The Diverse Excellencies of Jesus Christ - December 28
23 Dec 2008 03:14 pm
John Piper - Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ
Lesson 5 and Video Session 4
I do not believe that any of us would disagree with John Piper when he says that a multifacted personality if far more interesting than a one dimensional personality. Please do not let your class get sided tracked in his example that an admirable man or admirable woman would have some qualities of the feminine and the masculine. He is not suggesting that we be sissy men or manly women but rather that a masculine man softened by some feminine qualities is a far more interesting personality than a man who is all brute. In the same way a feminine woman is far more interesting if she has some masculine qualities which give her strength than a woman who is all powderpuff. Jesus is also more interesting and admirable because he has such a diverse personality make up. He is the Lion and the Lamb of Revelation 5. The contrasting characteristics of Jesus make Him all the more beautiful. He certainly is the glorious Son of God but he is also the humble who wept before the tomb of Lazarus. He is far above us in his dignity and rank yet He consecended to become on of us. He is all good and yet He has a great patience to suffer evil. He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday the conquering lion king and on Friday He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. how interesting the contrasts of Jesus Christ which Jonathan Edwards called His diverse excellencies.
This week everyone should have read through chapter 9 and the lesson for Sunday is lesson 5 while the video is session 4, the last one on disc one.
By : nick | Category: Commentary | Comments [0]
The Importance of Seeing and Savoring - John Piper - Dec. 21
15 Dec 2008 05:23 pm
Lesson 4
This week I cannot help but begin where my life has been for the past few months. I am in my thoughts with my Dad. Dad has always been a pillar of strength in our family. The go to guy for whatever challenge my siblings and I might be facing. The simple things like home repairs or the major things like a change in life direction. Dad has always been there to guide us. Last April my Father was in an accident that either was the result of or the start of a series of mini strokes. Today my Dad is strugging with memory loss. He has trouble in communicating because sometimes even the word for ordinary objects like a vacuumn cleaner fail him. This leads him to be depressed because he cannot function as independently as he always has. He is more fearful of his mortality today than he has been at any other time in his life. He would give anything for a miracle that would turn back the clock. Alas, at least for now, that seems unlikely to happen. My mind now turns to the cliche that "a mind is a terrible thing to waste." It truly is. Please teachers do not sit back and let your class members waste theirs.
I have been saddened with the persons who have expressed that the study we are now in "Seeing and Savoring Christ" is too deep for them to study and so they refuse to do any of the preparation assignments. I hope you will lead them to see this as an opportunity to exercise their minds and to remain youthful in their thinking. Completing the five days of preparation and the reflection assignments each week will give cohesion and clarity to each weeks discussion and in some instances will lead to eureka moments whether one is 29 or 93 years young.
This week everyone should have read through chapter 7 in our book. I will be taking a suggestion from Eastland to put a box in the weekly bulleting reminding everyone which chapters should be read each week.
This week John looks at the importance of Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. He sees it as an essential part of a saving faith that we savor Christ. To savor is to enjoy the experience of something. In this case the enjoyment of our love for Christ which comes not from what we have done for Him but from what He has done for us in paying the price for our sins. A love for Christ, is more than simply obeying Christ to receive a get out of jail free card. It is placing our love for Him above all else in life family, health, wealth and pleasure. "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37) Through Saving Faith we receive a gift from God which is of infinite value. We receive His son Jesus Christ. We behold majesty. This majesty reminds of who we are and how joyous our lives should be because the king of kings has adopted us into His family. This is why even persons who do not know Christ feel so insignificant when faced with greatness whether that greatness be experienced through a majestic mountian or the birth of a new born baby. We Christians know from whence this feeling comes as we savor Jesus Christ and what he truly means to us. As we glory in the majesty of Christ He brings joy to our humble lives. The more we savor Christ, the more our motivation to love Him becomes for who He is and less for what He has done to rescue or heal us. So lets magnifty together the glory of God by savoring Him in our lives this week and experience the joy of our salvation.
