesians 5:31-32 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church.”
Paul says that Christ loves the church and gave up his life for her. Because of this, God's people are called to be morally pure and wholly given over to Jesus.
God's temple. Ephesians 2:19-21“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord”
In the Old Testament, the Jerusalem Temple was the place where God was present. The church is God's temple, not built with bricks and mortar, but with the living stones of committed men and women. God is present among his people the church, and he is active by his Holy Spirit.
A royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Priests in the Old Testament provided a bridge between the people and God. Because all Christians are adopted children of God, they all have direct access to him through Jesus Christ.
Lights in a dark world. John 12:46“I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness.” Each local church represents Jesus and is message like a candle in the night. This attracts other people to new life through Him.
The New Testament tells us clearly that Jesus meant to start the church – it wasn't an invention by the first Christians. His church is permanent feature of our world until the end of time. Jesus says in Matthew 16:18 “I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it.”
A Very Very brief Church History
After two thousand years, Christianity is the faith, at least nominally, of one-third of the earth’s population. From a handful of fishermen, tax collectors, and youthful troublemakers in an obscure province of Judea, the faith has spread over the globe to claim the loyalty of almost two thousand million inhabitants of our planet. However, the church is divided into different groups, called “denominations”... that all have quite a history! But it all began with...
The Age of Jesus and the Apostles Christians have always considered the age of Jesus and His apostles a kind of model for all the other ages. It gave to the church its faith in Jesus, the resurrected Messiah, and the hope of forgiveness of sins through Him. And the age demonstrated, in the life of Paul, that the gospel of grace recognized no boundaries of nation, race, gender, or culture.
The Age of Catholic Christianity (70–312)
The catholic Christianity, which accepted this truth, spread rapidly throughout the Mediterranean world. It confronted other philosophies and religions by appealing to the apostles writings and to the bishops who guarded them. At the same time, Christians faced the persecuting power of Rome and dared to die heroically as martyrs, witnesses to their faith in Jesus.
The Age of the Christian Empire (312–590)
The Imperial Age began in 312 when Constantine caught a vision of Christ n the middle of a battle. Before the fourth century closed, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire. Under the emperor’s influence, the church learned to serve the seats of power by creating a faith for the masses. Many great councils were held. Some Christians felt the faith was losing it's way and headed for the wilderness in search of a different way to experience grace. They became the founders of monasticism.
The Christian Middle Ages (590–1517)
Other Christians, saw the hand of God in the wedding of the Christian church and Roman state. But in the fifth century, barbarian forces shattered the Empire’s defenses and swept into the eternal city of Rome. Many turned to a book by a man called Augustine called “City of God” for explanations. They found in his writings a vision for a new age. We call these centuries “medieval.” People who lived in them considered themselves “Christian.” Their reasons lie in the role of the pope, who stepped into the ruins of the fallen empire in the West and proceeded to build the medieval church upon Rome’s bygone glory. As the only surviving link with the Roman past, the Church of Rome mobilized monks and deployed them as missionary ambassadors to the Germanic people. It took centuries, but the popes, aided by Christian princes, slowly conquered and baptized a continent and called it Christendom, or as it later became known....Christian Europe.
In the East however history took a different course. The fall of Constantinople saw the rise of Moscow, the new capital of Eastern Orthodoxy. In 1054 “The Great Schism” took place between the Orthodox church of the East and the Roman Church of the West.
As the church gained worldly power much took place that seemed more concerned with building earthly kingdoms than the Kingdom of God. Though there were some in the church who had sincere faith, for many it became the religion they were born into and forced to adhere to. Wars, Crusades and many other unsettling events led some to feel that the true message of the gospel had been lost.
The Age of the Reformation (1517–1648)
One such man was Martin Luther who felt the church needed to “re-form” itself. Others rallied to the cause. The period we call the Reformation marks the beginning of of Protestant Christianity; Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian, Anglican, and AnaBaptist. By the mid sixteenth century the Reformation had shattered the traditional religious unity of western Europe. It was during this period that the Presbyterian Church came into being.
For the rest of the story take a look at the Channing Bete brochure “The History of the Presbyterian Church.”
As part of our journey we have prepared and participated in a Worship service and thought about missions, such as the Food Pantry. Now it’s time to consider the act of confirmation.
A Presbyterian Perspective on Confirmation
When a child is baptized they receive an outward and visible sign that they were born to be a part of the family of God.
