Free T-Shirt!!!

We are giving a free shirt to the first person to post the answer to the bonus question for this week’s Reflection Questions!!!  If you forgot to pick up the reflection questions we passed out at the end of SHIFT on Sunday here they are: (The Bonus question is at the bottom.) 

1.  If humility is a requirement of following Jesus, do you think Christians today meet that requirement? What does a humble Christian look like?  Do you see such people at CityChurch and Shift?  Do you see yourself as humble?

2.  Jesus called Simon Peter to follow Him and said He would make Him a fisher of men. (Luke 5:10)  Read Matthew 28:16-20.  Do you think Jesus’ call to Peter and to the other disciples is the same call He has for you?  Why or why not?

3.  Andy talked this weekend about how Simon Peter had to STOP, DROP, and COMMIT.  What do you need to stop this week?  In what ways will you “drop” aka humble yourself before Jesus this week?  What is Jesus calling you to commit to this week?

4. This was the last talk of our series Jesus: The Most Interesting Man In The World.  We looked at Jesus  turning water into wine (John 2:1-11), healing a demon possessed man (Mark 1:21-28), healing a bleeding woman & raising to life a dead girl (Mark 5:21-43), curing the leprous men (Luke 17:11-19) , and calling ordinary men to initiate His kingdom movement (Luke 5:1-11).  How did you grow through this series?

Bonus Question: What is the verse reference or the verse quotation of the verse that has been posted to the reflection question sheets the past 4 weeks?

 

Reflection Questions for This Week

We did not have a chance to prepare the reflection questions to pass out on Sunday.  We’re going easy on you this week and only giving you two questions to think about.  Remember we encourage you to share your thoughts and leave comments on this blog.  If your brave we would love to see you share your answers to the questions.

1. What is one thing you got out of or learned from Al’s sermon on Luke 17:11-19 (healing of 10 lepers)? Having learned this, how do you plan to apply this to your life?

2.Who are the outcasts of  today in our culture? our city? our community? our work? Who in your life is an outcast that God is calling you to reach out to with His Grace and Compassion?

Basic.Who Is God? — Holy Spirit

Before I begin this post let’s take a moment to read Acts 1:6-9

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.“  And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (ESV)

Think about it.  You are one of the disciples.  You have spent the last three years with him and have seen him do some amazing things.  But then he’s crucified. He’s dead.  The Romans are still in power and it looks like they always will be…  Then Jesus comes back.  He’s… not dead.  He really is God!  “ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” him. (Matt. 28:18)  You are jumping up and down with excitement.  He said, “ALL AUTHORITY!!”  “Does that mean we can pound some Roman skulls now?” someone asks. (Probably one of those sons of thunder. They’re always getting carried away.)  But what is Jesus’ response?  “Oh yeah, about that.  I’m not sticking around.  At least not physically.  I’m asking you to change the world, but you can’t do that with me sticking around, but don’t worry. You’ll have help.”

What would your reaction be?  You, an uneducated fisherman, are being asked to go out and change the world.  What?!

Now fast forward to the present.  You’ve never physically walked with the flesh and bones Jesus; never enjoyed a cup of coffee with him or a weekend fishing out on the lake.  You’ve only read about him, heard about him, and believed in Him through faith.  He’s never verbally told you to go change the world.  You’ve only read his statement to the disciples. (And that statement applies to us too.  Let’s not try to weasel our way out of it.)  I don’t know about you but, “I’m capable” is not the thought that would be in the forefront of my mind.

We’d never grow in our walk with Him if he was always physically here holding our hand.  He also knew that if we went out and tried to be like him we’d fail miserably.  So when we read Matthew 28: 20 we see that he never really left us. “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  He sent his Power in the form of the Holy Spirit, not so we could go out and try to be like him but actually be him to the world.

“Whether we base it on our own experiences, our theological “camp,” our churches, or whatever, we all hold certain views of how the Holy Spirit does and doesn’t work. So what are you’re expectations of how the Spirit might choose to work through you? Does scripture back these up? Do you think you should broaden or let go of these expectations?“

Communitas: Love, Labor, Live