Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 3 (Romans 4 part 2)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 4:13-25

Study Questions:

I. Faith and Law are bookends of God’s righteousness. (vs. 13-19)

               1. In order to uphold God’s righteousness, the law must bring God’s  __________ . (vs. 15)

               2. The power of the law comes not in justifying sinners but in ______________  them.

               3. In order to uphold God’s righteousness, faith brings in God’s ___________ .

               4. Abraham became ‘heir of the world’ through righteousness brought about by _________ . (vs. 13)

*Point to learn: Both faith and the law are effective for upholding the righteousness of God.  However man is not able to justify himself through the law, since through the law comes only the knowledge of sin and therefor God’s wrath.  Man becomes righteous the same way Abraham did – not by doing anything but by faith. 

Word bank: Grace; Wrath; Faith; Condemning

II. Faith and Law are not compatible when receiving God’s righteousness.  (vs. 13-19)

               1. According to Paul’s argument in chapters 3-4, the law is not inherently a _______ thing. (3:31)

               2. Good works, then, is the ______ of our righteousness before God, not a means to it.

               3. The law is effective in that it serves its purpose of giving us a ______________ of our sin. (vs. 15)

               4. According to verses 16-17, our salvation depends on _________ . (vs. 16-17)

*Point to learn: Because God’s salvation rests on His grace, it can be guaranteed to all who have faith in His atoning sacrifice (Jesus).  The law can only accomplish that which it is good for – bringing about knowledge of sin, which leads to God’s wrath.  Faith, on the other hand, accomplishes that which it is good for – bringing about the righteousness of God by accrediting it to our accounts.

Word bank: Bad; Knowledge; Fruit; Faith.

III. Three dynamics of true faith. (vs. 20-25)

               1. God is our _____________ .  God’s promise is sure and immovable, even in the face of doubt, sin, and the ever changing world. (vs. 20)

               2. God is our _____________ .  When we are fully persuaded of His promise, God becomes our fuel for the fire instead of reacting to our circumstances and trials.  (vs. 21)

               3. God is our ______________ .  Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was crucified for our trespasses and resurrected to ensure our justification.  (vs. 22-25)

*Point to learn: God doesn’t have everything we need; He is everything we need.  To know God is to know life; to hope in God is to have true hope; to live in Christ is to have life itself.

Word Bank: Motivation; Foundation; Salvation

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 2 (Romans 4 part 1)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 4:1-12

Study Questions:

I. The Folly of Works-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

               1. Relying on my works is foolish because in it, I would have something to _______ about. (vs. 2)

               2.  Relying on my works is foolish because in it, I only get what I __________ . (vs. 4)

               3. According to Romans 6:23, what is my rightful wage for my sin?

*Point to learn: In a works-based salvation, there is no grace in play.  There are only rightful works to be done and rightful wages to be earned.

II. The Wisdom of Faith-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

               1. Relying on faith in Jesus Christ is beautiful because it relies on God’s __________ . (vs. 3-4)

               2. Relying on faith in Jesus Christ is beautiful because it assures that my faith is accounted to me as ______________________ . (vs. 5)

               3. According to Romans 6:23, what is the gift of God through trusting Jesus Christ as Lord?

               4.  According to verse 5, true faith can be characterized in four ways:

                              A. It is apart from  ________ .

                              B. It is _________  in Him.

                              C. It is belief in Him who _________ the ungodly.

                              D. It is counted as ________________ .

               5. According to verse 7, salvation is described in three ways:

                              A. Lawless deeds are __________ .

                              B. Sins are ____________ .

                              C. Lord doesn’t count his __________ .

*Point to learn: In faith-based salvation, there is only grace in play.  There are the gracious acts of loving-kindness on the cross of Christ and God’s reviving a dead heart.

