BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS...Building Relationships CALVARY CHURCH week one GOD’S LOVE BACKGROUND...

B U I L D I N G R E L AT I O N S H I P S

Curriculum by C A LVA R Y C H U R C H

S T U D Y G U I D E W R I T I N G T E A M

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CALVARY CHURCH Building Relationships | 3

table of contents

WEEK 1 | God’s Love ....................................................................................................................................................Page 4

WEEK 2 | Our Response to God’s Love ...................................................................................................Page 11

WEEK 3 | Loving God Together ....................................................................................................................... Page 19

WEEK 4 | Loving God Together in the World ....................................................................................Page 27

4 | Building Relationships CALVARY CHURCH

week oneGOD’S LOVE

BACKGROUND READING

GOD LOVES YOU

“The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.” People who have tasted the love of God know well that we can never fully comprehend God’s love and we can only begin to experience it in our earthly lives. But God’s love is at the center of Christian living. The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:9-11 that God loved us enough to take the initiative to reconcile each of us to himself through the atoning sacrifice of his Son.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:9-11)

You can begin to understand God’s love through the reading of the Bible, but there is never a substitute for personally experiencing the love of God. The Scriptures consistently present several principles of God’s love:

• God’s love is always personal, because God is personal.

• His love is always unconditional. In his covenants he commits himself to showing his love and he is always faithful to those commitments.

• He proves his love by his actions.

• His love extends to the whole world.

GOD LOVES EVERYONE

God loves every human in a deep, personal way. It brings him joy to pour out his blessings and brings him grief when he has to withhold them.

In creation, God envisioned what the world would be like when the entire human community was in relationship with him. He has never let go of that vision, and with his persistent love he will bring that to fulfillment.

God made a commitment to the entire world in his covenant with Noah—he promised to restrain his judgment and provide consistent blessings.

The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)

That promise is unconditional; in fact he made it in spite of our evil inclinations. He made this commitment because of his love for all people on earth—including you—and he is still faithful to it.


• God restrains his judgment.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

• God is consistent in sending his blessings to all people.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45)

Most of all, he has proven his love for the whole world by sending his Son.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

GOD LOVES HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE

The Lord God loves his chosen people deeply and unconditionally.

The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:7-9)

God’s love for the descendants of Jacob again shows his covenant faithfulness. The promise he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob shows his passion for redeeming the world, beginning with one family.

By his actions, he demonstrated his faithful and redeeming love for Israel.

• He redeemed Israel from bondage in Egypt.

• In the Law of Moses, he showed the road map for redemption of the world.

• He gave Israel a unique inheritance and positioned them to be a blessing to the world.

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance—the place, LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established. (Exodus 15:17)

Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:5b-6)

• He restrained his judgment time after time when Israel was unfaithful.

• He was consistent in blessing and forgiving every time they turned back to him in obedience.

God’s faithfulness to Israel and his promise to Abraham also shows his love for the whole world, because that is the ultimate fulfillment of the promise.

And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:3)

GOD LOVES HIS CHILDREN

Under the New Covenant, God’s love for us is the same. It’s personal and unconditional. The covenant love he shows to his children now is based on the promises he made in the New Covenant, and he will always honor the faithfulness of his Son who established this covenant by his perfect obedience.


He demonstrates that love through everything he has done for us and what he continues to do.

• Visited us in person!

• Made the ultimate personal sacrifice.

• Gave us a unique inheritance.

• Sent his Holy Spirit and gifted the church.

• Has prepare an eternal home for us.

God’s love for us in Christ continues to reach out to the whole world.

• He’s broken down the barrier between Jew and gentile.

• He is the Savior and high priest to the whole world.

• He has commissioned his disciples to show his love to the world.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

RELATE

1. Think of a relationship you know of that has demonstrated unconditional love. What are some of the ways that unconditional love was shown in this relationship?

2. Reflecting on the passages of scripture above, what aspects of God’s love are especially meaningful to you personally?

3. What would the impact to your life be if you were to fully receive God’s promise of unconditional love? Explain.

READ

Old Testament New Testament

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 1 John 4:7-12


EXPLORE

1. What is evidenced in the life of someone who knows God?

2. For what reason are we directed to love one another in 1 John 4:7?

3. How has God shown his love for us, and why did God send his son into the world to die for us?

4. How can we know that God lives in us and his love is made complete in us? What Scripture passage supports your answer?

