“Incarnational Living” Pastor Tony Manning / 2 Corinthians 13:1-14

on April 05, 2020

Notes

Reading Plan for the Week: 

Monday, April 6th                          1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Tuesday, April 7th                          Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Wednesday, April 8th                   1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Thursday, April 9th                        John 17:1-26
Good Friday, April 10th                Isaiah 53:1-12
Saturday, April 11th                      1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Easter Sunday, April 12th           1 Corinthians 15:42-57

 

Sermon Discussion Questions

The Diagnosis

  1. In Genesis 3, mankind made a decision that separated itself from God. This separation caused great brokenness which is alive and well many thousands of years later. What does brokenness look like today? How have you personally experienced brokenness? Would you consider brokenness to be a gift from God? Why or why not?
  2. We know the cure for brokenness, found in Romans 5:8 is Jesus. Why then, if we have surrendered to Christ, can we still be wrecked by the consequences of brokenness? 
  3. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” What does it look like to be a new creation? How much different should my new life look from my old life?  How do we know if we are being made new or just being made over? If in examining myself I find there isn’t much of a difference when it comes to control, anxiety, fear or the consequences of sin; have I truly chosen to trust Christ as my personal savior or am I living a lie?   

The Antidote

  1. We know that Jesus alone is the answer to our brokenness. 1 John 4:14, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” Scripture makes it very clear that knowledge alone of this fact does not bring salvation (James 2:19) and yet neither does works (Titus 3:5).  What then brings salvation and how can I know whether or not I have received the antidote?
  2. In 2 Corinthians 3:5 Paul tells the Corinthians to examine themselves and give themselves a test. Why does he use this language?  What does it mean to fail the test?  Hint: Galatians 5:16-26 provides the answer sheet to the test. 
  3. Galatians 5:1 also speaks of great freedom. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” How can I live in such freedom if I’m constantly testing myself and finding incongruency with the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22)? Why is freedom so hard to find when scripture speaks of it so often?

The Church

  1. What would the church look like if we were never again allowed to meet at 309 County Road 42 E or 19600 Ipava Ave? Would Berean’s ministry suffer or thrive in these conditions?  Is the church supposed to be a training ground for saints or a healing place for sinners?  If Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville or Lakeville disappeared, would we be missed in the community?  Why or why not?
  2. In relation to evangelism and the church, Dr. David Wheeler has created quite a stir in the apologetics world (defending the faith) by stating that incarnational apologetics, the belief that we must live out our faith in order to authenticate the word of God, is as important as informational apologetics, the belief that the word of God does not require authentication through our actions. In his book, Incarnational Apologetics, He writes “both the incarnational and informational approaches combine to create an authentic message. The holistic combination of a Christian who is well prepared informationally to defend his faith, combined with one who actually lives out his beliefs incarnationally as a transforming expression of Christ, is what powerfully speaks to non-Christians and compels them to receive Christ as their personal savior.” Do you agree or disagree with his statement? Why or why not?  What does the Bible have to say about it?

No Reserves.  No Retreats.  No Regrets

  1. What would I have to change in order to faithfully have this statement carved into my gravestone?

 

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”  Mark 8:36-38

Tags: sin, salvation, reading plan, tony manning, through it all, sermon discussion