2. VISION SERIES 2019 (BLOG 2) BRINGING PEOPLE TO JESUS...ONE-ANOTHER

THIS BLOG CONTAINS:

• Series introduction
• Group study 
• Daily bible studies 
• You can listen to all the messages at:  Click this link to audio content
• For more information visit www.communitychurchputney.com

VISION SERIES INTRODUCTION

We have a vision at CCP of “Bringing people to Jesus”.  A key texts has helped to shaped this is from John 7, 

John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 

Jesus invites us to come to Him for salvation. But He also invites us to keep coming to Him daily. As we do so the promise is that the Spirit will work through us, like rivers, to bless those around us. 

During this vision series we will be exploring how we can come, and help others to come to Jesus. Many of us get excited about doing new things and starting new ventures. My prayer is that we get envisioned by the joy and fruitfulness that come out of the most important thing - an authentic relationship with Jesus. 

How do we bring people to Jesus? 

Bringing people to Jesus involves three different relationships:

1. Myself – I come to Jesus daily by setting aside quality time in prayer and worship out of the bible. 

2. One another – We are devoted to an amazing Community Group in order to help one-another to come to Jesus. 

3. Non-believers – We love to ‘invest and invite’ - invest in friendships and invite them into our lives, church community and closer to Jesus. 

Over the next three weeks we will explore each of these key aspects of what it means to bring people to Jesus. 

The vision must become our vision

The bible is full of examples of the need for the people of God to work together in order to fulfil God’s plan for them. Recently, as a church, we went through a series (The Journey) where we saw that in order for the people to leave slavery and enter the Promised Land, they had to believe God and work together. The vision of the Promised Land had to get beyond Moses and into the hearts and wills of the whole community. 

I (Matt) and the eldership team, invite you to wholehearted participation in ’Bringing People to Jesus’. Will you invest your heart, time, and gifts into this shared vision? 

WEEK 2. BRINGING PEOPLE TO JESUS… ONE-ANOTHER (GROUP STUDY)

John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

A healthy Christian receives and gives out

A healthy lake will always have an inlet and outlet. Without these the water can become stagnant. Last week we saw that Jesus invites us to come to Him personally – this is an inlet; as we do so He promises that ‘rivers of living water will flow from within you’ – this is an outlet. 

• How does coming to Jesus in personal worship and prayer out of the bible overflow and enrich our relationships in the church? 
• Why are relationships vital for our growth as a Christian? 
• What does Hebrews 3:12-13 say about the importance and results of meeting together? 

We meet Jesus in community. As we come to Him together, ‘rivers of living water’ flow toward one–another as we mutually encourage and serve each other. Your maturity will never be what it could be unless you have deep Christian friendships! John Hosier wrote, 

‘Only in close proximity with other believers can we learn to overcome the challenges of selfishness, immaturity and ungodliness.’ (Hosier, Radiant Church, Page 6)

The metaphor of the church as the Body of Christ points to us all having a role to play for the healthy functioning and growth of the local church.

• What does Ephesians 5:29-30 say about Jesus’ heart for His ‘body’? 
• Serving the church by being on a team is an important practical way of loving others, and is something that we should all seriously consider. What does John 13:14-15 teach us about serving the church? 
• Take a moment to look at the serving form and consider getting involved in a team. 

The first Christians were devoted to one-another

The early church set us a great example in this. After the Spirit had been poured out on them, the result was a loving community, we read,

Acts 2:42, 46 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 

• What did the church devote themselves to when they met together?
• In what 2 settings and how frequently did the church meet? 
• What are the sorts of things that can hinder us from devotion to one-another and, when we meet, keep us from the kinds of ‘Christ-centred’ elements mentioned in Acts 2?

Community Groups

Community groups are central to our vision of ‘bringing one-another to Jesus’. In this setting, if we are faithful, we will develop deep, loving friendships; the kind of community that we all want and need. In his book ‘the Spirit-filled church’ Terry Virgo writes that ‘Small groups are indispensable’. 

• Take a moment to talk about your Community Group involvement and what have been the benefits that you’ve experienced. 
• If you are not currently in a Group, I invite you to join one. 

Finally - Let’s remember Jesus’ approach to discipleship

One of the reasons why the first believers had a culture of devotion to one-another is because Jesus modelled this from the beginning. He called His disciples to follow Him, to be with Him, to learn from Him together. The very nature of our trinitarian God, in whose image we are made, points to community as the norm for life, and Christian health and growth in particular. 

