Witnesses - Part 2

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." - Acts 1:8

Last week's passage was about witnesses. It made me think about what a witness is. Isn't a witness nothing more than a person who knows something about someone else that not everyone knowor has experienced something that not everyone else has? In the last blog entry, we discussed the testimony of the 5 witnesses in this passage and our response to those witnesses. Are we going to believe the testimony of these witnesses or are we not?

Today I would like to look at the idea of witnesses from a different angle. After Jesus' resurrection, and just before his ascension, he left the final instruction that we, his Church, his people, were to be his witnesses. If we are to be his witnesses, implying we know something or have experiences something uniquely and that we are to tell about it.

Read Acts 26:1-23

This story is just before Paul makes his journey to Rome to appeal to Caesar. He had been in custody, under house arrest for two years. He has a chance to speak to King Agrippa, a high ranking Roman Leader and this is his testimony recorded.

• In vv. 3-12 what is that Paul is sharing about his life?
• In vv. 13-18 Paul shares about his conversion. What do you notice about part of his testimony?
• In vv. 19-23 what does Paul share?
• How is your story similar to Paul's? What was your life like before you accepted Christ? What were the events that led up to your conversion? How has your life changed since?

Read the story of the Samaritan woman at the well - John 4:1-42.

• After having talked with Jesus, in vv. 28-29 it says she returned to the city, and in v. 39 it says that many were converted "because of the woman's testimony." What do you think her testimony was?

See here's the thing. I'm concerned that the modern church has turned evangelism into something very technical and very complicated. We have seminars and books and movies and tracts all designed to help people evangelize. None of these are wrong and can be excellent tools, but Jesus' final command to us was not to be evangelists, but to be witnesses. People can argue with you the truth of the bible, or the meaning of a particular passage. The one thing they just can't argue with you about, is your own story. You are a witness too! You know something or have experienced something that not everyone has!

At it's most fundamental essence, this is evangelism - develop relationships with people, then share your story.

If you've never done it, write down your own story. What was your life like before you encounted Christ? What were the circumstances surrounding that meeting? How has your life changed as a result of that meeting?

Then begin to pray for opportunities to share your story.

Witnesses - Part 1

Jewish law requires the testimony of at least two people to convict someone (Num 35:30). This principle remains today, that our courts will seek more than the word of a single person and reporters desire to corroborate a source before they print a story. In this week's passage, Jesus recounts a number of witnesses whose story bears witness of Him.

Read again this week's passage (John 5: 30-36).

• What are the five witnesses that are referred to in this passage?
  
• What is the testimony of these witnesses?
• What was the response that some had that Jesus was speaking against?
  
• What is the response that these witnesses desire to elicit?
• What is at stake with regards to the response to these witnesses?
• What is your response to these witnesses? Have you in some ways responded the way Jesus opponents did, unwilling to believe because the message wasn't the one you wanted to hear? Are there parts of Jesus' message that are difficult for you to hear? How would this passage call you to respond to those truths?

The truth of the message of Jesus is not made true by the response of people. It is true in an of itself. God does not need our response to validate His message. Spend some time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to you areas where you may be slow to accept the testimony of witnesses about Christ.

On Wednesday we will look at our role, as Christ-followers as witnesses ourselves.

Witnesses

In preparation for this Sunday, read John 5:30-40. As you read, ask God to illuminate his Word as “lamp to [your] feet and a light to [your] path” (Psalm 119:105). In this passage, Jesus presents the testimony of a number of witnesses to support the extraordinary claims he made in the first part of the chapter. Consider each of the witnesses that Jesus points to, and feel the cumulative weight of the testimony on his behalf. What was Jesus’ purpose in putting forward this “great cloud” of witnesses? What does Jesus reveal about himself that demands a response? How is his glory displayed in the testimony of these witnesses? May God speak to us through the words of Jesus as recorded in John’s Gospel.

Whatever the Father Does - Part II

In this week’s message, Pastor Derrick mentioned that the phrase “eternal life,” which appears in v. 24, has already appeared six times so far in our study of John’s Gospel. In total, the phrase is repeated 17 times in the book.

• To see all of the references to eternal life in the Gospel, read John 3:14-16, 3:36, 4:13-14, 4:36, 5:24, 5:39-40, 6:27, 6:40, 6:47, 6:54, 10:28, 12:25, 12:50, and 17:1-3.
• Based on everything you’ve read, summarize Jesus’ (and John’s) teaching about eternal life in the Gospel of John.

The word “life” appears numerous other times in the book (at least 28 places besides the ones we’ve already looked at), so “life” is obviously a key concept in John’s Gospel and in Jesus’ teaching.

• To get an overview of the word “life,” read John 1:4, 5:21, 5:26, 5:29, 6:33, 6:35, 6:48, 6:51, 6:53, 6:63, 8:12, 10:10-17, 11:25, and 14:6.
• What do these verses add to your understanding of Jesus’ teaching about “life”?

John’s purpose statement for writing his Gospel is found in John 20:31. How is John’s purpose reflected in the passages we’ve studied today?

In John 5:28-29, Jesus declares his authority to resurrect: “An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

• When Jesus says “his voice,” whose voice is he talking about? How do you know?
• Is anyone who has died excluded from this statement? What key word gives you the answer to this question?
• We wholeheartedly affirm the truth that our salvation is by grace alone through faith alone apart from anything we have done - even the faith to believe is a gift from God (see Ephesians 2:8-9). With this truth in mind, how do you interpret Jesus’ teaching that the type of resurrection we will experience - to life, or to judgment - is based on what we have done - good or evil? Read Ephesians 2:10. Does this verse help to clarify Jesus’ statement? How?
• What impact should this teaching have on our conduct and lifestyle?

