Four Week Study Series on Mission
SESSION 1 – RELATIONSHIPS
2 Corinthians 5: 14-20
“Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.
Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.”
- Discuss your impressions of this passage. What struck you most? What didn’t you understand? Were there any new insights that came to you?
- Having been ‘reconciled’ to God, God now wants us to partner him in reconciling other people to him. What might this mean for us? (how might we go about this?)
Our broken relationship with God has all kinds of negative implications for all our other relationships. The core reason why we struggle so much (and have so much conflict) with other people and even internally with ourselves, is that our relationship with our Maker has been severed.
Our relationship with ourselves
- How do you think our broken relationship with God has affected the way we see ourselves?(eg, issues of inferiority, insecurity, inadequate understanding of how unique we are, struggle to understand our gifts, motivations, personalities, passions etc)
- How does a poor view of ourselves affect the way we relate to others?
- How does a poor view of ourselves affect the way we relate to God?
Our relationship with others
- How do you think sin has affects our relationships with other people?(eg. mistrust, greed, envy, pride, lack of integrity, dishonesty, self-interest, power games, manipulation, insensitivity etc)
- How much do you think these types of issues affect your workplace?
1 Peter 3: 8-9, 13-16
“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless – that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing….If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off. Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks you why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.”
- Discuss the passage.
- What does Peter imply will spark people asking questions about why we are living the way we are?
- As God transforms us, it directly affects our capacity to partner him in reconciling others. Share with the group if you have an example of where your changing life has resulted in someone observing the changes in you and asking questions as a result.
Application – here’s two possible ones (there are many more!)
Think of a person in your ‘world’ who you find difficult to love. What is one way you could express God’s love to them this week? Ask God to help you actively love them this week.
Think of a friend, workmate, fellow student, neighbour or family member who does not follow Jesus. How can you partner God in the ministry of reconciliation this week? Think about what might be most helpful for them (eg actively build friendship, pray for them, ask them questions about what’s going on in their life at present, help them with something, model something of Jesus’ love etc)
Prayer
Pray for each other regarding applying this week.
SESSION 2 – JUSTICE AND MERCY
Luke 4: 14-30
“God’s Spirit is on me
He’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
To announce, “This is God’s year to act!”
- What do you think might be good news for “the poor”?
- What kind of freedom for “prisoners” is Jesus talking about?
- This is a reading from Isaiah. Why do you think Jesus missed off the last sentence of the Isaiah passage? – “and the day of vengeance of our God”?
- Why do you think the people reacted so strongly to what Jesus said after he had read the passage?
Notes
1. It was the tradition in Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath for a selection of scripture to be read out – generally something from the Prophets and then from Torah (the law of Moses – that’s Genesis through to Deuteronomy). In this situation it seems as though Jesus has been invited to read the scriptures (you normally stood up to do this), and preach/expound what he had just read (which you would normally do sitting down!).It’s unclear whether or not the synagogue attendant had pre-selected just the book (Isaiah) or the actual passage.
2. Some Christians have just “spiritualised” the words Jesus read from the Jewish scriptures, making them out to be only concerned about people’s relationship to God. However, it is clear from the life and ministry of Jesus, that his ‘personal mission statement’ involves the whole spectrum of ‘good news’ – impacting people’s physical, social, emotional and psychological well being, as well as their relationship with God.
3. This all happens in Jesus’ home town.
4. The thing that causes the most offence in what Jesus says, is his declaration that the good news of the kingdom is for everyone – not just Jews. Most Jews assumed that when the Messiah came, God would destroy their enemies (hence “the day of vengeance of our God”) but Jesus infers that God’s favour was available to all – including their enemies! (see verses 26-27)
- What do you think of when you hear the word “justice”?
- What do you think of when you hear the word “righteous”?
When we talk about God’s justice, we are really meaning fairness, his capacity to do right. In fact, often when our English Bibles use the word “righteous” or “righteousness” they could be just as easily translated “just” or “justice”. Both words have to do with what happens in relationships.
Justice goes hand in hand with God’s mercy.
In the Old Testament, justice is a major theme, particularly with the prophets. They frequently challenge the people of Israel to act justly, to do what is right. For example:
Amos 5:24 – “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Micah 6:8 – “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Zechariah 7:9-10 – “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow, or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.”
Job is known as a just (or righteous) man because he genuinely cares and acts justly toward the poor (see his musings in Job 31).
God’s special concern for the marginalized, the poor and the ‘stranger’ is obvious right through the Old Testament. It’s not a surprise then that Jesus (and the early church) seem to feel (and live) the same way.
Read Matthew 25: 31-46
Who does Jesus say the righteous (or just) are?
- Why do you think Jesus so strongly connects what we do, with our eternal destiny?
- In verse 40 Jesus says “…whatever you did for one of the least of these…you did for me”. Discuss in what ways this affects how we care for such people.
