Work

Work effort activity job employment trade profession livelihood making occupation duty task undertaking

“Work saves us from three great evils: boredom, vice and need.” – Voltaire

0)    What makes something you do into work?


Genesis 2:15-18

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to farm the land and to take care of it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man. He said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die.” 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.”

1)    The biggest misconception about work is that it’s a consequence of the fall. What does it mean that there was work even pre-Eve?


Genesis 3: 17-19

Then he said to the man, “You listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree, although I commanded you, ‘You must never eat its fruit.’ The ground is cursed because of you. Through hard work you will eat food that comes from it every day of your life. The ground will grow thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat wild plants. By the sweat of your brow, you will produce food to eat until you return to the ground, because you were taken from it. You are dust, and you will return to dust.”

2)    How did the Fall change work?

John 5:16-21, 36

16 The Jews began to persecute Jesus because he kept healing people on the day of worship. 17 Jesus replied to them, “My Father is working right now, and so am I.” 18 His reply made the Jews more intent on killing him. Not only did he break the laws about the day of worship, but also he made himself equal to God when he said repeatedly that God was his Father. 19 Jesus said to the Jews, “I can guarantee this truth: The Son cannot do anything on his own. He can do only what he sees the Father doing. Indeed, the Son does exactly what the Father does. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. The Father will show him even greater things to do than these things so that you will be amazed. 21 In the same way that the Father brings back the dead and gives them life, the Son gives life to anyone he chooses. …  36 But I have something that testifies more favorably on my behalf than John’s testimony. The tasks that the Father gave me to carry out, these tasks which I perform, testify on my behalf. They prove that the Father has sent me.”

3)    Jesus and the Father have work? How is that possible? What does it mean about work?


Ecclesiastes 2:4-11

I accomplished some great things: I built houses for myself. I planted vineyards for myself. I made gardens and parks for myself. I planted every kind of fruit tree in them. made pools to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves. In addition, slaves were born in my household. I owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered silver and gold for myself. I gathered the treasures of kings and provinces. I provided myself with male and female singers and the pleasures men have with one concubine after another.  So I grew richer than anyone in Jerusalem before me. Yet, my wisdom remained with me. 10 If something appealed to me, I did it. I allowed myself to have any pleasure I wanted, since I found pleasure in my work. This was my reward for all my hard work.

But when I turned to look at all that I had accomplished and all the hard work I had put into it, I saw that it was all pointless. It was like trying to catch the wind. I gained nothing from any of my accomplishments under the sun.

4)    Whoa. What does Solomon discover about work?


Ephesians 2:10

God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.

5)    Is what we consider our work the work to which God has called us?


1 Corinthians 3:3-9

When you are jealous and quarrel among yourselves, aren’t you influenced by your corrupt nature and living by human standards? 4 When some of you say, “I follow Paul” and others say, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting like sinful humans? 5 Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are servants who helped you come to faith. Each did what the Lord gave him to do. 6 I planted, and Apollos watered, but God made it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is important because only God makes it grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own work. 9 We are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field.

6)     What is the planting and watering metaphor saying? How does God interact with our work?


Isaiah 28:23-26

Open your ears, and listen to me! Pay attention, and hear me! Does a farmer go on plowing every day so he can plant? Does he continue to break up the soil and make furrows in the ground?
When he has smoothed its surface, doesn’t he scatter black cumin seed and plant cumin? Doesn’t he plant wild wheat in rows? Doesn’t he put barley in its own area and winter wheat at its borders?
God will guide him in judgment, and his God will teach him.

7)    What is something that you have learned about work from God’s teaching?


Proverbs

• 21:5 The plans of a hard-working person lead to prosperity, but everyone who is always in a hurry ends up in poverty. 
• 21:25 The desire of a lazy person will kill him because his hands refuse to work. 
• 22:29 Do you see a person who is efficient in his work? He will serve kings. He will not serve unknown people. 
• 24:27 Prepare your work outside, and get things ready for yourself in the field. Afterwards, build your house. 
• 28:19 Whoever works his land will have plenty to eat. Whoever chases unrealistic dreams will have plenty of nothing.

8)    What proverb would you write about work or what saying do you like about work?