5. According to Deuteronomy 7:7-9, why did the Lord set his affection on Israel? Why is that important to Christians today?

6. List the attributes and character traits of God in Deuteronomy 7:7-9. Which of these attributes are most significant to you personally? Why?


APPLY

1. In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul prays that Christians may understand the depth of God’s love. How will you commit to spending time in the word each day this week to learn more about God’s love?

2. God is a promise-making God. He promises to love us forever and unconditionally. We can trust him to keep his promises. What are some ways you will remember God’s promise of unconditional love the next time you are in a difficult situation?

3. Love is a force that cannot be contained. God pours out his love toward us. We pour love back to God in gratitude. How can we show this type of love to our brothers and sisters at Calvary Church?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

At the end of Ephesians chapter 3, The Apostle Paul writes:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

What is striking about this passage is that Paul implies we are too weak on our own to grasp hold of the vastness of the love of God. God must take the initiative and step into our lives for us to know the depths of his love. This reinforces the truth that states “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves” (Ephesians 2:8) and this includes knowing his love. Of course to be rooted in his love takes time and as Paul reinforces in this passage we don’t do it alone. Yet ultimately what Paul is asking for is something only God can do through his grace as a gift for each of us.


PRAYERS FOR THIS WEEK

1. Pray that God’s love may be made fresh in your heart by the power of his Spirit.

2. Reflect on whether you are trying to earn God’s love by performance. Pray that you will be continually reminded of his gracious gift of love through the shed blood of Christ, and that you will be filled by the power of his Spirit.

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week twoOUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE

BACKGROUND READING

YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD

• God’s love for us is personal, because God is personal.

• God’s love for us is unconditional. He loves us. It’s who he is.

• He shows his love to us through his actions. He pledged to do so in his covenants, and he always honors his covenants.

So what does our love for God look like? Or what should it look like? Those questions are both answered in stories. Jesus gave us a great one with the story of the lost son in Luke 15:11-32.

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE MUST BE PERSONAL

Both sons had lived with their father their whole life and had the benefit of his faithful care, guidance, and provision. But neither seemed to know their father’s love on a personal level. One was fully occupied with earning his father’s approval by being the perfect elder son. The other knew he had no chance of measuring up, and he chose instead to abandon his family responsibilities entirely.

When the younger son was broken by failure and chose to return home, he experienced his father’s love in a new way and it changed him. But we never do find out if the elder son’s heart was ever softened. In spite of his father’s assurances of his love, we still see him at the end of the story standing outside refusing to go in to the party. Maybe he never stopped clinging to his belief that he was more deserving than his brother.

In this story, Jesus teaches us that the Father’s love for us is passionately personal and unconditional. But the two sons represent our response to God’s love. In a very pointed way, Jesus emphasizes that our response to his love must also be personal. Seeking to earn his favor by perfect obedience is not a viable substitute for knowing his love and responding with joy and trust, abandoning all attempts to earn it.

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S LOVE MUST BE UNCONDITIONAL

God is worthy of our love because of who he is. If ever there was someone who merited our constant love, it would be God. But sometimes our response to God is conditioned by how we feel he is treating us today.

Love grows when people consistently express and demonstrate their love to each other, and it is easy to feel someone’s love more during such times. But God’s love for us never changes, even when we are experiencing painful times. As we remember that God’s love never changes, whatever the circumstances, we can also be more consistent in loving him. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).


OUR LOVE FOR GOD IS DEMONSTRATED BY OBEDIENCE TO JESUS

During the last supper, Jesus taught his disciples many things. In John 14:15-24, he really wanted his disciples to embrace a key principle of discipleship.

If you love me, keep my commands. (John 14:15)

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them. (John 14:21)

Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24)

It is hard to be more direct than that. Our obedience to Jesus does not earn his love. It is a response to his love. If we love him, we will obey him. If our love for someone is genuine and personal, and we have confidence that it’s mutual, then it’s natural for us to want to grow that relationship by expressing and demonstrating our love.

LOVING GOD CHANGES US

In John 14 Jesus teaches us that as we obey him, he and his Father will make their home with us. This is how we “remain in him,” and in John 15 he teaches that as we remain in him we will be fruitful. Our entire life will be changed as we learn to love God more.

Love and faith are living things. Living things always take time to grow, and they require nurture. For different people, love and faith don’t always come out looking the same either, because we are all individuals, and so our stories are unique. But for all of us, God wants our love and faith to be genuine. We are never allowed to substitute artificial fruit for the real thing. Here are three substitutions to avoid.