Goals to help us to do this:

1. Every member devoted to an amazing Community Group.
2. Joyfully pay for the building project together. (Romans 13:8)

COME TO JESUS DAILY (DEVOTIONAL 2)

BRINGING PEOPLE TO JESUS…ONE-ANOTHER

This daily devotional follows the ‘Come to Jesus daily' devotional method.’ (See the end of this blog for a fuller outline.)

This week (the second in our vision series) we will be seeking God for fresh wisdom and faith on how to form our relationships in the local church according to God’s design. 

Andrew and Philip, in the first chapter of John, on meeting Jesus, set a pattern for all of us, 

‘…The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus…The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”…Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth…“Come and see,” said Philip…’

Neither of these men were content to follow Jesus alone. They wanted others to come to Jesus with them. May God give us hearts that are set on following Jesus in community. 

MONDAY – IT’S NOT GOOD TO BE ALONE

Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Mankind was created to be in community. Marriage is a major way that God gives to stop us from being isolated; but, let’s remember that marriage, as taught by Paul in Ephesians 5, is a picture of the church, therefore marriage is a picture of the church in which we, joined to Christ and one another, solve isolation and loneliness. 

Ephesians 5:29-33 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Meditation on Genesis 2:18 

1. GC (GOSPEL-CENTRED) – What does the text say about Jesus and salvation through Him?

I’ve chosen this passage (in part) because it’s good to look for the gospel in texts that are not obviously about Jesus. 

God saw Adam and said that it was not good for him to be alone. God acted fatherly toward Adam. He was thoughtful and kind toward Him. However, in God’s omniscient understanding (knowing all things) He knew that Adam, and Eve, whom He is about to create to comfort Him, would rebel against Him. We see something of the mystery of this in the following passages, 

Revelation 13:8 The Lamb (Jesus) who was slain from the creation of the world.

1 Peter 1:20 He (Jesus) was chosen (chosen to die for us) before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Before creation, before the fall, God had a plan to save us through Christ. Our sin - past, present or future are seen by God and yet nothing can separate us from His love in Christ. No matter what, He is acting fatherly toward us. 

2. UP – What does it say about God – His worth, character, attributes, will, promises…?

It’s interesting to see that God speaks of making mankind in ‘our image’ and ‘our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26). He then proceeds to make us male and female - the differences between men and women revealing the diversity of the trinitarian God. We worship the God of creation, who, in His diversity of persons, works unitedly for His purposes. 

3. IN – What does it teach about God’s people?

Isolation is not good. Having the presence of God but missing the presence of other people is not God’s plan for how human beings flourish. Tim Keller puts it, 

‘So here is Adam, created by God and put into the garden of paradise, and yet his aloneness is “not good.” The Genesis narrative is implying that our intense relational capacity, created and given to us by God, was not fulfilled completely by our “vertical” relationship with him. God designed us to need “horizontal” relationships with other human beings. That is why even in paradise, loneliness was a terrible thing. We should therefore not be surprised to find that all the money, comforts, and pleasures in the world—our efforts to re-create a paradise for ourselves—are unable to fulfil us like love can.’ 

In essence you need people. Specifically, you need the local church. 

4. OUT – What does the text say about non-believers and God’s mission?

God is concerned that people are not lonely and in pain. This city is full of such isolated people. We know that only in relationship with Jesus and a healthy local church are we living how God designed us. Jesus is calling us to be true friends with the non-believers that God has put into our lives. Do we see that ‘it’s not good for men or women to be alone’ and are we prepared to take Christ to them? 

TUESDAY – THERE SHALL BE ONE FLOCK

John 10:14-16 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd…” 

Jesus presents Himself as a shepherd who loves His sheep and gathers the ones who have strayed from Him and the flock that are with Him. Let’s pray that Jesus’ concern for the wellbeing of ourselves as individual sheep, would be balanced with how He cares for and gathers a flock.

Meditation on John 10:14-16

1. GC (GOSPEL-CENTRED) – What does the text say about Jesus and salvation through Him?

Jesus said, “I lay down my life for the sheep”. Specifically this is pointing to the cross, which at the time Jesus said this, was still in the future. Jesus came from heaven to save the lost sheep. Isaiah prophecies this also,

Isaiah 53:6-7 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Peter puts it,

1 Peter 2:25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

2. UP – What does it say about God – His worth, character, attributes, will, promises…?

Our God is a ‘good shepherd’. He leads, provides, protects and loves us. He says “I know my sheep”; He knows us in the way that a husband knows His wife - she is special to Him; He knows us from the inside-out - our inner and external challenges. The episode of Hagar, fleeing in the desert, is instructive. God comes to her and reassures her. May our vision of God agree with her as she says,

Genesis 16:13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 

3. IN – What does it teach about God’s people?

The church are God’s flock. He loves and cares for each of them. They belong to the flock (became Christians) because he called them by grace. We are one flock with them. May our hearts, by the Spirit, take on the heart of our Good Shepherd toward His people. May we love, be concerned and be faithful to them. 