2 Thessalonians 3:6-10

Brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we order you not to associate with any believer who doesn’t live a disciplined life and doesn’t follow the tradition you received from us. You know what you must do to imitate us. We lived a disciplined life among you. We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, we worked hard and struggled night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you. It’s not as though we didn’t have a right to receive support. Rather, we wanted to set an example for you to follow. While we were with you, we gave you the order: “Whoever doesn’t want to work shouldn’t be allowed to eat.”

9)    Why would they give that order? How does it fit with the previous scriptures on work?


James 2:14-26

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”     and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

10) Deeds here is 'works' in the King James. Is this work in any of the senses we've talked about it?

References:
Biblical Worldview of Work by Kenneth Boa
Job Satisfaction and the Value of Work
Work by Steve Bishop
Ethics of Work by James Eckman

Image credit: Sean MacEntee @ Flickr

Habakkuk

Forgot to post this last month. Sorry!

This year I'm back to monthly studies for the men's group with no youth study.

20 Questions on Habakkuk

Habakkuk is a man of mystery, mentioned only in his own short book (nestled between Nahum and Zephaniah) and apocryphal writings. (A truly weird story that involves dragons and Habakkuk being transported to feed Daniel in the lion’s den.) He lived around the time of the Babylonian (aka Chaldean) rise to power (ca 600 BC), probably contemporary to Jeremiah and Zephaniah. His book has long been treasured for its style of writing as well as its message.

Read 1:1-11
1)    How would you put Habakkuk’s question in your own words?


2)    Have you ever asked anything similar?


3)    How does God answer?


4)    Is there anything today that feels like an injustice that God is allowing? How might that injustice be serving God’s purposes?


5)    After all God’s glowing description of the Babylonians, what do you think is meant by “So they will be guilty, because their own strength is their god.” ?


Read 1:12-17
6)    How does Habakkuk respond to God’s answer?  What new question does God’s answer prompt?


7)    What makes you feel like Habakkuk feels in this passage? How do you deal with it?


Read 2:1-3
8)    Habakkuk seems patient. What helps you be patient when waiting on God? Do you wait on God?


9)    What is the Lord telling Habakkuk in the beginning of his response? Does it apply to us in the post-Resurrection era in any way?
Read 2:4- 20
10)    How would you sum up the Lord’s response here?


11)    Is it an answer to Habakkuk’s question?


12)    How does it connect with the Lord’s first answer?


13)    What’s the relevance of this warning for today? Do you see any connections with the modern world?


Read Habakkuk 3
14)    Question – answer; question – answer; psalm? How is this psalm of Habakkuk a response to the question and answer session?


One question I had about the psalm was the beginning.
In Exodus 33:2, Moses’ final blessing begins: “The Lord came from Sinai. For his people he rose from Seir like the sun. He appeared like sunshine from Mount Paran.”
In Isaiah 63:1, Isaiah writes “Who is this coming from Bozrah in Edom with his clothes stained bright red? Who is this dressed in splendor, going forward with great strength? “It is I, the Lord. I am coming to announce my victory. I am powerful enough to save you.”
Edom is another word for Teman, and was known as the inheritance of Esau, south of Judah; the Edomites were traditional enemies of Israel.
15)    What meaning might it have had for the Jews to imagine God coming from the south?


16)    What other questions do you have about the psalm?


17)    Is there any description of God here that really resonates with you?


18)    One neat sermon on Habakkuk 3 talks about how this is a good chapter for anyone who feels like they’ve got a handle on what God would or wouldn’t do. How does this chapter address that?


19)    Have you ever been able to rejoice in the Lord in terrible times? Can you share it?


20)    What’s one thing you can take away from this reading of the book of Habakkuk?

Re RePeter

Note: occurred to me I never posted the modification of the RePeter youth bible study that we did in the men's group. It added some good discussion, and lead to the Go Forth evangelism study we did this month. 

Go Forth

Note: Our men's bible study this month was a bit different than usual. Instead of our usual digging into scripture, we went through the materials from Evangelism Explosion, which was a James Kennedy program for equipping his churchmembers to talk to people about salvation.  I asked the men to bring the scripture and personal connections to the topic.  As it is, this was way too long for an hour plus. But, going through the basics of salvation was clearly worth it, even for this bunch of experienced guys. I've added a couple of the scripture connections they added in parentheses.

