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FALL 2012: Personal Study Guide Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor
Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project for Students (ISSN 1939-0742; Item 005508013) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWays doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
These Christian leaders were part of a team who consulted on the creation of The Gospel Project.
James MacDonald Eric Mason Joe Thorn
SESSION 13
hen we think about having a quiet time we think of being alone, in a room, with just us and God. It is an experience of isolation, and while thats good, it can lead us to the idea that growing in Christ is a lonely process. Its not meant to be. Remember that the bulk of the New Testament wasnt written to individuals, but to fellowships of believers and was intended to be read, understood, interpreted, and applied in the context of community. You and I were not made to be alone. We were made for life together. Biblical fellowship with other Christians is centered on Gods Word. We proclaim Gods Word, revere Gods Word, and respond to Gods Word in repentance. This week, as we examine a Word-based understanding of biblical community in Nehemiah 8 and Acts 2, we will see that God designed His Word to be the bedrock of our fellowship and the impetus for our evangelism.
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What are Sunday mornings to you? Have you ever thought about why you gather at church? What reasons would you list as why you meet together at church?
Reformation and proclamation always go together. Whenever God starts a genuine reformation in the history of His church, the holy Scripture always takes front and center stage. In Nehemiah 8:1-12, the word people occurs more than 10 times. What does this say about the purpose of Gods people gathered in worship?
Nehemiah 8 teaches us the importance of elevating Scripture. It shows us that faith cannot be separated from action. Orthodoxy and orthopraxy go hand in hand, that is to say, what we believe cannot be separated from what we practice. Thats why theology matters. Thats how the head is connected to the heart.
In what ways can your church demonstrate the Bibles importance in your fellowship and worship? How can gathering and reading Gods Word with other believers become a focused effort for you? Does this change your view of attending church?
O that we would so love the gospel and have so much compassion for lost people that tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword and gun and terrorist would turn us not into fearful complainers, but bold heralds of good news. John Piper
Whenever Scripture is read, preached, and received, repentance and forgiveness are sure to follow. Godly repentance carries with it the idea of turningturning away from sin, away from lustful and evil desires, and turning to face God.
How is our posture toward God evident in the way we live? What posture would you say your life demonstrates? In what ways can we demonstrate our reverence for Gods Word? What do the physical actions of standing and bowing communicate about our view of the Bible?
have to wait until heaven to experience biblical community. If the holy Scripture is the foundation of our communities and if we choose to obey Christs commands to spread His gospel and His love in this world, then we can be confident that God will use our communities to be light and truth in a dark and relativistic society.
What areas of your life right now are preventing even fellowship with God through Christ?
ENCORE
responsibility. In fact, it is the duty of every Christian to ask the questions How does this Scripture verse relate to my life? and How does it relate to my time and culture? The answers to these questions are not always easy to find. However, we can be confident that every word in the Bible is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Whenever Scripture is read, preached, and received, repentance and forgiveness are sure to follow. Godly repentance carries with it the idea of turningturning away from sin, away from lustful and evil desires, and turning to face God. 4. DISCIPLES ARE BEING MADE (ACTS 2:42). Reverence for the Bible must lead to repentance. Theres no sense in revering the Word of God if we are not responding with obedience and faith. Furthermore, Peter understood that without the holy Scriptures, there could be no true Christian community. Peter had been there to hear Jesus say, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away (Luke 21:33). Peter knew that the Bible was the fountainthe only uncontaminated sourcefrom which all believers could freely drink. Scripture-based communities always lead us to reach beyond the group. Why? Because if our communities take seriously the Word of God, they will act on the commands that Christ gives us in His Word, commands such as Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, (Matt. 28:19). And they will hold on to promises such as Whoever gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple...He will never lose his reward! (10:42). The Bible is always pointing us to Christ. And Christ is always pointing us to others. Therefore, if our communities are biblical, they must also be focused on others. CONCLUSION There is only one time in the whole Bible that God ever felt really alone. It happened on a Friday. Jesus had celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples. He had endured the torments of Gethsemane, the betrayal of Judas, and the trial before Pontius Pilate. Peter had denied Him. His disciples had abandoned Him. And then, after giving His back to the whip and His hands to the nails, Jesus could not keep His pain silent. He screamed, My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me? (Matt. 27:46, emphasis added). Jesus might have understood why His disciples abandoned Him. But God? Why would God the Father leave His Son alone at such a critical moment? In the end, Jesus chose to be alone because He wanted you and me to be grafted into the community of faith. He wanted each of us to spend eternity with the God from whom our sins have separated us. As Christians, we dont have to wait until heaven to experience biblical community. If the holy Scripture is the foundation of our communities and if we choose to obey Christs commands to spread His gospel and His love in this world, then we can be confident that God will use our communities to be light and truth in a dark and relativistic society. Proclamation of the Word and reverence toward the Word will lead to repentance through the Word.
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PLAYLIST
To download this quarters recommended playlist of songs, go to LifeWayWorship.com/GospelProject. Get the following collection of great songs and artists:
Creation SingsKeith and Kristyn Getty Take Your PlaceTommy Walker Say, SayKristian Stanfill Cry of the BrokenHillsong United Never OnceMatt Redman Psalm 62Aaron Keyes By the Grace of GodGateway Worship Rhythms of GraceHillsong United O for a Thousand Tongues to SingDavid Crowder Band Ancient SkiesThe Michael Gungor Band Immortal, InvisibleChris McClarney