4. OUT – What does the text say about non-believers and God’s mission?

Jesus says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd…” He says something similar in the next chapter of John,

John 17:20-21 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one…” 

This text teaches us at least three things about mission:

Firstly, it’s Jesus who saves by speaking, by the Spirit, into our hearts.

Secondly, people believe ‘through our message’ - We need to know and tell the gospel. 

Thirdly, Jesus is praying here, and we need to pray for the church’s success in mission, and pray for our own non-believing friends specifically. 

WEDNESDAY – JESUS LOVES THE CHURCH

In Ephesians 5:25-33 we see that Jesus’ love for His church is the model for how a husband is to love his wife. 

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

Jesus loves His church like an ideal husband is to love His bride. If we come to Jesus. If we listen to Him, He will speak His love for the church into our hearts. 

Meditation on Ephesians 5:25-27 

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 

1. GC (GOSPEL-CENTRED) – What does the text say about Jesus and salvation through Him?

Jesus ‘gave himself up’ for us His church. He gave Himself over to judgement and death for her salvation. Paul puts it, 

Romans 5:8 God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

If we ever doubt His love and wonder if we are forgiven and accepted…Maybe we look out at our lives or the world around us and it shakes our belief in His goodness; Maybe we look inwardly at our mess, our failures, our feelings and we question His affection. You are looking in the wrong place! The cross is the unchanging demonstration of His love for you and me. 

He gave Himself up to make her holy and to cleanse His people - the bride. His death declares us holy (justified) in God’s sight; but His grace doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t forgive and yet leave us in the gutter; He continues to cleanse and perfect His church. He never gives up on His loved one. This hymn written by Samuel Crossman speaks of this love. 

My song is love unknown

My Saviour's love to me

Love to the loveless shown

That they might lovely be

O who am I

That for my sake

My Lord should take

Frail flesh and die

2. UP – What does it say about God – His worth, character, attributes, will, promises…?

This text teaches us that God has a plan for His people. He will ‘present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.’ It’s important to Him that, like a wife, we endeavour to be pure and faithful to Him alone. God is a jealous God. 

3. IN – What does it teach about God’s people?

God’s people are His bride for whom He is utterly devoted. His church is in process of growth in maturity and purity. Paul says that our holiness and cleansing happen ‘through the word’. As we hear the word of the gospel, we are made holy through faith in Christ. As the church community continues to be devoted to ‘the apostles teaching’ (Acts 2) we will be enabled, by God’s powerful word, to grow in holiness (sanctifiction). 

4. OUT – What does the text say about non-believers and God’s mission?

All of us, if we are Christians, did not start off as God’s bride; we were separated from Him by our sin. However, the ‘word’ of the gospel came to us, bringing us back to God. 

The words spoken over Israel can be said of us, and through prayer and sharing the ‘word’ of the gospel can be true of all. 

Ezekiel 16:6-14 “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”…“‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. “‘I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you.  I clothed you…the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Take hope that God can do such a work in anyone; pray for those that God has put on your heart. 

THURSDAY – YOU ARE A PART OF THE BODY

Yesterday we considered how we are to respond to the church being Jesus’ bride. today we will look at the metaphor of our being the Body of Christ. As we understand that this is our identity, we will be devoted to serving and building up one-another, using our gifts to express Jesus’ will. 

Meditation on Ephesians 4:16

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

1. GC (GOSPEL-CENTRED) – What does the text say about Jesus and salvation through Him?

We have become joined to Christ. The metaphor of the body speaks of a union in which Jesus’ life, by the Spirit, is constantly flowing into us. We are alive in Christ. Salvation is not principally about adhering to a set of beliefs or laws; principally, salvation, is being joined, unbreakably, to the life of Christ. 

2. UP – What does it say about God – His worth, character, attributes, will, promises…?

Jesus’ identity as ‘Head of the church’ teaches us that He is Lord over every Christian. The body is to respond to the directions of the head. It also teaches that Jesus desires us to be united in love, and that we work together to express His will in the world. 