For that baptism to be truly effective, the person must claim, that the promises made on their behalf when they were baptized, have found fulfillment in their accepting of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord on a personal level.
Confirmation is publicly saying “YES, I BELIEVE IN JESUS. HE IS MY SAVIOR. HE IS MY LORD.” Confirmation is saying “Yes” (Confirming) the promises that were made on your behalf when you were baptized as a child.
Faith in Christ makes you a member of the the invisible church.
Confirmation is expressing membership of the visible church.
Preparing Your Statement of Faith
The following questions should serve as an outline for writing your statement. A statement of faith is
a declaration of what you believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and what it means
to you to be a follower of Jesus. It should also address why you wish to be confirmed.
Statements of faith can be between 650 and 1000 words long if written. However, you are not
limited to a written statement of faith. If you want to pursue a creative medium for expressing your faith, ex. Scrapbooks, paintings, poetry, pictures, then that is also OK. You can even mix them up!
You will present your statement of faith;
• Firstly, to each other … at our meeting on ......
• Secondly, to Session ... when we meet them on .......
• Thirdly, as part of your service of confirmation on ......
Questions to Guide you Through the Process
You don’t have to cover all these topics. What is important is that it is meaningful for you!
Who is God? What is God like? What has God done?
Who is Jesus? What is Jesus like? What has Jesus done? What were his key teachings
that He wants us to live by?
Who is the Holy Spirit? What is the Holy Spirit like? What does the Holy Spirit do?
What is the church? Why do you want to be part of the church? What is the mission of the
church?
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?
Has there been a difficult time in your life that you know God helped you get through?
What choices do you think you have to make that incorporate your faith into your living?
What is a Christian and what do Christians hope for in both this life/world and the life/world that is to come?
Do you have a personal story about how your faith has helped you through?
Where have you known God’s love helping or protecting you in your life so far?
The examples that follow totally ignore this suggested outline 😊
I’ve experienced a miracle of God myself. When I was 4, I got kidney reflux, and I was in and out of the hospital a lot. The doctors said that there was a diverticulum on my bladder and problems with my kidneys. If they didn’t clear up by a certain date, I would have to get surgery. The doctors said that they wouldn’t go away on their own, so they set a surgery date. Then, the very day before I was to get the surgery, the diverticulum and all the other problems just vanished without a trace. The doctors were all amazed — they’d never seen anything like that happen before. I didn’t need surgery, and to this day, I’ve never had any more problems with it. No more kidney reflux. My recovery without surgery was a gift of God. And I’ve got to give, right?” Learning about what Jesus did can let us get ideas for what we can do for others and for our community. It’s motivation to do the right thing. We can tell stories of God’s love and sharing, inspire others to do the same, no matter how much or how little you have. You can remind people not to worry of the future and that God will handle it. And whatever happens — kidney reflux or not — God is always with us.” — Gemma Brown
“Jesus is always listening to our prayers and answers them, but not always the way we want them answered. I pray every day for my family and my friends and anything life throws at me. I pray for the homeless and the people in poverty and that they find help. On the day before my grandma died, she gave me one last hug. That was comfort beyond belief, but that isn’t the only thing that gives me comfort. Each time I pray I know God is listening, and that is the greatest comfort you can have.” — Andy Buechler
“I believe that Jesus is central in my life because He has shown that all things be done with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. For without having Jesus central in my life, these things would not exist. If we live by the spirit then we will be guided by the spirit. I believe that without these things and without God, my life would be dull and dark. Though I do not know what my future is and where my life will take me, I know that God does. There are two Bible verses that stick with me when I think about my future and my faith. The first one is Jeremiah 29:11 and the second one is 2 Timothy 1:7. These verses are what I live by and they show me that I can do all things through Christ”-- Archie Masters
The Book of Acts tells us of the journeys of Paul. We are told that whilst in Corinth Paul made plans to voyage to Jerusalem, then onto Rome and eventually reach Spain. It is thought that whilst in Corinth he also wrote to the Roman Church. This enables us to date the letter with some precision. Tom Wright in the ‘New Interpreters Bible’ writes “Nobody doubts Paul wrote it in the middle to late 50s of the first century”.
Romans’ is Paul’s magnificent opus on salvation. It has been one of the most influential books ever written, particularly for those of the Protestant Christian tradition. A central theme of the letter is that whether one is a Jew or a Gentile the way to God is through justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Before considering the first chapter take a look at this brief outline of the letter.
