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By Amber Bruce
This week is the conclusion of the Go Fish series! Pastor Dave preaches from 1 Tim 1:1-4, looking at an essential element to fishing: prayer.
- Review the three “P”s to being an effective fisher of men. Why does the order matter?
- Read 1 Tim 2:1-6 and discuss the following:
a. Pastor Dave described the logical flow of this passage as “Do A so that B for the purpose of C.” What are A, B, and C?
A: Pray for all people, especially those in authority.
So that:
B: We may lead quiet and peaceful lives.
For the purpose of:
C: All men being saved.
b. Look at verses 5-6. If we continue the logic of Paul’s thoughts, we could say that A, B, and C are all because of D. What would D be?
This wasn’t addressed in the sermon, but it’s a great way to get your group looking at the Bible for themselves and trying to understand it. Give your group time to wrestle with this if they need to. Point out that verse 5 starts with the word “For,” which means verses 1-4 are logically based on verse 5-6.
Why pray for all people? Why does God want all people to be saved?
Because there is only one God. He is the God of all people, not just the Jews. And there is only one mediator. He the Savior of all people, not just a certain ethnicity or culture.
- Look again at 1 Tim 2:1.
a. List the four types of prayers Paul commands. In your own words, what does each mean?
Pastor Dave described them the following way. Encourage your group to use their own words to describe them.
Requests: the emphasis in this kind of prayer is a sense of need. When we make our requests to the Lord we are recognizing that we can’t handle life by ourselves, we are needy. Requests focus on specific, concrete needs. The implication is that as we make our requests for those in authority we employ specific names and things we are asking the Lord to do for them.
Prayers: this word emphasizes asking for those things that only God can provide: forgiveness, wisdom, assurance, repentance, mercy, justice, boldness. We might make requests to anyone, prayers are only to God.
Intercession: the word means a pleading for the interests of another, especially in the presence of royalty or power. We intercede for others like we are interceded for (Heb 7:25).
Thanksgiving: in our prayers we not only recognize our needs, we acknowledge the needs our God has met. In the context we are grateful for kings, and all in authority. That’s the disciple’s heart toward those in authority over him.
b. Why do you think Paul used these four words for prayer?
Rather than an exhaustive list or a check-list for prayer, these words are various terms referring to prayer for a more powerful impact. Notice the other words Paul uses to emphasize prayer: “First of all,” “I urge.” Think of these as underscoring, putting in bold letters and capitalizing: FIRST, PRAY!
- Why do you think it is so important to pray for those in authority? What does prayer for those in authority have to do with others’ salvation?
Pastor Dave pointed out that those is authority have a big role in providing order. He mentioned Judges 21:25 as an example of a lawless place, where mature believers were scarce.
- Read 1 Tim 1:5 and 1 Tim 2:2.
a. What are the two descriptive words used for an attractive life in 1 Tim 2:2? Briefly explain each.
Godliness: It has the word “God” in it, which gives us a clue. This is the character of a person who focuses on living life with God in mind, as He wishes. Jesus is our model: John 5:19
Holiness: other versions translate this word “dignity”, “honesty” or even respectability. It’s a picture of living gracefully through God’s power as we face of the challenges of life. When we live that way it “adorns” our message.
b. How is the “attractive life” in 2:2 similar to the goal Paul describes in 1:5?
This was also not in the sermon, but is a good opportunity to point out the importance of studying a passage within the context of the book. This book is a letter to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus, to help him combat false teaching. Both 1 Tim 2:2 and 1 Tim 1:5 describe life that flows from the true gospel, in contrast to the false teachers. Godliness and holiness from those who live peaceful and quiet lives and love flowing from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith are all symptoms of true gospel living. Discuss how these things are similar.
- What does it mean that God desires all to be saved? (Consider both the word “all” and the word “saved.”)
Pastor Dave pointed out that God desires all people to be saved, but does not always get everything He desires. This tension is important to address, but it may not be appropriate within this discussion setting. For those in your group who want to wrestle with this more, you may want to set aside a week or two for these types of discussions, or have a one-on-one talk or a summer book study to address them. Very briefly, the ESV Study Bible gives a short and sweet overview of the two most common ways to think about this tension:
“Does that mean God desires something (all people being saved) that he cannot fulfill? Both Arminian and Calvinist theologians respond that God “desires” something more than universal salvation. Arminians hold that God’s greater desire is to preserve genuine human freedom (which is necessary for genuine love) and therefore he must allow that some may choose to reject his offer of salvation. Calvinists hold that God’s greater desire is to display the full range of his glory (Rom. 9:22–23), which results in election depending upon the freedom of his mercy and not upon human choice (Rom. 9:15–18). However one understands the extent of the atonement, this passage clearly teaches the free and universal offer of the gospel to every single human being; “desires” shows that this offer is a bona fide expression of God’s good will.”