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III. The Reach of God’s Salvation. (vs. 9-12)

               1. Abraham was counted righteous __________ circumcision. (vs. 10)

               2. If Abraham’s circumcision served no salvific purpose, why was it necessary?

                              A. It was a _______ of righteousness. (vs. 11a)

                               B. It was to make him __________ of all Gentiles who would believe. (vs. 11b)

                              C. It was to make him __________ of all Jews who would believe. (vs. 12)

               3. According to Romans 3:22, to whom does God’s salvation extend?

*Point to learn: Salvation is not about what we can do or what has been done on our part, but about who God is and what He has done through Christ.

Answers:

                             

I. The Folly of Works-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

1. Boast

2.  Deserve

3. Death

II. The Wisdom of Faith-based Salvation (vs. 1-8)

1. Works

2. Righteousness

3. Eternal Life

4.  Works; Belief; Justifies; Righteousness

5. Forgiven; Covered; Sin

III. The Reach of God’s Salvation. (vs. 9-12)

1. Before

              

2. Seal; Father; Father

3. All who believe

Paul's Gospel: Look back from week 1 (Chapter 3 Study Questions)

The Gospel According to Paul: Romans 3:1-31

Study Questions:

I. God is faithful, even when we are not. (vs. 1-4)

               1. Did the Jews have an advantage simply by being an ethnic Jew? (vs. 1-2)

                              Yes - because they had received the __________  of God.

               2.  What was the problem? (vs. 3-4)

                              They were ___________ with that knowledge.

*Point to learn: God’s faithfulness to me doesn’t depend on my faithfulness to Him.

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II. God is righteous, even though we are not. (vs. 5-18)

               1. If our sins serves to show the righteousness of God, is He unjust in judging the world of sin? (vs. 5-9)

                              No - if God was unjust, then He could not ________ the world.

               2. What are the four consequences of being “under sin”? (vs. 9-12)

                              A. No one is _________ .

                              B. No one ___________ .

                              C. No one _______ after God.

                              D. No one does ________ .

*Point to learn: God’s extending His righteousness to me through Jesus doesn’t depend on my ability to pay Him back.

III. God is just, even though we are not. (vs. 19-31)

1. What is the function of the law? (vs. 20)

               To bring about the ___________ of sin.

2. What are the three characteristics of God’s righteousness (salvation) which is given to man? (vs. 21-22)

               A. It comes _____ from the law.

               B. It comes through ______  in Jesus Christ.

               C. It is for _____   who ________.  

*Point to learn: Man is justified (declared righteous) outside the law (works); it is a work of God, not of man.  Therefore, God can judge sin and still forgive the one who has faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross. (vs. 28)

Answers:

I. God is faithful, even when we are not. (vs. 1-4)

1. Oracles

2.  Unfaithful

II. God is righteous, even though we are not. (vs. 5-18)

1. Judge

2. Righteous; Understands; Seeks; Good

III. God is just, even though we are not. (vs. 19-31)

1. Knowledge

2. Apart; Faith; All; Believe

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 4) - At Home Study Questions

Church Family -

Please use this study guide to further your knowledge of the Gospel of Mark.  Answers will be posted later in the week!  God bless you as you seek to grow in your walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

Week 4 Mark 2:1-17 At Home Study Questions

1) What does Jesus do when God gives Him an audience? (vs. 1-2)

He preaches the Gospel to them!

2) What was it about the paralytic that caused Jesus to proclaim forgiveness of the man's sins? (vs. 3-5)

Jesus saw the man's faith and forgave his sins.

3) Why are the scribes angry with Jesus after he heals the paralytic? (vs. 6-12)

They are angry because Jesus didn't just heal the man, but proclaimed that his sins were forgiven. 

4) Some have said that in the Gospels, Jesus never claimed to be God.  From the context of verses 6-12, how would you answer that charge?

This is why the scribes were angry with Jesus.  They knew that only God could forgive sins, so in essence Jesus was identifying Himself as God.

5) How did Jesus seek to reach Levi's friends with the Gospel? (vs. 13-17)

Jesus sought to reach the friends of Levi by attending the party which Levi threw.  The religious leaders judged and condemned Jesus for going, attesting to the fact that He was eating and drinking with sinners.  (Remember, eating with someone was a sign of intimate fellowship and communion in this culture.)