By : nick | Category: Commentary | Comments [0]
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ In The Gospel - Dec. 14
10 Dec 2008 10:47 am
In Lessons one and two John Piper looked at the importance of Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ with the eyes of the heart (spiritual eyes). Now in lesson three he asks the question how do we see and savor Jesus Christ, how does one see spiritually, and how do I know Him in the way that He must be known? John Piper says that the main place that we should look to see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ is in the gospel. II Corinthians 4:4-6 says, "The god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." Romans 10:17 says, "...faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ."
All of us were spiritually blind unbelievers until God through the Holy Spirit used the gospel to bring the light of Christ into our lives so that we could see with our spiritual eye. What did we see? The glory of Christ which is ultimately His death on the cross for the remission of our sins and His resurrection to life defeating Satan and all of his powers decisively. So John Piper's recommendation for one to gain spiritual sight is for them to read the gospels and as the word is proclaimed through the vocal cords and taken in by human ears and received by the brain then the message is sent again and again so that more and more people have their spiritual blindness lifted and the see and savor Jesus Christ. This is why the gospels do not dwell on the majority of Jesus' life because the main thing Jesus came to do was to give His life. By the giving of His life Satan's one weapon against human beings was taken away from him forever and that was the accusation of unforgiven sin.
John Piper shares seven things that are accomplished through the atoning death of Christ on the cross which ultimately leads to the final victory against Satan at the proper time.
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This week for lesson three you will show Session Two on the DVD.
The listening outline is on page 43 in the study guide for this week.
Your class should have done all prepatory work under lesson three including the reflections.
Your class should have read through chapter 5.
Assign for December 21 lesson 4.
Assign all preparatory work including the reflections.
Assign chapters 6 and 7 to read for next week.
By : nick | Category: Commentary | Comments [1]
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ - John Piper - Instructions
03 Dec 2008 01:22 pm
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ
By John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church or Minneapolis
December 6, 2008
I am very excited that we have permission from Desiring God Ministries to share together these exciting lessong on Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. It is my profound hope that all of us will come to know Christ in a much deeper and life altering way as a result of taking the time to ask with John Piper, Who is Jesus Christ? Once again we have the opportunity to see friends and family come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior as we experience this study together. However, for the lost to be reached we must first invite them to come be a part of our search for Who Jesus Christ is. Pastor Piper says if we are going to truly meet Christ then we will do so throught the eyes of our hearts. Ephesians 1:18-19 says, "I pray, that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints..." As we do we will discover that Jesus Christ is the glory of God. Pastor Piper says, "We do not want to be like the child who looks upon the magnificent works of Michelangelo and then turns away to choose instead a comic book." Nothing in the world can compare to the glory of God. The glory of God should be our hearts desire. If it were then no selfish ambition or seasonal pleasure would be able to pull us away from living a life in which we seek always to behold the glory of Jesus Christ. Does your life seem to be lackluster and out of control? Is the life you are leading not measuring up to what you expected when you joined the Church? Well perhaps it is because you have chosen to exchange something else in order to seek fulfillment in life for the only truly lasting fulfillment which comes through beholding the glory of God. Pastor Pipers says, "...in the gospel we see and savor 'the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ' (II Corinthians 4:6). And this kind of "seeing" is the healing of our disordered lives. "We all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." (II Corinthians 3:18. Beholding glory we are changed into glory, therefore, beholding is becoming. Our only hope to become like Christ is to behold Him. Let's join together over the next six weeks and See and Savor Jesus Christ.
Logistically as we will be conducting this eight week study in six weeks then Lessons 1 and 2 must be combined. This will necessitate your class doing the preparatory work for Lesson 2 as a review. We also will not have the luxury of two hours each week. So I would only discuss question one from lesson 1. *How important is it that Christians learn to see and savor Jesus Christ? What is at stake in seeing and savoring Him? Is it possible to see Him without savoring Him? I would not do the personal introductions as your class members already know one another pretty well except do introduce yourselves to visitors or new members. I would also suggest that this first week you have the class look back over the preparatory questions for Day 1-5 as a review of what Pastor Piper shared in the video. Concentrate on showing the video and discussing the What you have learned questions and the after discussion question and application activity.
