Discussion

MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM JOHN: 7 Words + 7 Signs - 10/1/10

Steve Vaughan | Monday 11th January 2010

This week we looked at God's design for the church from the feeding of the 5000 and we had 3 points...

The Church is

(1) The New Community of God (vs3-4)

Jesus is up a mountain, with his 12 disciples, at the passover time and is about to feed the people miraculously with bread - everything echos that Jesus is the ‘new and better’ Moses (see Exodus 11-17) and is gathering the new community of God (see Exodus 19.4-5 - a kingdom of priest, a holy nation).

The Church is first and foremost a community - there is no such thing as individualistic Christianity! It is a community made up of people from all different backgrounds and walks of life, weaved together to make something beautiful (that shines out) and strong (that lasts forever). If all this is true, we need to have a change of perspective

(a) Stop seeing church as a meeting and start seeing it as a community (if you expect a meeting to fulfil the role of a community you will become disappointed and disillusioned)

(b) See your Mission Group as more important than Sunday attendance (this is where true community is fostered)

(2) Thrust out in Service/Mission (vs5-15)

This is the first time that Jesus involves his disciples - he thrusts them out in mission, he makes them face the needy crowds, he makes them ‘partakers’ in his mission. Not only is there no such thing as individualistic Christianity, there is no such thing as consumerist Christianity - where a select few are the providers and the rest are the consumers. We are all to partake in the serving and the mission.

(3) Feeding on Christ, the bread of life (vs30-35)

This really is the starting point, without which we will lack the power and do the the first two and therefore church will eventually become a burden. We need power to love people from all different backgrounds and we need power to be thrust out in mission and service. That power must come from outside of us, and that is why we are to feed on Christ who not only satsifies all our desires/needs but also sustains us for what he calls us to do. Without this we will burn out or give up in despair!

Reflection and Application

(1) What do you (others) think church is?

(2) Why do people either leave the church or never get connected to the church?

(3) Do you agree with the definition of the church as defined from the feeding of the 5000? If so why? If not, why not?

(4) How did Sunday’s sermon make you feel? Does it excite you or burden you? Talk that through.

(5) How as a mission group can you foster community life outside of the weekly meeting? (without it being a burden or “another thing” to do). Could you take a ‘day away’ together at some point? Could you share more meals together?

(6) How as a mission group can you look to witness together to the friends around you? What passions/hobbies do people in the group have? What social activities do you already have planned for the term ahead that you could invite people to?

(7) Read Acts 2.42-47 and pray that as a group that we at Mosaic and your Mission Group would see this sort of life spring up.

**photo courtesy of Amsterdamed!