Word of Wisdom from CS Lewis: "Successful evangelism in these situations requires more than merely good intentions, but also social and intellectual talents given by God."

Encounter: We see in Mark 1-2 that Jesus does a lot of calling people.  Is God calling you to faith in Him?  If so, what is preventing you from following Him?

Equip: In order to be an effective evangelist, you must empower as well as guard yourself with the Holy Spirit.  You must also prepare yourself to take some hits because of your evangelistic efforts.  What type of people criticized Jesus the most?  Remember, criticism can be avoided: Say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.

Engage: In what way(s) has God given you an audience, whether by positive experiences or negative experiences?  Are you using that platform to engage the world with the Good News of Jesus?

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 2) At Home Study Questions

At Home Study Questions:

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith

(Week 2) Mark 1:9-20

 

Church Family -

 

Please use this study guide to further your knowledge of the Gospel of Mark.  Answers will be posted later in the week!  God bless you as you seek to grow in your walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

 

 

Week 2 Study Questions (Mark 1:9-20):

1) Why was John the Baptizer hesitant to baptize Jesus? (vs. 9-11) (See also Matthew 3:13-17)

John was hesitant to baptize Jesus for two reasons.  First, he had already made the confession before God and men that Christ was greater than he.  He was not worthy to untie even his sandals, much less baptize him with water (See John 1, Matthew 3, Mark 1). 

Second, John knew that he needed to be baptized of Jesus, not the other way around.  It was John who sought to submit to Christ and receive His righteousness by faith.  Nevertheless, John consented and baptized Jesus so that righteousness could be fulfilled (See Matthew 3:13-15)

2) From the testimonies of both John and Jesus, we see their faithfulness even in the faces of TEMPTATION and PERSECUTION.  (vs. 12-14a)

Temptation - Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the devil (See Matthew 4, Mark 1).

Persecution - John the Baptizer arrested and killed by King Herod (See Mark 1:14a, Mark 6:14-29). 

3) What was the Good News message that Jesus proclaimed? (vs. 14b-15)

"The time has come and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the gospel."

(Follow up question - How would you define the gospel?)  For example, Paul's definition is recorded in 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones' definition is this, "God did something.  What He did, He did through His Son.  What He does through His Son, He offers to you."  How do you define the Good News of Jesus?

4) In what way(s) does Jesus connect with Simon and Andrew in order to present His message to them? (vs. 16-18)

Jesus seeks to connect with them relevantly and genuinely.  In short, the carpenter becomes a fisherman for a day.  His charge to them is to drop their fishing nets and become fishers of men. 

Paul - 1 Cor. 9:16-23

Encounter: Has your heart been regenerated by the Lord?  In other words, has there been a time when God has awakened your heart to the things of God, including salvation, repentance, submission to His authority and will, and mindset for the things above and not the world?

Equip: To what has God called you?  If you are a follower of Jesus, then naturally you will also be a minister of the Gospel.  How are you doing in the areas of obedience and faithfulness?  in what areas do you need to repent and turn to the Lord?

Engage: Are you speaking the Gospel with your words?  Do you know how to present the Gospel to someone?  How did Martin Lloyd-Jones explain the gospel?

Charles Spurgeon - “It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed. We are to spend and to be spent, not to lay ourselves up in lavender and nurse our flesh.”

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 1) - At Home Study Questions

At Home Study Questions:

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith

(Week 1) Mark 1:1-8

Church Family -

Please use this study guide to further your knowledge of the Gospel of Mark.  Answers will be posted later in the week!  God bless you as you seek to grow in your walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

Background Study Questions:

1) With which Apostle did Mark travel extensively and from whom did he hear the most about the life and teachings of Jesus? (Peter)

               “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.” (1 Peter 5:13 ESV)

               “When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.” (Acts 12:12 ESV)

We also see (taken from Tim Henderson’s Early Christianity) some other unique characteristics about Mark’s Gospel which allude to the fact that Peter was his mentor:

               a) Peter is the first and last named disciple in Mark (1:16; 16:7).