Accept no Substitutes

Appearances Instead of Reality

We need to guard against a religious culture that emphasizes appearances rather than reality. We can quickly become a “mature Christian” if that only means dressing a certain way, consistently making it to church (almost) on time, and giving up a short list of outward vices. “Sheep’s clothing” refers to an appearance that doesn’t go very deep. The real question is, are we growing in our love for God? Is it changing us on the inside? God has called us to be “the real thing.”

Obedience Instead of Love

We need both—right? But if we let obedience (especially selective obedience) become a substitute for loving God, it will not transform our hearts. That is the mistake the older son made in the parable of the lost son.

Human Rules Instead of Jesus’ Commands

All the commands of Jesus are transformational. He taught that a good tree bears good fruit, and that’s why his commands always get to the condition of our heart, the things that motivate our actions. He calls us all to be good trees.


Let’s be careful never to replace his perfect commands with human rules. This is one of the errors the Pharisees made (Mark 7:6-8). Human rules are often designed to make us look good and feel spiritual, but they are powerless to transform our hearts. The commands of Jesus are the real thing. They are perfect and transformational. Accept no substitutes.

To grow in God’s love, remember to use only real ingredients. Only genuine fruit—nothing artificial. Obedience motivated by a transformed heart—not an outward obedience designed to cover up what is inside. And the perfect commands of Jesus—never replaced with human rules.


RELATE

1. Share about an experience where your hard work and dedication were not recognized while others who seemed less deserving received accolades.

2. Describe a time when you received recognition that you felt was undeserved.

3. Have you experienced unconditional love from someone?

READ

New Testament

Luke 15:11-32, John 14:15-24

EXPLORE

1. What did the youngest son request of his father?


2. Describe the youngest son’s return home. What jumps out in the text?

3. Was the oldest son’s complaint to his father justified? Use the Scriptures in your argument.

4. According to the John 14 passage, what is the evidence of our love for God?

5. List the promises that Jesus gives in the reading from John. How many are there?

6. Which of these promises is especially meaningful to you and why?


APPLY

1. The Lord waits and watches for us like the father of the wild child in Jesus’ parable. He waits for us to spend time with him, get to know him and grow in the knowledge of his love. What is your plan to spend quality time with your Heavenly Father each day this week?

2. At times we are subtly proud of our Christian service. We are happy when others notice our sacrificial giving, or our service with children or adults. Our focus, however, is to be on Jesus and our relationship with him. We don’t serve God to receive his love, rather we love because Jesus loves us. How will you join with other believers in searching for God’s love and humility? As you serve, how will you focus on Jesus?

3. Psalm 34:18 says the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. No mistake we make can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8). If you’ve made mistakes, or ignored his warnings, will you confess your sins to God today and immediately receive his forgiveness and love?

4. Growing in God’s love and forgiveness is a precious thing. As we spend time in the Word we understand more and more about the Kingdom of God and God’s limitless love for us. Will you write down all that you learn so you can remind yourself later of God’s never-ending love? Will you share with others the nuggets of truth God is teaching you? How so?


CLOSING THOUGHTS

The story of the lost son speaks to us on a personal level when we realize that before we received the gracious gift of salvation, we were truly lost in the rebellion of our ways and in great need of a way to become reconciled to the Father. Christ alone provides the way to become reconciled to the Father (John 14:6), and we respond in love to God’s love by obedience to Christ’s commandments (John 14:15), because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).

So what are the commandments of Christ of which we are to obey? Which are the most important? Christ taught that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31). The Apostle John beautifully summarizes the practical implications of God’s love for us in the passage below.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:7-12)

As you go about your week—whether in the workplace, on the road, or at home—consider how and with whom you can show love by the power of the Holy Spirit. Prepare for engaging the world this week by first reading 1 John 4 and 1 Corinthians 13, and second by filling in the blanks below after a time of prayer and reflection.