Recent bible studies we’ve done have had a big message or discussion point about sharing Christ with others. Pastor Lee shared his Evangelism Explosion (EE) text and some of his experiences. From the text it sounds like it started as a visitation program to people who had tried Pastor Kennedy’s church.

Presentation of the Gospel
The two questions
1) Do you know for certain if you die that you will go to heaven?



2) If God were to ask “why should I let you into heaven?” what do you think you would say?


The big points. 

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

3)    As we go through these, let’s consider how we make sense of it, how we might explain it to someone else, and what Bible verses or stories it brings to mind. You don’t have to know chapter and verse – we’re just looking for connections.

A.    Grace.

• Heaven is free.
• We can’t earn it.
• This completely free idea is the only way it could work.

B.    Sin. Ps 53:3 “Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Matthew 5:48, 1 John 1:8-9)

• We are all sinners: thoughts, words, and deeds - done and left undone.
• We cannot save ourselves.

C.    God.

• God is merciful.
• God is just.

D.    Jesus.

• He is God and Man.
• Salvation is through Him and what He did.

E.    Faith. (Rom 10:9)

• Not acknowledging Jesus existence, his crucifixion or even his resurrection.
• Salvation is through Jesus alone. Knowledge, assent, and trust.

Two Passages on this:

Ephesians 2:1-9 You were once dead because of your failures and sins. 2 You followed the ways of this present world and its spiritual ruler. This ruler continues to work in people who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us once lived among these people, and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So, because of our nature, we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else. 

4 But God is rich in mercy because of his great love for us. 5 We were dead because of our failures, but he made us alive together with Christ. (It is God’s kindness[a] that saved you.) 6 God has brought us back to life together with Christ Jesus and has given us a position in heaven with him. 7 He did this through Christ Jesus out of his generosity to us in order to show his extremely rich kindness in the world to come. 8 God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. 9 It’s not the result of anything you’ve done, so no one can brag about it.

Romans 3: 21-26 Now, the way to receive God’s approval has been made plain in a way other than Moses’ Teachings. Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets tell us this. 22 Everyone who believes has God’s approval through faith in Jesus Christ.
There is no difference between people. 23 Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God’s glory. 24 They receive God’s approval freely by an act of his grace through the price Christ Jesus paid to set us free from sin. 25 God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God’s approval is given through faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past. 26 He waited so that he could display his approval at the present time. This shows that he is a God of justice, a God who approves of people who believe in Jesus.

4)    What connections do you see between the gospel presentation points and these two passages?


Then what?
5)    In EE and Billy Graham revivals this is where they ask the person to make a statement of faith or pray the sinner’s prayer. What would you do with someone at this point?


Smoothing the Way
Some features of the EE method are to: create a transition to the gospel, earn a right to ask personal questions, find out where the person is, create a desire to hear the gospel, ask permission to share

Testimony

1 Peter 3:15 “Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect.”

• People argue doctrine; testimony is your personal experience.
• Chance to share what’s good now about salvation: fellowship, peace, love, forgiveness, new perspective, freedom in a real, concrete way.
• OK if you don’t remember becoming a Christian. Telling your own story with your own facts.

6)    How does being saved make a difference in your life?


Objections 

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 Don’t despise what God has revealed. 21 Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good.

• avoid argument, be positive, acknowledge truth.
• OK to postpone if it’s extraneous. “That’s a different question. What I was trying to say…
• OK to answer later. If it’s a relevant question, but you don’t have an answer, say so and that you’ll think about it and get an answer.
• Common objections:

• What about all the non-believers?
• God wouldn’t send anyone to hell/hell isn’t real.
• Why believe the Bible?
• It can’t be free/works must play a part.
• Atheist/materialist/agnostic/pagan.

7)    How do you answer these? What other objections do you hear?


Follow up. It’s about discipleship, not a single big moment. Works come in as a response to grace. A thank you.

In addition to the study, I brought this list culled from some recent blogposts, linked below, from a Christian writer.  I meant these for discussion - please take his notes with a grain of salt.

