02-23-2020
Dr. E. Dale Locke, Rev. Trevor Johnston, Pastor Efrain Silva
Sermon Series: Best Year Yet
Week 8: Mutual Affection
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1. Say the memory verse for this series together - 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
2. Read 2 Peter 1:3-8:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.“
The goal of this series is that we begin to live our faith in a way that attracts people to Christ. Share about some changes you are seeking to make in your life as a result of this sermon series.
3. This week’s focus is on adding mutual affection to our faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness. The English word “mutual affection” comes from the Greek word “philadelphia,” which means “brotherly love” and represents the kind of love people experience in a family. How is family love different from other types of love? Describe some characteristics of the kind of love that family members have for each other in a healthy, loving family.
4. Read Proverbs 18:24: “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” If you’ve ever experienced friendship that almost felt closer in some ways than your physical family, tell about that.
5. Read Galatians 3:26-28: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
What is Paul saying here about what relationships within a church should be like?
6. The culture of Paul’s day had strong divisions between people of different ethnicities, races, social status, and gender. Imagine how complicated it must have been as they developed genuine friendships at their church gatherings that ignored these social divisions. What challenges might the believers have experienced as these friendships developed?
7. What does it mean to be “one in Christ”? How can we live that out in the church today?
8. Read Acts 2:42–47: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
What do you notice in this passage about the relationships in the early church?
9. The faith of the early church was like a virus. It was so contagious that – although it started small in one local area – it soon spread throughout the whole world. Why did the Christian faith spread so quickly, despite persecution and resistance from the Roman Empire?
10. Our culture is in a time of extreme tribalization, where people don’t spend time with anyone who thinks differently than they do. What can help us be different from that within our church?
11. Our pastors spoke of three truths that should be represented in our church:
(1) We think differently here.
(2) We act differently here.
(3) We think and act differently out there.
What did they mean by these?
12. Read Matthew 5:23–24: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
What does this verse add to your understanding of how to live out mutual affection in our church body? Why is this important?