This week, by the power of the Holy Spirit,

1. I will be patient with __________________________________________________________________

2. I will be kind to _______________________________________________________________________

3. I will not be envious about _____________________________________________________________

4. I will not boast about _________________________________________________________________

5. I will not be proud about ______________________________________________________________

6. I will not dishonor ____________________________________________________________________

7. I will not selfishly seek ________________________________________________________________

8. I will not become easily angered about _________________________________________________

9. I will not keep records of wrongs regarding ______________________________________________

10. I will not delight in the evil that comes from _____________________________________________

11. I will rejoice in the truth of _____________________________________________________________

12. I will protect _________________________________________________________________________

13. I will trust ____________________________________________________________________________

14. I will hope in _________________________________________________________________________

15. I will persevere in _____________________________________________________________________


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week threeLOVING GOD TOGETHER

BACKGROUND READING

DAYS OF AWE

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. (Acts 2:42-44)

What an amazing time! The Holy Spirit had been poured out at Pentecost, and the young Christians were experiencing the presence of God among them like never before in history. It was a time of great unity, discipleship formation, miraculous healings, and even miraculous judgment. “Everyone was filled with awe.”

EXTRAORDINARY OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Peter spoke to the crowd at the festival and explained what they were witnessing. “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people’” (Acts 2:16-17). The apostles were obedient to wait in Jerusalem until they received this gift (Acts 1:4-5), but it was God who chose to pour out his Spirit upon them. No amount of human effort could ever produce this, and had they sought to imitate it in their own strength it would have accomplished nothing. This was an act of God.

DISCIPLESHIP FORMATION

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)

What was the apostles’ teaching? None of the New Testament had been written yet. Paul hadn’t even started persecuting the church, so his letters were many years in the future. What was their teaching? It was exactly what Jesus had instructed them to teach in the Great Commission:

Therefore go and make disciples… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.(Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus had spent three years training his disciples, and then he commissioned them to make disciples. They were to proclaim the gospel, baptize the new believers, and teach them to obey everything Jesus had commanded them.

There is an important connection between the apostles’ teaching and Pentecost. The commands of Jesus teach us how to let the Holy Spirit flow unhindered in us and through us. When you forgive others, God’s Spirit can flow through you to change your own heart, heal relationships, and reveal God’s love to others. But when you refuse to forgive, you are choking off the flow of God’s blessing. When


you are merciful, you will receive mercy. But when you withhold your acts of mercy, the river is being dammed up. All of Jesus’ commands target the condition of our heart and teach us behaviors that let the river of living water flow freely through our lives. That is how life flows in the kingdom of heaven.

This was an intense time of discipleship formation. The believers were devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread, and to prayer. Is the river of living water flowing through us now? Are you preparing for the greatest outpouring of God’s Spirit that is yet to come?

GREAT UNITY

The disciples in Jerusalem had a great sense of unity as they realized their new place in God’s kingdom. As individuals, they had many differences, but those differences made no difference! They were experiencing together the love and forgiveness of God, and they knew they were one.

Their unity in God’s kingdom also changed their priorities in life. “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32). This generosity was not compulsory, but it flowed naturally (or supernaturally) as the Holy Spirit worked among them.

It”s important for us also never to lose sight of where our unity comes from. Christians have many differences in traditions, biblical interpretation, and political views, but we must never let those things divide us. We have one Savior, one forgiveness of sins, and one common inheritance in the kingdom of God.

MIRACULOUS HEALINGS AND JUDGMENT

God humbles us with our weakness. But he is always strong. In this extraordinary time, miracles flowed through the hands of the apostles. These miracles were of God’s choosing, for God’s purposes, and according to his wisdom and plan.

Through Peter, God healed a man crippled from birth (Acts 3) which gave the apostles the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19). That same miracle also gave them the chance to bear witness before the entire Sanhedrin (Acts 4).

But there was also a miracle of judgment (Acts 5). God knows sincere hearts, and he knows pretenders. When a couple boasted falsely about their generosity, God exposed them and judged them publicly. Why did God choose to deal with that situation so severely? We don’t know for sure, but God does.

Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. (Acts 5:11-14)

Those were days of awe. But greater things are still ahead!



RELATE

1. Provide an example you have witnessed when believers truly “devoted themselves to the Bible’s (apostles’) teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

2. Share a time when you were filled with awe by God’s presence and influence in your church family.

3. Which of the examples of the Holy Spirit’s work amongst the early church believers do you personally long to emulate in our church today?

READ

New Testament

Acts 2:42-47

EXPLORE

1. To which four attributes were early believers devoted? What is significant about these?

2. Give examples of life in the early church. Did it differ from life in church today?


3. According to Acts 2:46, what was the result among believers because of their willingness to be together and have all things in common?