Cliches Christians Should Avoid. From 3 different articles by Christian Platt. See http://urli.st/zq7
I’m uncomfortable with some of these, but his full list (29 items long) includes some things I wish Christians wouldn’t say (like “God helps those who help themselves” or “God must have wanted another angel”) so they are at least worth considering and maybe answering. If nothing else, they show potential sticking points.  For the following: would you avoid these in talking to people about Jesus, or are they important to include?

“Can I share a little bit about my faith with you?” Too often, Christians presume we have something everyone else needs, without even knowing them first. Ask someone about their story, but maybe not the second you meet them. Christian evangelism often is the equivalent of a randy young teenager trying to get in good with his new girlfriend. When your personal agenda is more important than the humanity of the person you’re talking to, most people can sense the opportunism from a mile a way.

“Do you accept Jesus as your personal lord and savior?” Again, this is not in the Bible. Anywhere. And for me, it goes against the whole Christlike notion of the suffering servant. People tried to elevate Jesus to the status of Lord, but he rejected it. So why do we keep trying? Plus, the whole idea of a lord is so antiquated, it has no real relevance to our lives today. Be more mindful of your words, and really mean what you say.

“Jesus died for your sins.” I know, this is an all-time Christian favorite. But even if you buy into the concept of substitutionary atonement (the idea that God set Jesus up as a sacrifice to make good for all the bad stuff we’ve done), this is a abysmal way to introduce your faith to someone. I didn’t ask Jesus to die for me, and if I’m not a Christian, I really have no concept of how that could possibly be a good thing. he whole idea of being washed clean by an innocent man’s blood is enough to give any person nightmares, let alone lead them into a deeper conversation about what Christianity is about.

Are you saved? I’ve addressed the theological understandings of hell and judgment in other pieces, but regardless of whether you believe in hell, this is a very unattractive thing to say. First, it implies a power/privilege imbalance (ie, “I’m saved, but I’m guessing you’re not based on some assumptions I’m making about you), and it also leaps over the hurdle of personal investment and relationship, straight into the deep waters of personal faith. If you take the time to learn someone’s story, you’ll like learn plenty about what they think and believe in the process. And who knows? You might actually learn something too, rather than just telling others what they should believe.

Christianity is the only way to God/Heaven. You may believe this with your whole heart, and I’m sure you have the scriptures at the ready to support it. But consider the possibility that either those you’re speaking with think differently about this, or if they haven’t put much thought into it, that what you’re saying feels like an ultimatum or a threat.  Yes, there are texts to support a theology of exclusive salvation, but there also are some to support a more universalist notion of salvation (John 1:9 – “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.”). And think about how such a statement might sound to someone who has lost a loved one who was not a Christian, at least by your standards of what that means. And theologically speaking, it opens up a whole Pandora’s Box in answering for the fate of all those who lived before Christ, who never hear about him, and so on.

Antidotes to the Clichés to avoid:

1. Listen more; talk less.
2. Stop trying to fix everything.
3. See yourself in the “Other.”
4. Pray.
5. Quality over quantity.
6. Share generously of yourself.
7. Be open to the possibility that you’re wrong.
8. Apologize.
9. Own your love.
10. Make sure your life reflects your faith.

RePeter

We've studied Peter before, and Pentecost. But this time of year it's hard to keep away from the Big Fisherman.

The Low – the night of the Last Supper 
John 13:36-38

36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “You can’t follow me now to the place where I’m going. However, you will follow me later.” 37 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I’ll give my life for you.” 38 Jesus replied, “Will you give your life for me? I can guarantee this truth: No rooster will crow until you say three times that you don’t know me.

John 18:15-18, 25-27

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. The other disciple was well-known to the chief priest. So that disciple went with Jesus into the chief priest’s courtyard. 16 Peter, however, was standing outside the gate. The other disciple talked to the woman who was the gatekeeper and brought Peter into the courtyard. 17 The gatekeeper asked Peter, “Aren’t you one of this man’s disciples too?” Peter answered, “No, I’m not!” 18 The servants and the guards were standing around a fire they had built and were warming themselves because it was cold. Peter was standing there, too, and warming himself with the others. … 25 Simon Peter continued to stand and warm himself by the fire. Some men asked him, “Aren’t you, too, one of his disciples?” Peter denied it by saying, “No, I’m not!” 26 One of the chief priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked him, “Didn’t I see you with Jesus in the garden?” 27 Peter again denied it, and just then a rooster crowed.