Take a few moments to pray, thanking God for the gifts of grace, faith, salvation, and eternal life. If you have a thought or an insight that you'd like to share, please add a comment to this post.

Whatever the Father Does - Part I

As you begin your time in God’s Word, prepare your heart by praying for wisdom and understanding through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Use a notebook or journal to record insights that you receive from the Spirit as you study. Read John 5:19-29 and consider these questions:

• In his discourse in John 5, Jesus says that he does “whatever the Father does” (vs. 19). What are the specific examples Jesus gives to back up this statement?
• According to verse 22, God “has given all judgment to the Son.” What was God’s purpose in doing this, according to verse 23?
• Two key words are repeated in this passage: life (vs. 21, 24, 25, 26, 29) and judgment (vs. 22, 24, 27, 29). What does Jesus teach us about life and judgment, and how does he relate them?
• In verse 24, Jesus uses the present tense to describe the condition of one who hears his word and believes: he “has eternal life” and “does not come into judgment.” The present tense indicates a continuous type of action taking place in the present time. How does this affect your understanding of Jesus’ statement?
• At the end of verse 24, Jesus switches to the perfect tense: the believer “has passed from death to life.” The perfect tense indicates that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on. What is the significance of this distinction?
• According to 2 Corinthians 5:10, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (see also Romans 14:10). What does this verse add to your understanding of Jesus’ teaching about judgment in our passage?

As you reflect on this passage, ask God to reveal ways in which your faith and practice can be transformed by this glimpse of Christ’s glory. Please share your thoughts and insights for the benefit of others by adding a comment to this post.

Jesus as judge

This week's passage deals with an aspect of Jesus' role that isn't as popular as other - Judge. Read John 5:19-29. Make a list of all the things that this passage says about Jesus. Make a second list of all the things this passage says about God the Father. Then spend some time thinking about the reality of that relationship - God the Father and God the Son. Ask God to reveal to you anything about your view of Him that needs to be expanded. Pray for me as I prepare for Sunday's message.

Take Up Your Bed and Walk - Wednesday

In our passage this week, Jesus displayed authority over a physical disability and over religious observance. As Pastor Scott shared with us this authority came from His deity, or His being God. It seems to me that the Church (not just theGathering, but all churches, and all Christ followers) suffer from both physical disability and empty religious observance (doing religious things out of rote or tradition with no heart). If Christ has authority over these things, why do his people still suffer physically, or closer to home, why do we suffer? Take a look at the following additional passages of scripture and see if we can fill in this picture a little bit more:

What methods or patterns does scripture lay out for healing?

• Psalm 30:2
• Proverbs 3:7-8
• James 5:14-16

What reasons does scripture lay out for people suffering from sickness or disability?

• Psalm 38:3
• John 9:2-3
• 2 Corinthians 12:4-9

If Jesus is able to heal, then why might you or someone you know be suffering from sickness or disability? What is it that God might be trying to accomplish in you or in them? What patterns should we follow? Is this a guarantee for healing? Why or why not? What should our heart attitude be toward these?


God, since the Old Testament, has never been a fan of empty religious observance. The grace of God, expressed from the beginning of the bible to the end, is more interested in the heart of a person, than their own attempts to be "religious." Look at the following passages and see what God's view is regarding religious practice:

• Is 29:3
• Matt 15:3-9
• Rom 3:20-25
• Col 2:20-23

What types of religious expression exist in the church today have been lost to tradition and lack the true expression of worship? Who is empty religious tradition and expression more concerned with, the worshiper or the worshipped? On the other hand, true heart felt worship has who as its center? How can we as the people of God practice religious things, like singing, or communion, or baptism, or prayer, without having them become empty religious practices? How have you allowed things that God intended as good, to become empty and heartless?

Spend some time in prayer. Seek God with a whole heart. Confess sin as the Holy Spirit reveals it to you. Ask boldly for healing, but be willing to submit and endure to the one who has authority if God has other plans or timing. Search your own heart for areas of church or life that have become empty religious practices without any heart reflection.

It seems to me, that if the Church, if theGathering Fort Mill were to pursue God this way, with prayer, an acknowledgment of the authority of the one we serve, a willingness to submit, a bold and confident prayer life, and a heart of true worship, we could experience a transformed life in a way that we may never have before.

Take Up Your Bed and Walk

• If you were not able to hear the sermon on Sunday, take the time to listen to the podcast. You can use the link on the right of this page to get to iTunes and listen or subscribe to the podcast of all of our Sermons.
  
• Take a couple of minutes to quiet your heart, pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you as you seek Him in His word.
• Read John 5:1-18
• Get a notebook to take some notes as you work through these scriptures and as the Holy Spirit speaks to you.
  
• Pastor Scott said that Christ has authority over physical disability, and over religious observance? Are there any other aspects to Christ's authority in this passage that you saw? What specific verses or words show Jesus' authority?
• How would Christ's authority be reflected in modern life?
• If the glory of Christ in His authority was a reality in your life, how might it change?
  
• Spend some time in prayer not only asking God to reveal His authority over physical disability, and over religious observance (religious rules and expectations in an attempt to obtain favor with God) in your life, but also listening to the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart.
• As you pray, and the Holy Spirit speaks to you, write down anything that He reveals.
  
• If the Holy Spirit reveals something to you, consider responding to this blog so that others might be able to see it.
  

Welcome to our blog!

The mission of theGathering Fort Mill is to form faithful Christ-followers who live in authentic community according to His teachings.

We have begun to ask God if our mission is to form faithful Christ-followers, what does a faithful Christ-follower look like. One of the many characteristics of a life that has been truly transformed is a passion for encountering God through his word. In order to help facilitate this among our community, we are going to be posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, additional scripture readings and questions to reflect on our Sunday message, as well as preparation for the next Sunday.