In this sentence, the word “saved” is easier to understand. This means (from Point IA) complete restoration, body soul and spirit.
- As we close the Go Fish series, take time to reflect.
a. What have you learned that you will be able to use as you “fish” in the future?
b. What have you put to use already?
8. Take time to pray together for those in authority in our nation, state, county, and cities.
By Amber Bruce
This is week four of our Go Fish! Series. This week guest speaker Dr. Tim Muehlhoff, professor of Communications Studies at Biola University, preaches on our job as Ambassadors for Christ. Tim also spoke at this weekend’s conference Reasonable Faith in an Uncertain World. Videos of this conference will be available online. Sign up here to be the first to know when the videos go live.
- List the many ways God makes Himself known to fallen mankind.
Tim mentioned things like nature (see Rom 1:20), the Holy Spirit, and the Bible. With a little thinking, your group could come up with things like conscience, moral standards, and truth or more specifics about nature like design, beauty, diversity, etc.
- Read 2 Cor 5:20. What do you think about the fact that one of God’s primary ways of communicating to a lost world is through you? How does that make you feel?
This is a sharing question that builds relationship and sets the atmosphere for discussion. Give each person an opportunity to respond.
- Read Luke 10:16 and John 10:13-16. Discuss the following:
a. How does it make you feel knowing that if people reject your presentation of the gospel, they are in fact, rejecting Christ?
We have the authority of Christ as we share His message and represent Him in the world. We also have the responsibility to share the message.
b. How does it make you feel knowing that all who are God’s sheep will hear His voice and come?
We can trust God’s power to rescue the lost. That is why we can pray for our unsaved friends and family. And that is why, though we have the weight of responsibility, we do not have the burden of changing minds or transforming hearts. Only God can do that.
- Read 1 Cor. 1:25 and 2:1. Discuss the following:
a. When presenting the gospel, what is more difficult for you get right—tone or content? Why is that?
Take a moment to review what the right content and tone are. We talked a lot last week about the message using the 3 Circles tool. Tim mentioned a few things about the right tone:
God’s radical love. Better than knowing your mortgage has been paid off and your bank account has an automatic transfer of $1 million per year is knowing that you are righteous, worthy, and loved in God’s sight because Jesus paid your debt and credited His righteousness to your account. This is amazing, good-beyond-belief news! We share not out of guilt or the promise of rewards but from having our lives changed by unconditional love and wanting others to experience it as well!
Passion and grief. Most of us know mentally that heaven and hell are eternal realities. But our concept of hell ijust a concept unless It’s we have a concrete understanding of intense suffering. Tim gave the example of the missionary to the DRC who couldn’t stop weeping for the lost of the Congo. In my own life, researching human trafficking and the suffering involved has given me something concrete to associate with hell. There is intense, terrible suffering in the Congo. Human trafficking victims experience intense, terrible suffering.
Find the disaster that moves you to tears. Think of the intense suffering that you have seen or experienced. Then connect that with your idea of hell. Those things give us a glimpse of hell. Just as they fill us with the grief and the passion to take a stand and make a difference in the Congo or with human trafficking, they can give us the same passion to reach the lost with true salvation.
A final aspect of tone that Tim mentioned is gentleness. Debating is not the same as evangelism. This isn’t an argument you can win or lose. This isn’t a sales pitch. This is life-transformation and eternal salvation – true and lasting hope – shared with a desire to bring the same hope to others.
b. How could you improve?
c. How is it comforting that “getting it right” is not the most important thing in preaching the gospel?
Tim pointed out that we might expect those who speak on God’s behalf to be the best of the best. Yet Paul says that God chose the foolish and weak things as His tools and ambassadors. His power will transform others, not our eloquence or communication skills.
d. Why is it still important to do our best?
Tim talked about working on lifestyle changes out of a place of unconditional love. We want our lives to be increasingly free from sin because we are already considered valuable and worthy on the basis of Christ’s righteousness.
We also do our best on the assignments God has given us because He is working in us to want that and to have the power to do it (see Phil 2:12-13).
- Consider point 3 of the “Ambassador’s Job Description.”
a. What are some of the most common ways Christian leaders or self-professing Christians discredit themselves from ministry or presenting the gospel?
b. What is your greatest temptation that —if acted upon— would discredit you from being God’s spokesperson?
c. Read 2 Cor. 6:1, 2 Cor. 12:9, 1 Tim 1:15-16, and 1 John 1:9. What would really discredit you from being God’s spokesperson: committing a public or destructive sin or refusing to repent and rely on God’s grace every time you sin?
We often think of “big” sins like adultery or embezzlement or abuse as the things that will discredit a Christian from ministry or evangelism.
The truth is that we are all sinners on the same plane. No big sins. No little sins. We each have enough sin to require the death of Jesus on the cross for us.