1)    How can Peter go from “I’ll give my life for you” to “No I’m not!” in one night?

artist's image, ca. 1000 AD.

Of course, Jesus still loves Peter. He knew Peter was going to deny him. But he also knew what Peter could and would do in His name.
John 21: 1-19

Later, by the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. This is what happened. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two other disciples of Jesus were together. 3 Simon Peter said to the others, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We’re going with you.” They went out in a boat but didn’t catch a thing that night.  

4 As the sun was rising, Jesus stood on the shore. The disciples didn’t realize that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus asked them, “Friends, haven’t you caught any fish?” They answered him, “No, we haven’t.” 6 He told them, “Throw the net out on the right side of the boat, and you’ll catch some.” So they threw the net out and were unable to pull it in because so many fish were in it. 7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put back on the clothes that he had taken off and jumped into the sea. 8 The other disciples came with the boat and dragged the net full of fish. They weren’t far from the shore, only about 100 yards. 

9 When they went ashore, they saw a fire with a fish lying on the coals, and they saw a loaf of bread. 10 Jesus told them, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” 11 Simon Peter got into the boat and pulled the net ashore. Though the net was filled with 153 large fish, it was not torn. 12 Jesus told them, “Come, have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared to ask him who he was. They knew he was the Lord. 13 Jesus took the bread, gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after he had come back to life. 

15 After they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the other disciples do?” Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Jesus asked him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered him “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Take care of my sheep.”  

17 Jesus asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep. 18 I can guarantee this truth: When you were young, you would get ready to go where you wanted. But when you’re old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will get you ready to take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to show by what kind of death Peter would bring glory to God. After saying this, Jesus told Peter, “Follow me!”

2)    What connections do you see between this story and the denial story?


NT Wright (a great Anglican teacher and theologian) points out that the first time Jesus said love/agape (unconditional), and Peter responds with love/philia (friendly).  Peter used to respond HUGELY to Jesus, but now he’s understated. The second time, Jesus says agape again, and again Peter says friends again.

3)    Why does Jesus shift from ‘feed my lambs’ to ‘care for my sheep’? Why doesn’t Jesus bring up Peter’s denial?


4)    Wright notes that the third time, Jesus asks “Simon, are you my friend?” Doesn’t Peter sound upset? How would you feel?


Wright comments: “I think Jesus is saying, in effect, ‘Very well, Peter: if that’s where you are, that’s where we’ll start. If you can say you’re my friend, we will build on that. Now: feed my sheep.’ And then, of course, he goes on to warn Peter of what is to come; this sheep-feeding business will cost him not less than everything, as it had cost the master Shepherd himself.” It’s very comforting to me that Jesus takes me where I am.

Consider also when Peter addressed the crowd after Pentecost.  One thing to note is that he didn’t run out after Easter Sunday, nor even after Jesus’ ascension, but waited, as Christ told him, to receive the Holy Spirit. But then he spoke to a multitude.
 
Acts 2:36-39

36 “All the people of Israel should know beyond a doubt that God made Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 When the people heard this, they were deeply upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter answered them, “All of you must turn to God and change the way you think and act, and each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. 39 This promise belongs to you and to your children and to everyone who is far away. It belongs to everyone who worships the Lord our God.”

Acts 4:10-12 Later Peter and John are on trial for healing a lame man. Peter says:

“10 You and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands in your presence with a healthy body because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You crucified Jesus Christ, but God has brought him back to life. 11 He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone. 12 No one else can save us. Indeed, we can be saved only by the power of the one named Jesus and not by any other person.”

Acts 4:17-19 The Pharisees think everyone knows about the miracle and are afraid to punish them. They say:

“17 So let’s threaten them. Let’s tell them that they must never speak to anyone about the one named Jesus. Then the news about the miracle that they have performed will not spread any further among the people.” 18 They called Peter and John and ordered them never to teach about Jesus or even mention his name. 19 Peter and John answered them, “Decide for yourselves whether God wants people to listen to you rather than to him. 20 We cannot stop talking about what we’ve seen and heard.”

5)    Is Peter following Jesus’ instructions?