               b) Peter is mentioned more than any other disciple in Mark.

               c) Peter appears in some of the most important scenes in Mark: the calling of the first disciples (1:16-20), the confession of Jesus as Messiah (8:27-30), the transfiguration (9:2-8), the prayer in Gethsemane (14:32-42), and in the concluding scene alluding to future appearances of Jesus (16:7).

               d) Of the four gospels, Mark has the highest percentage of references to boats, the Sea of Galilee, and fishing. Peter apparently was a fisherman who worked on the Sea of Galilee (1:16).

               e) There is the curious story of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (1:29-31), which seems to include personal details related to Peter.

2) What are some of the unique characteristics of Mark’s Gospel that scholars use to surmise the Gentile, Roman audience of his writing?

               a) Jewish customs are explained (Mk 7:3-4)

               b) Aramaic expressions are translated into Greek (Mk 3:17; 5:41; 7:11)

               c) Roman reckoning of time is used (Mk 6:48; 13:35)

               d) Only Mark identifies Simon of Cyrene as the father of Rufus (Mk 15:21; Rom 16:13)

               e) Very few Old Testament quotations are used.

               f) The focus is on Jesus as the Perfect Servant (Mk. 10:45)

               g) Mark emphasizes the deeds of the Lord more than His words.

               h) He records nineteen miracles, but only four parables.

               i) More Latin words in Mark than in any other gospel, which suggests that it may have been written in a Roman environment.

3) Because of the continual use of “immediately” and beginning over half of its verses with the conjunction “and,” The Gospel of Mark is labeled as what type of book?

               Mark has been labeled a “busy book” or “fast-paced” book.  It can also be viewed as many, many run on sentences from an excited writer.

Week 1 Study Questions (Mark 1:1-8):

1) Mark qualifies Jesus as being the Savior by calling Him Jesus Christ, which means He was sent _BY_ God.  He then calls Him the Son of God, which means He was _OF_ God.   (vs. 1)

2) John the Baptizer was called the forerunner of the Gospel by Mark.  What was John’s two-fold message? (vs. 2-3)

               a) Prepare the way of the Lord.  Also taken from Is. 40, John’s message was to raise valleys, lower mountains, make crooked places straight, and rough places smooth in order to pave a highway for the Kingdom of God and glory of the Lord to be revealed.  All this would happen through the person of Jesus Christ, who would die for the remission of sins.

               b) Repent and be baptized because of the forgiveness of sins.

3) In explaining the appearance of John the Baptizer, Mark shows us that Gospel forerunners can come in all shapes and sizes.  What made John unique from other religious teachers? (vs. 4-8) (See also Numbers 6:1-21; Matthew 11:18-19; Luke 1:13-17)

               a) He was a Nazarite, which meant that he abstained from cutting his hair, going near dead bodies, and did not consume grapes and things which came from grapes, including wine and raisins.

            
               b) He came, as prophesied, in the spirit and power of Elijah the prophet.

Encounter: Have you encountered this Gospel personally, which is the person of Jesus Christ?  If not, then why not today?  


Equip: Do you know the Gospel message, and are you able to relate it to others in a clear way?  As a Gospel forerunner, are you making straight paths for the Lord or must the Gospel go over, under, or around obstacles and obstructions?  Do you need to lower some mountains, raise some valleys, make some crooked ways straight, make some rough patches smooth?  Does your "Good News" come across as good news or as judgmental and condemning?

Engage: Are you actively engaging your world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are you looking for opportunities and open doors to share the "Good News" with others? 

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Easter 2013

Yesterday, Commissioned had its first Easter Service.  It was a great service, full of worship, painting, and God's Word.  We welcomed many visitors and fellowshipped together as we worshipped Christ in song and in communion.

Kenneth preached out of Colossians 2 and showed us what the resurrection should mean to each of us personally on a daily basis.

If you missed it, you also missed our three amazing artists who praised God through their talents. 

Check out our facebook page for links to view the service.