MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM EXODUS: PEOPLE OF PILGRIMAGE - 26/9/09
Chris opened our series of Exodus looking at God's call to Moses from chapters 3-4. Moses responded to God with 5 excuses. Have a look at the 5 different excuses, think about which excuses you give God and how God's reply to Moses might help you today (thinking through similar New Testament passages).
(1) Exodus 3.11-12: Who am I….I am not worthy? God replies by saying that he will be with us (see Matthew 28.16-20 where Jesus gives us the great commission and promises to “be with you always to the very end of the age”).
(2) Exodus 3.13-22: Who are you? God replies saying “I AM” - I am unchanging, I always have been and always will be (see John 8.48-58 where Jesus takes that title onto himself).
(3) Exodus 4.1-9: What will people think? God replies by giving him miraculous signs to show the people (see Acts 1.8 where Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to empower us for mission).
(4) Exodus 4.10-12: What skills do I have? God replies by saying he will give him all he needs for the task he has called him to (see 1 Corinthians 12 for the different gifts God has given each of us to contribute to serving Christ and his body, the church)
(5) Exodus 4.13-17: Surely someone else can do it! God continues to show grace to Moses and replies by saying he will give Aaron to help him (again see 1 Corinthians 12 and how each member is hugely valuable and and must play their part for the body to function well).
Finally, Jesus tells us that all of the Old Testament points to him (Luke 24.27/44 + John 5.39-45). Think about how Jesus is the ultimate fulfilment of God’s call to Moses to bring God’s people out of slavery and how that applies to each of us.
MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM ESTHER: THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS SERIES - 19/7/09
On Sunday we looked at Esther 9.20-28 and the festival of Purim, which is the reason the whole letter was written. It was the inauguration of a festival 2500 years ago, celebrating the reversal of destiny of the Jewish people - from death to life. There were three points that we drew out from the passage
(1) God is always working, even when we can’t see him. Where in your life have you stopped believing that God is working? Why do you think he is not working? How can the book of Esther encourage you that no matter what your circumstances or pressures - “IN ALL THINGS, God is working for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8.28).
(2) God saves us from the edict of death. Not only were the Jewish people saved from death but we are saved from death because Jesus (a Jew) died and rose again and conquered death. How do you view death? Are you fearful or do you really believe that Jesus rose again and can give you eternal life (see John 11.25 & Revelation 1.17-18). How does knowing that death is defeated change the way you live? (see also previous blog entry on Philippians 1.21 - part 2)
(3) God gives us a reason to celebrate and be generous. Purim was a spontaneous festival, it was not commanded by Moses, “the Jews took it upon themselves” (9.28) to celebrate it and they did so by feasting, giving presents of food to each other and gifts to the poor. This is the mark of true Christianity, it is a spontaneous and joyful response to the saving work of God which expresses its self in (1) a community of celebration and (2) a community that cares for the poor. How can you in your Mission Group (1) celebrate together and care for each other and (2) care for the poor?
Summer Grace!
With the summer comes sun, holidays, BBQ's, socials and loads of fun. In the midst of it all though it can be tough to consistently walk with Jesus - there's just so many other things to do that Jesus gets squeezed out.
Is that really what we’re called to though - squeezing Jesus in where we can fit him - is that what walking with Jesus is all about? The bible seems to talk in a way that suggests that our walk with Jesus is an ‘everywhere, anywhere’ kind of walk that has it’s foundations in the Trinity before the universe was formed (Father, Son and Holy Spirit in perfect communion for all eternity past) and in the Garden of Eden where God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day - there was no squeezing God into their tight schedules - He was the main event of the day!
In the book of 2nd Kings, the writer reminds us how even though God’s people have done evil in the eyes of the Lord, He has grace and compassion for them because of His word.
2 Kings 13:23
“But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them (us) from his presence.”
For us, though we live sometimes as if we are in charge and he is the one to be squeezed in when we have a window, God is gracious and compassionate and will never banish you from His presence - no matter how long it’s been.
Why not take some time today to thank God for His forgiveness and grace over you, and ask His Spirit to help you develop a life that starts, continues, and ends in His presence.
Remember: a great devotional life starts with 5 minutes!
MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM ESTHER: THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS SERIES - 12/7/09
Matt Hatch spoke from Esther 5.1-6.14 looking at the issue of pride through the life of Haman. Matt made three points from the text.