We will be discredited if we say we believe one thing, but act differently. We say we believe in the God of grace who cleanses us from all sin, credits Jesus’ righteousness to our account and whose love can never be taken away no matter what we do. How would we act if we truly believed that?
6. Read 2 Cor. 5:5-10. How does knowing that you have the Spirit as a guarantee of your resurrection, that He equips you, and that you can please the Lord when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ help you prioritize your life?
The whole of the Christian life is realizing how very wretched we are in our sinful nature, and how very gracious God is in Christ. We learn it bit by bit as we are convicted of sin, repent, and experience God’s love. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, our view of both ourselves and God will be blown wide open. We finally see clearly our own sinfulness and depravity. And God will meet it with unending grace that not only covers our sin but makes our small efforts lovely in His sight.
Break into gender groups of 2-3 to discuss the following:
- What are some simple ways we can share the gospel with friends and neighbors while avoiding an argument?
- Make a list of 3-5 people that do not know the Lord. What keeps you from sharing with them? Lack of training? Lack of compassion? Lack of belief in God’s power? Lack of opportunity?
- Take time to pray for those people together. Pray that barriers will be removed and you will share confidently and compassionately.
Tim prayed at the end of his sermon that God would disturb us, motivate us, and open doors to share the gospel.
By Amber Bruce
This week, Bethel’s new Young Adult Director Mark Seekins continues our Go Fish series, looking at Acts 4:1-22.
- Share about an opportunity you have had to “Go Fish.”Did you seize it? If so, what was the response?
- Discuss the following quote from the sermon:
“This mission, this fishing expedition, will be challenging at times. We may feel ordinary, powerless, and not in control. The truth is: we are ordinary, powerless, and not in control. Jesus is anything but! The power of the Gospel in us will be unstoppable if we are just faithful to share.”
This quote gets toward the heart of the gospel: it’s all about God’s power within us, not about anything we have done or can do. Even our faithfulness to share is the working out of God’s power working within us (Acts 4:31; Eph 6:18-20; Phil 2:12-13).
- Read Acts 4:1-22 and discuss the following:
a. Summarize the big picture of what has already happened in Acts 1-3.
Mark described the theme of the book of Acts as “the spread of the gospel to the entire known world.” In chapter 1, Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit. In chapter 2, the Spirit comes and the church is born with 3000 converts the first day. In chapter 3, a miraculous healing and more preaching of the good news. Things are looking up!
b. Review what the Sadducees and Pharisees believed. Why would they be opposed to the disciples’ teaching?
The Pharisees were focused on the Jewish law down to the minute details and the human additions. The Sadducees did not believe in angels, demons, or an afterlife: no resurrection.
Even more importantly, the Sadducees were the ruling class and didn’t want talk of a risen Messiah to disturb their tenuous hold on power.
c. Read Rom 13:1-4. How do you reconcile this with Peter’s response in Acts 4:18-21?
We are to obey those in authority, even when they are actively opposed to God (just as Nero, the emperor at the time of Paul’s writing, was). However, when there is a direct conflict between what God has commanded and the instructions or law of another authority, what do we do? Peter makes it clear in Acts 5:27-29, “We must obey God rather than men.”
d. On a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high), how much do you agree with Peter’s statement in Acts 4:12? Do you have any doubts? Share with the group and discuss them together.
- In the sermon, Mark stated that the power of the gospel shakes things up, disturbs things, makes waves, and polarizes.
a. Is that happening in your life? How?
b. Are you happy with the status quo of your life? Are there things you would rather not have disturbed?
5. What are the most obvious changes Jesus has made in your life? Share a time you did or said something and thought, “That was Jesus, not me!”
6. What hinders your ability to speak about Jesus? How could you get to the point where you “cannot help speaking about what you have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20)?
We said in question 2 that even our faithfulness to share is the working out of God’s power working within us. When we deeply encounter the power of God in the gospel – His grace, His love, His justice, His sovereignty, His wisdom – we cannot help speaking about it.
7. Review the “Life Conversation Guide” diagram. What do you like about it? What would you add? How could you use this when you Go Fish?
You may want to take 3 minutes to watch the video together, or encourage your group members to watch it before coming to group. There is also a Spanish version here. I might add a fourth circle, similar to the Big Story diagram, which includes the mission of the gospel: that we are to work together with God and His people to bring God’s design into our lives and the world.
Both of these gospel presentations are simple enough to use in conversation with a friend over coffee, and they both have apps available to help you remember them. Just search your app store for 3 Circles or Big Story.
Break into pairs or groups of three for the following:
- Practice your 2-minute testimony together.
By now, everyone in your group should have used this guide to create his or her 2-minute testimony. If someone has missed a week or hasn’t done it yet, help him or her by meeting together this week to get it done.
- Take time to pray for unsaved family, friends, or co-workers. Pray that God will give you an opportunity to share your testimony with someone this week.
Consider printing out these 10 Prayer Points for Your Friends for your group to use during this prayer time.
