What is one of the most impressive event, talk, show or celebration you have been to and why?
Q: When people think about attending church today what do you think their expectations are?
Q: What are some common images or stereotypes of church meetings today?
Q: What do you think Jesus would think of most church services today if he visited them?
Q: What do you think Jesus wanted the church to be like?
Philippians 4:4 NIV
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Q: What does it mean to rejoice?
Q: What does always mean?
Q: So would that include your time at church with others?
Q: What does it mean to rejoice in the Lord, as opposed to rejoice in something else?
Q: If everyone at a church meeting was rejoicing in the Lord, always, what would it be like?
Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Q: Jesus has just been asked what is the greatest commandment given by God to man, what does he say?
Q: What does it mean to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind?
Q: What is the difference between heart, soul, and mind?
Q: Why do you need to do it with all three, not just one or two?
Q: If someone was doing this, how would they be different to someone who called themselves a Christian but was not?
Q: What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
Q: How many people, love their actual neighbors, the people who live next to them today?
Q: Why not?
Q: If all the people in a church loved God and people like this what would the atmosphere be like at their church?
Q: How many neighbors would be coming to church with them?
John 15:8 NIV
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Q: What fruit do you think Jesus is talking about here?
Q: How much does God expect you to bear and why?
Q: If you or a church does not bear fruit, what does that say about that person or group?
Q: So how can you tell if a group is a true church according to this verse? (While not all churches that grow with much fruit are true churches, churches that do not grow with much fruit are not true churches).
Q: How does a church growing bring glory to God?
Q: How does a church not growing nor bring glory to God, or bring him shame?
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Q: How does Peter say you get your sins forgiven here?
Q: Is he telling people here how to be saved?
Q: What is the correlation between being saved and having your sins forgiven?
Q: What are the ways churches teach how to be saved today that are different to this and why?
Q: What is the gift of the Holy Spirit?
Q: How does having the Holy Spirit help us today?
Galatians 1:8
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them ber under God’s curse!
Q: What is God warning the church about here?
Q: Can angels appear to us?
Q: How would you feel if one did and told you to do something other than what the Bible said?
Q: Who is an angel that can appear to you? (Satan)
Q: What false religions have started by people claiming angels have appeared to them to give them new revelation? (Islam, Mormonism)
Q: How important is it to know what the scriptures say then?
Q: Can anyone share a false teaching they believed that after studying the Bible they changed?
Ezekiel 18:20 NIV
The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.
Q: Who is responsible for an individual’s sin according to this verse?
Q: How does your parent’s sin affect you?
Q: What false doctrine or church teach this is not true? (Calvinism)
Q: What do they teach? ( people are born with sin, the doctrine of original sin)
Q: How do churches end up with false doctrine and why?
Q: What are the most common false doctrines in Christianity today?
Challenge:
I want to challenge you to study the Bible this week to check your life and doctrine, it is a salvation issue.