(1) The Ugliness of Pride (5.1-10)
Pride in it’s very nature is competitive, you are only proud when you compare yourself to other people and say “I am better than her at….!” When and in what ways do you find yourself comparing yourself to others and elevating yourself above them in order to make yourself feel better?
(2) The Dangers of Pride (5.11-14)
Matt said “pride is odourless in nature”, that is we often do not think we are proud. We can always point pride out in other people’s lives but fail to notice the pride in our own life. Even worse, it is religious people who are in the greatest danger because we often think that because ‘we live a good life’ we are better than others. In what ways do you point out the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye whilst failing to notice the plank of wood in your own eye (Matthew 7.3-5)?
Matt also helpfully pointed out that BOTH boasting and self-pity have pride at their root. We boast because we are “better” than someone else but we often filled with self-pity because we are not as good as others. Either way we are trying to elevate ourselves and make a name for ourselves (and either being successful and therefore boasting or failing and therefore being full of self-pity). When and in what ways do find that you are full of self pity?
(3) The Antidote to Pride (6.6-11)
Mordecai, the man that the king delights to honour (vs6), is given a royal robe, a horse to ride on and a royal crest on his head. In comparison Jesus is striped of is royal robe, rides in on a donkey and wears a crown of thorns on his head - “this is what is done for the man the kind delights to honour” (vs9). He was humbled so we could be lifted up. Tim Keller says “the fact that Jesus HAD to die for me humbled me out of my pride. The fact that Jesus was GLAD to die for me assured me out of my fear.” Both pride and self-pity are dealt with at the cross. There is no room for boasting, Jesus died to take away my sin. There is no room for self-pity, Jesus died to show me how much he loves me and how valuable I am to him. How practically can reflecting on the cross help you deal with boasting and self-pity?
Reflect as a group on Mark 10.32-45 (the attitude of James and John compared with Jesus) and 1 Peter 5.5-7 (the connection between pride and anxiety).
‘Together on a Mission’ Leadership Conference
Every year thousands of leaders from our family of churches gather in Brighton for worship, teaching and catching up with old friends in Starbucks.
Around 15 of us from Mosaic have enjoyed a fantastic week in Brighton that started with torrential rain and has ended with blue skies and hot weather! The conference is made up of Mobilise (for under 30’s) and the Leadership Conference (for old people). The Leadership conference (which I attended) consists of multiple seminars (ranging from an Introduction to Calvin’s teaching to ‘Treasure hunting’) and main sessions. All the talks will be available online and I would highly recommend any of the them, especially Session One ‘Jonah and Acts’ by Mbonisi Malaba and Session 6 and 8 by Terry Virgo. In these talks he speaks about the sort of churches we want to build and what will happen with Newfrontiers when Terry steps down from leading it.
Go to Newfrontiers for downloads. You can get a summary of each session at AdrianWarnock.com
MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM ESTHER: THE PEOPLE’S PRINCESS SERIES - 05/07/09
Esther Chapter 3 & 4. Pip Hatch brought us up to speed on the story so far and then focused on Esther's defining moment: an opportunity to obey God and save the nation of Israel.
Esther’s response to the call of God through Mordecai is “I can’t do it”. She immediately focuses on whether she has the strength and courage to face a King who will almost certainly kill her for approaching him unannounced. Take a few moments to look back on the last few weeks to see if you can see where God might have been speaking. What is your response to God if or when we feel him speaking or prompting you? What is it in us that often stops us obeying him?
SUCH A TIME AS THIS! Esther was reminded that her being Queen might just be in the plan of God for her life, that she was called to be Queen for “such a time as this”: to save a nation from destruction. What do you think about your current situations? Do you see them as being part of God’s plan? Do you see them as opportunities to obey God in such a time as this?
Having responded to the call of God to speak to the king, to save Israel from destruction, Esther has a sudden change of heart and calls the nation to prayer and fasting. Suddenly she sees, because she is reminded Mordecai by, that God is completely in control and will save the nation with or without her. What was it that made Esther have a change of heart? Given your current situations and opportunities, how does God equip you to take on all he has for you?
Spend some time in prayer for each other, specifically focusing on asking God to fill each other with His Holy Spirit to equip you for the situations and opportunities he has called you into. Pray also for opportunities to obey God in the small things to see his “kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.