4. What was the result for unbelievers noted in Acts 2:47?

5. How did this impact the church?

6. Is there something from the early church’s example that you wish to see implemented in your own church? How can you begin to respond to the Holy Spirit’s promptings to help bring it to fruition?

APPLY

1. Members of the early church devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, and praising God. How do you go about Bible study, getting together with fellow believers, and praising God?


2. Hebrews 10:25 says “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.” As we await Jesus’ return, how may we joyfully encourage one another (and ourselves) to come to church regularly?

3. In Acts we see that communion is not just a private affair between you and God. How will you keep your faith community in mind as you partake of communion?

4. People’s material blessings were used to meet the needs of others. How do/will you give towards the needs of others you see in need?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Prior to his betrayal, subsequent arrest, trial, and crucifixion Jesus asked the Father that all who would come to believe in him might be united:

My prayer is not for them alone [the disciples]. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)

The example of unity in the first century church intrigues us, due to the contrasts with the individualism of our contemporary culture. Following the example of the first century church having all things in common, your assignment to translate faith into deeds this week will be to plan and fulfill a shared meal together where you converse over the final week’s study material. You are encouraged to consider the possibility of inviting coworkers, neighbors, friends, or your children’s friends who do not know Christ to experience your group’s unified joy in the Savior.


Questions to ask in order to prepare this shared meal in honor of your unity in the Savior might include: How to divide up the ingredients/portions of meals? Where to host? Which recipes to use and how to select them? How to cook the meal? How to serve the meal? How to clean up the meal? What to do with leftovers? When or how to resolve any grievances against your brothers and sisters in Christ? Remember, the aim of this challenge is to eagerly serve and share with each other in communion as the first century church did, having all things in common. Be creative and have fun! Make it a joyful experience in doing Kingdom work.

For your convenience and consideration, a sample menu for a shared meal of tacos is provided below. Of course, you are free and encouraged to discuss what menu would best serve the common needs of your own group and those you would like to invite to share this meal.

Menu for Tacos

• Taco meat (ground beef/chicken/pork/tofu + taco seasoning) [approx. ¼ pound per person]

• Tortillas/taco shells (Flour or corn? Homemade or store bought? How many?)

• Shredded cheese [approx. 2 oz. per person]

• Lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime

• Chips, salsa, sour cream

• Refried beans

And now receive this benediction. Have a joyous celebration breaking bread (or tortillas) together and in remembrance of Christ and all that he has done and will continue to do for your group! Grow in faith together by enjoying Christian service in unity! Amen.


1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in your heart to teach you where you can unite with other believers to serve together for a common redemptive purpose in your own sphere of influence.

2. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal who to invite to your group to share a meal, and that all will be blessed by the joy of serving each other in the name of Christ our Savior, having all things in common through divine unity.


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week fourLOVING GOD TOGETHER IN THE WORLD

BACKGROUND READING

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

MAKING DISCIPLES, PART 1—JESUS’ MINISTRY

Jesus trained disciples so that we would become like him, shaped in his image beginning with a transformed heart, because knowing God and reflecting his image is the highest calling and honor any person could ever possibly have.

When his disciples were ready, he gave them power and sent them out as a team to proclaim the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 10). That is part of what mature disciples do. As their light shines brightly, God sets it on a lamp stand to give light to others.

MAKING DISCIPLES, PART 2—THE GREAT COMMISSION

This commission contains only one command—make disciples. The entire commission is carefully constructed to help us understand why and how. We need that perspective and all the guidance Jesus provides, but he was careful to keep the focus on only one thing. The commission is to make disciples.

There is an outer framework that first assures us that this is God’s work and he will be with us. It also helps us answer the question why.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore…

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

We cannot possibly undertake the work of this commission without God. It is so important for us to understand this that Jesus made it his first and last words in the commission.

He also gave us instructions for how to do the work. There are two parts to making disciples because there are two parts to being a disciple—our relationship with God, and the kind of person we become. These are not separate commands; they are the two dimensions of disciple making.

...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and

...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.


MAKING DISCIPLES, PART 3—DISCIPLESHIP FORMATION

In Jerusalem, the apostles were dedicated to building up the many new believers (Acts 2:42; 6:1-7). The early days of the church were a time of intense discipleship formation, and the apostles first fulfilled the commission there.

As the Holy Spirit empowered them, they proclaimed the message of salvation and saw God work miracles through them (Acts 4:8-12). Their reward for their work was persecution from men and the honor of seeing God’s kingdom advance in the world (Acts 5:12-17).