3. IN – What does it teach about God’s people?

The body - the church - is our identity; we are not only joined to Christ, we are also joined to one-another. You and I have a vital part to play.  Understanding this is vital for our growth, as our text says, ‘the whole body…grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.’ The ‘work’ is using our gifts and resources to serve others. As Paul says elsewhere,

Romans 12:4-5 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 

We ‘belong’ to one-another, will work this out in the church? 

4. OUT – What does the text say about non-believers and God’s mission?

Evangelism is something that we all do, but it’s not something that we all do equally well. A direct implication of this teaching on the Body of Christ is that we have different gifts and functions. In Ephesians 4 we read,

Ephesians 4:11-13 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Evangelists – if this is you, you need to hear this – as you use and develop your gifts, you will help the body of Christ to be built up and become better at evangelism generally. 

FINALLY

This teaching on being the Body of Christ is profound and a great challenge to us. We are united to Christ and one-another but this unity is to be pursued through faithfulness and service. Let’s finish by looking at and praying that we would gain Paul’s Christ-like, sacrificial attitude toward the Body. 

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 

FRIDAY – DO NOT GIVE UP MEETING TOGETHER

This week we have seen that our relationships to one another are inspired by who God is and who we are: God’s identity (trinity in loving community); and our identity (made it God’s image, and those united in Christ by the Spirit). Our unity is a fact that we are to work out, rather than working it out in order to be a reality! 

Today I want to get really practical. Let’s pray for grace to do what reflects our identity as those united in Christ. 

Meditation on Hebrews 10:24-25 

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

1. GC (GOSPEL-CENTRED) – What does the text say about Jesus and salvation through Him?

This text promises that there is a ‘day approaching’. This is Jesus’ return at which time there will be the final judgement and the restoration of all things. The gospel points to a ‘hope’ - the hope of that coming day. If we are in Christ, our destiny will be eternal life in a new heavens and earth. Jesus has given us this great, eternal, joyful hope. 

2. UP – What does it say about God – His worth, character, attributes, will, promises…?

All scripture is given by God for our benefit. This text speaks of God’s loving concern for us. He knows that discouragement threatens each of us at different times. He knows that we need one-another to hold each other up when we are weak. God’s loving will is revealed here; He wants us devoted to meeting together. 

3. IN – What does it teach about God’s people?

This scripture reminds us that we are to prepare ourselves before meeting together: we are to ‘consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.’ How good are you at ‘considering’ who needs encouraging and how you will do it? 

Habits can be good and bad. We often come into the Christian life without a good habit of devotion to the church family. To apply this to Community Groups, we can have a bad habit of not attending, of making work and our personal life of higher priority. 

The benefits of good habits of meeting are laid out - Encouragement. 

How will you respond to the great promises of this text? 

4. OUT – What does the text say about non-believers and God’s mission?

Those who are not Christians are greatly influenced by our demeanour. They will equate the truthfulness, or certainly, the attractiveness of our message by how we thrive in life. If we are encouraged, despite the discouragement that we all face, our non-believing friends are more likely to listen to our message; to be a good messenger you have to live it!

Also, everyone is looking for friendship and community. The success of things like Parkrun (a weekly 5k run) are principally due to the community it provides. The church should be the most amazing community. As such this is attractive. Jesus says something like this when He says,

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

THE ‘COME TO JESUS DAILY’ DEVOTIONAL METHOD

This structure can be used for your devotions. Begin by thanking God for salvation/the gospel (GC); Worship Him (UP); Pray for your Christian friends (IN); Pray for your non-believing friends (OUT). As you go along, God will remind you of bible texts; turn to these, and pray/worship out of them. 

This structure can also be used for bible meditation. As you read, pray that God would speak. As He highlights something in the text, use the following questions to help you meditate, worship and pray out of the bible: 

1. GC (Gospel Centred) What does the text say about Jesus?

• What does the text say about Jesus and salvation through Him, and how will you now worship and pray in response? 

2. UP – What does it say about God?

• What does it say about God – His worth, character, attributes, will, promises…how will you worship and pray in response?

3. IN – What does it teach about God’s people? 

• What does it teach about God’s people – how He thinks of them, how we are to treat them? 
• Is there anyone that you particularly want to pray for? 
• This is a great time to pray for your Community Group and church. 

4. OUT – What does the text say about non-believers? 

• What does it say about non-believers and God’s mission?
• What does this inspire you to pray or do in response for non-believers or problems in the world more generally?  
• In this section make a commitment to pray through a lists of non-believing friends that God has put into your life.