6)    Jot down one thing to remember from this study.

References
Christ is Risen from the Dead by N. T. Wright. Again. You should  really read that.

Bullhorn

(Based on the Nooma of the same name.)

Scripture from the Nooma

Read the following:
Matthew 22:34-40 The Greatest Commandment

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

John 13:31-35 After the Last Supper

31 When he [Judas] was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

Watch the video with these two questions in mind, then come back to discuss them:
1) What is Rob Bell’s main point?


2) Does his point come from the scripture he’s citing?



As always, though you can find the complete Noomas on YouTube, I encourage you to buy the videos if you're going to use them for teaching. Here's the trailer for Bullhorn.



3) What would you want to say to the man with the bullhorn?



Scripture confirms our need to care for the poor and the helpless time and time again. But we do have a message to share also.
Romans 10:8-17
This is the message of faith that we spread. 9 If you declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God brought him back to life, you will be saved. 10 By believing you receive God’s approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved. 11 Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.” 12 There is no difference between Jews and Greeks. They all have the same Lord, who gives his riches to everyone who prays to him. 13 So then, “Whoever prays in the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can people pray to him if they have not believed in him? How can they believe in him if they have not heard his message? How can they hear if no one tells the Good News? 15 How can people tell the Good News if no one sends them? As Scripture says, “How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who announce the Good News.” 16 But not everyone has believed the Good News. Isaiah asks, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message that is heard is what Christ spoke.

4) What should we tell people about Jesus?

Resurrection of the Body

I adapted the Not Zombies youth lesson for the men's study today. The main difference was an expanded look at 1st Corinthians 15, with a connection to a Tom Wright speech. Here's the whole study if you want it in one piece. One of the fascinating parts about doing the study was how much the idea of our great commission came out in all of the earlier readings, before we even read the Wright stuff. (Couldn't resist, sorry!) See also the overview of the whole book, Dear Men of Corinth.

1st Corinthians 15: 12-19

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

5) Paul’s making a logical argument here. What’s the point and how does he argue it?

20-28 

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

6) What does this passage have to do with Harry Potter?


7) What does he mean here? What does it have to do with the resurrection of the body?


29-34 

29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God - I say this to your shame.

8) “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die,” is a famous phrase and oft quoted. Is that what Paul is recommending? Do you agree with his point about associating with bad people?



35-50 

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36 How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38 But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body. 39 Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we[g] bear the image of the heavenly man. 50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

9) Is Paul explaining by analogy or constructing an argument? What does the idea of an incorruptible body mean to you?



 51-58

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The scripture Paul refers to is possibly Isaiah 25:8 “He will swallow up death forever, and he will remove the disgrace of his people from the whole earth. The Lord has spoken.” in addition to Hosea 13:14 ““I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?”

N. T. Wright writes: “Christ is risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who sleep; and we who celebrate him as our contemporary are charged to work with him on his kingdom-project in the present time. 1 Corinthians 15 is a spectacular chapter, but one of the most remarkable verses in it is the last (verse 58), where Paul doesn’t say ‘therefore enjoy the presence of Christ’, though he might have done, or ‘therefore look forward to your glorious future’, though he might have said that as well. He says ‘therefore get on with your work in the present, because in the Lord your labour is not in vain.’ That is at the heart of the meaning of the resurrection. Because God is already making his new creation, all that you do in Christ and by the Spirit is part of that new world. Every cup of cold water, every tiny prayer, every confrontation with the bullies who oppress the poor, every song of praise or dance of joy, every work of art and music – nothing is wasted. The resurrection will reaffirm it, in ways we cannot begin to imagine, as part of God’s new world. Resurrection isn’t just about a glorious future. It is about a meaningful present. That is what it means that Jesus, our contemporary, is raised from the dead as the first fruits of those who slept.”

10) What do you think about this connection of resurrection with commission? How does it connect to the gospel passages we read? (Or other scripture.) Was that part of what Paul was saying here?


11) I will freely admit that this is the part of my faith I least understand. Yet I believe it on the authority of the Bible. Is it okay to believe something of which you haven’t made sense?


To close out, how about a Johnny Cash hymn of the most poetic verse?






References
Christ is Risen from the Dead by N. T. Wright