Then beyond Jerusalem, the apostles and many Christians from Jerusalem continued the work. The book of Acts only describes a small portion of that extended work, mostly focusing on Peter and Paul. But we know from history and tradition that the other apostles (“those who are sent”) were also very effective as they obeyed the commission Jesus gave them.

They were effective because they continued to follow the pattern Jesus gave them, the one that worked powerfully in Jerusalem. They proclaimed the kingdom, baptized new believers, and trained them to obey everything Jesus had commanded. Relying on power from God, they were fearless in their work.

MAKING DISCIPLES, PART 4—OUR GREAT ADVENTURE

How will we do it? That is the great adventure in front of us as a church. What is our part in the fulfillment of the Great Commission? Every person is different, every church is different, and every calling from God is uniquely suited to those receiving it. How has God gifted us? How is he leading us to serve him in the world?

Here are a few principles to observe as we ponder the possibilities.

• We cannot accomplish this as individuals. It takes the church. But we are part of that church.

- Therefore, let us all be participants in the ministries of the church as we are gifted and able to do so.

- And as individuals, let us also be devoted to growing as authentic disciples.

• The church cannot accomplish this in its own strength. We need power from God. But God is committed to this vision and has promised to be with us to the end of the age.

- Therefore, let us pray for God to work among us and through us in the world. He poured out his Holy Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost, but it is right for us to continue to pray that he will fill us afresh with his Spirit and use us according to his will.

• The church will fulfill the Great Commission in God’s way, in God’s time, and by God’s power.

- Therefore, let us embrace that vision and offer ourselves to God for this work.

- As a church, let us be faithful to the pattern given to us by Jesus and the apostles who were the first to “make disciples.”

- Let us pray, listen, envision, and act.



RELATE

1. Today’s passage begins with Jesus’ words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Who has given Jesus this authority?

2. Which of the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 is most evidenced in our church? How might we use our gifts to help the church to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations?

3. In the last sentence of Matthew 28:20 Jesus provides an assurance to the disciples. Do you believe this is still relevant today? Please explain the reason for your answer.

READ

New Testament

Matthew 28:18-20

EXPLORE

1. Read Matthew 27:57-28:8 for context of the disciple’s meeting with Jesus before the great commission was given. What was unusual about Jesus’ arrival at Galilee?

2. Take another look at Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples. What two actions does Jesus command when giving this great commission?


3. Where did Jesus direct the disciples to go?

4. In whose name were the eleven disciples to baptize new disciples? Why is this significant?

5. What were the disciples to teach? What might have been included in that?

6. Do you think that the Great Commission given by Jesus was a comfort to the disciples? Explain.

APPLY

1. How will you regularly remind yourself that Jesus has authority over everything?

2. Are you a disciple of Jesus? How will you focus on your obedience to him in your daily life?


3. Have you been baptized? If not, will you consider baptism as your next step of faith?

4. Knowing that Jesus is with you always, will you teach others to obey him? Who will you begin with?

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Read Luke 10:1-9, where Jesus sends out the seventy-two. This text is one of the clearest instructions given by Jesus concerning the approach to making disciples. He points out that we are paving the way for his coming (“place where he was about to go,” v. 1), and there is much opportunity (“the harvest is plentiful,” v. 2), but it won’t be easy (“like lambs among wolves,” v. 3). And then in verse 5 he gives us words to say (“first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ”). The approach of Jesus to discipleship begins with “peace.” He instructs his disciples to be persons of peace as they come in contact with a broken and unbelieving world. The way in which the world longs for people who can speak a word of peace sets the groundwork for effective disciple making.

PRAYERS FOR EACH DAY THIS WEEK

1. Pray that Jesus will help you to be sensitive to opportunities to reach out and engage someone who doesn’t know him.

2. Pray that God will lay on your heart someone whom you can disciple.

3. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will prepare your heart to share his good news boldly and confidently.

4. Pray for a peaceful heart that reflects the peace that only Christ can provide. Pray that we demonstrate a peaceful heart as he molds disciples through our obedience to his Great Commission.


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Roseville Campus2120 Lexington Ave NRoseville, MN 55113

White Bear Campus4604 Greenhaven DrWhite Bear Township, MN 55127

651.487.2855www.calvarychurch.us

Rev 3-16-2020

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS...Building Relationships CALVARY CHURCH week one GOD’S LOVE BACKGROUND...

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