- Who do you think “the least of these” might refer to in your world?
Brainstorm a list of justice issues (think local and global)
- Can you think of an issue of injustice in your workplace?
Some justice issues that various people in our church are currently involved in are:
– Working politically for major prison reform
– Fostering children
– Mentoring young people who have dropped out of school and have little current job prospects
– Delivering bread to families in need
– Working with teenage mums
– Going to Sri Lanka to build some houses for tsunami victims
– Supporting micro-enterprise in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines
– Mentoring released prison inmates, helping them to re-integrate in the community
– Working to support the families of prison inmates
– Volunteering as a victim support person
– Feeding and befriending “down-and-outs” on the streets of Wellington late at night
– Financially supporting a poor child and their family through child sponsorship
– Working as a disputes mediator
Application
Share with the rest of the group if you have a particular desire/passion/dream to be involved in a specific issue of justice or mercy. When did you first become aware of this situation? Have you taken any steps to get involved in fulfilling it?
Pray for each other.
SESSION 3 – ENVIRONMENT
Genesis 1: 26-28
“God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature, so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.’
God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them:
‘Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for everything that moves on the face of Earth.’”
- Discuss what you think the implications are for us, as humans seeking to “reflect God’s nature”.
- Why is it that many of us Jesus followers don’t automatically think about caring for creation/the environment as part of our responsibility to work with God in his mission to this world and to steward/manage what he has entrusted us with?
- In what ways has the Fall impacted the way humans care for the earth? (brainstorm)
Basic assumptions
1. This earth and all that is part of it, is owned by God
2. God made this earth good
3. God gave humans the responsibility of looking after the created order
4. Our role is to one of care and development, not exploitation, abuse and waste
5. God intends to redeem (restore) this world, not destroy it
- Discuss these assumptions
- How might these assumptions differ from that of some environmentalists?
- Is there any inherent differences between the phrases “nature” (or “Mother Nature”) and “creation”? If so, what?
- What do you think is the difference between stewardship and exploitation?
- Discuss the following statement: “Christians should be the original greenies”
Which of the following activities could be aspects of God’s mission?
– Recycling
– Advocating for sustainable logging/forestry
– Planting a flower garden in the middle of an outdoor shopping mall
– Supporting sustainable forms of energy such as wind and solar power
– Car pooling or taking public transport
– Picking up rubbish in the streets or alongside the riverbank
– Composting green rubbish
- What do you think might be important in order for these activities to be expressions of partnering God?
- Can you think of other activities that could be a way to partner God in helping restore the environment to what it was intended to be?
Co-creating
One expression of stewardship that is implicit in the Genesis account is “co-creating”.
- What do you think this might mean?
We are made in God’s image. God is creative in nature. Therefore we too are creative. He expects us to use that creativity in developing the environment.
In other words, God has given us permission and capacity to both “improve on the original” and to continue creating! We have the freedom and privilege of engaging in creative work, with God’s created order as the raw material!
- What might be examples of using our God-given creativity to partner God in “improving on the original”?
Application
Is there a particular aspect of your everyday life that you feel you could begin to partner God in this aspect of his mission (care of creation)?
SESSION 4 – PRAYER AND ACTION
Two hands
We partner God with both hands – in one hand is prayer, in the other is action. Both are important aspects of our involvement in God’s mission.
Prayer
Matthew 6: 9-10
Our Father in heaven, reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best – as above, so below…
This prayer gives dignity and worth to our role as God’s partners. Through it we see that our prayer helps bring about God’s kingdom here on earth.
Action
God has made us to actively work. This was apparent in the Genesis story and it is still true today.
Colossians 1:10
“We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you, as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.”
Prayer is not enough. Neither is action. Both go hand in hand, both being done in faithful dependence on God.
Two feet
Partnering God individually
Each of us find ourselves in workplaces, neighbourhoods, friendship groups, families, communities etc which God wants to transform. And he wants to use us to help bring this about. (And in the process bring transformation in our own lives)
One of the roles of a group like this can be to encourage, support and pray for each other, in our partnering with God in our individual contexts.
Think for a bit about your own unique context – the work or study place you are in, the people you relate to there, the neighbourhood and wider community you’re a part of, your friends and family etc.
- What do you think God might want to transform in these places, situations, people etc? (You may want to think about the previous three weeks where we looked at relationships, justice and mercy, the environment etc)
- Can you think of any ways you could actively work with God to help bring about change?
- What might be some ways that we encourage and support each other in our personal commitment to God’s mission in these contexts?
Partnering God together
There’s also lots of opportunities to work with each other in partnering God.
- What do you think might be the advantages of working with each other in some common ‘mission’?
- Is there a way we can do this? Take time as a group to think about, discuss and pray regarding something you could do together as a group.
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