In weeks 3-8 the class should do the prepatory sections for days 1-5 each week. Some options are to allow 15 minutes for discussing the prepatory questions for the week; 20-30 minutes for the video and 15 minutes for the after discussion and application. Or you may wish to begin with the video and then pick from the prepatory and What you have learned questions. Do not leave out the application step. Each week the class will read at least two of the chapters in the book.
I will have handouts placed on tables with the class members prepatory and reflection activities. Please have someone pick up these handouts for your class. Please do not take more than you need so that everyone can have one. It would be best if husbands and wives had their own separate handouts.
By : nick | Category: Commentary | Comments [0]
My Ongoing Mission - BSFL - November 30, 2008
26 Nov 2008 11:59 am
My Ongoing Mission
BSFL - November 30, 2008
Background Scripture: Romans 15:7-33; 16:25-27
Focal Scripture: Romans 15:14-21, 30-33; 16:25-27
Open Up
Some years ago we had a delightful young couple join our Church. They purchased a newly constructed home in our community and the wife was very excited about having all new appliances. She was especially excited about the new stove because it was clean with no baked on spots from previous cooks. However, when she went to use the stove for the first time she could not get anything on it to work. It looked good but it did not heat. Finally, not knowing anything else to do, she called a serviceman. He came out and within five minutes was presenting her a bill for $35.00. She asked him, "What did you do to get the stove to work?" His response, "I plugged in the power supply."
Electrical appliances, as we all know, will not work if they are disconnected. But did you know that a productive Christian life can also be powered down by a simple disconnect? The disconnection of worship of God from witnessing for God. Too many Christian adults today do not grasp the fact that worship of God on Sunday should result in witnessing for God on Monday. The Lifeway BSFL Teaching Insights for November 30 says that, "Consequently, thier worship of the God who sent His Son on mission for them is incomplete. Adults need both to praise God in Church and partner with God in the world." This weeks lesson looks at the connection between worship and witness and how the two together help us to fulfill God's will for our lives.
Ask the class, "What is your greatest ambition?" Then have them identify Paul's ambition in Romans 15:20. Compare their ambition to Paul's ambition.
Move Inside
Proclaim the Good News
Romans 15:14-16
1. How does Paul see his own mission (15:14-16)?
2. Paul credits his success in evangelism with what (15:18-19)?
3. What attitudes toward himself and his mission does Paul express in
(15:16-22)?
4. What did Paul mean by the phrase in verse 20, "...building on another
man's foundation?"
5. Are their places where you and your family can proclaim the good
news where no foundation has yet been laid?
Pray for Success
Romans 15:30-33
1. How does Paul want the Roman Christians to help him?
2. Is there anything in 15:14-33 that you would like to apply in your own
life? If so, what is it, and what do you plan to do about it?
Praise God
Romans 16:25-27
1. Paul closes with praises for God. What does he say about God?
2. What does he say about the gospel?
3. In what ways is Paul's attitude toward Jewish and Gentile believers a
model for our behavior toward Jews or other groups?
Romans 15:8-12; 16:26-27
Take It Away
Back in chapter 1, Paul introduced himself as an apostle of the gospel, dedicated to leading Gentiles to the obedience of faith. Now Paul has thoroughly explained the gospel he preaches, and he is ready to return to the business that prompted this letter. These personal comments give us a window into Paul's character and motives.
Do you agree there is a connection which must be maintained between worshipping God and witnessing for Christ? If yes, explain why? If no, explain why not?
Now what will you do about your ongoing mission this week?
By : nick | Category: Commentary | Comments [0]
