Community Group Discussion Guide

Weekend of September 1 and 2, 2018The Church is a Body

I. Starter Question this week:

What makes a body healthy? How do you like to exercise? What are your spiritual gifts?

II. Discussion of Scripture:

NOTE: There are so many word pictures that can be used dealing with the church. This Sermon Discussion Guide will not coincide directly with the sermon. Please listen to the sermon and spur on discussion based on the primary passages Pastor John will use. This is a supplementary resource that will aid the discussion in your CG.

Context: We conclude a three-week series on the church. As we calendar a new school year, it is wise to go back to the basic fundamentals. Pastor John referred to Vince Lombardi beginning two a-days with, “this is a football.” John Wooden began every season teaching his players how to put on their socks and tie their shoes. We have spent three weeks looking at the following:

August 18/19 – “What Is the Church?” – We looked through the NT at the word pictures that illustrate the church (body, building, family, flock, etc.). It was more application-oriented than theory-oriented. August 25/26 – “What Is the Mission of the Church?” – Pastor John re-preached his sermon from a Wednesday night in May on Love God, Love People, Make Disciples (Matthew 22, Matthew 28). September 1/2 – “What Is Your Role in the Church?” – This will be coming from Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12/14, Romans 12, talking about spiritual gifts, membership, and how every one of us is called to serve within the church. September 8/9 - We start into the book of James. It would be great for you to encourage your CG to read the entire book of James 5 times over the course of the next week to immerse yourselves in thoughtful meditation on the book in preparation of where the Lord is leading us in the coming weeks.

1. The Church is the Body of Christ

I Corinthians 12:12-26 (ESV) - One Body with Many Members - 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Brief Explanation: Scripture teaches that God has gifted all Christians with spiritual gifts; special endowed abilities which help each of us do the work of ministry effectively. Fruitful ministry occurs when we are serving in areas in the body of Christ the way God designed us, not out of obligation or manipulation, but out of the giftedness with which God has designed and created us.

God reveals to us our spiritual gifts in numerous ways. He affirms it through brothers and sisters in Christ, many times through your CG. He shows it through fruitful service in the church. He also reveals it through the work of the Holy Spirit. Pray intentionally asking God to reveal His gifts to you.

Lists of spiritual gifts come primarily through Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and I Peter 4. Discuss these:

Prophecy – Reporting a message from God to a particular situation in the current context.

Serving – Identifying and initiating to meet needs in the body without recognition.

Teaching – Educating God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Word of God to equip the body for understanding the Bible.

Encouragement – Motivating God’s people to act on biblical principles, often when folks are discouraged or weary in doing good.

Giving – Generously contributing to the material needs so the body can minister.

Leadership – The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction of ministry that attracts others to follow.

Administration – Organizing and managing people, processes, resources and time for effective ministry.

Mercy – Detect hurt, sorrow and minister the mercy of Christ compassionately. Evangelism – Communicating the Good News of the Gospel to the lost in a

uniquely powerful way. Shepherd – Protecting, feeding, leading and caring for the sheep in the fold of

His church, nurturing spiritual growth and caring. Hospitality – Making folks feel welcomed, accepted and comfortable in the

church family. Faith – Trusting that God will make a way and having the ability to step out and

trust Him blindly. Knowledge – Discover, analyze, apply and share scriptural truth with others. Wisdom - Anticipating consequences, providing others with practical biblical

application, and helping people see simple solutions to complex problems. Discernment - Understanding the difference between the work of the Holy Spirit

and the work of demonic spirits in a person’s life. A keen awareness of the spirit world.

Healing – An instrument of God’s healing physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, always giving glory to God.

Miracles – Doing miraculous and unnatural things, where God uses this gift to authenticate the Gospel bringing glory to Himself.

Tongues – The ability to speak in a language not known by the speaker. Interpretation of Tongues – To understand a message spoken by a speaker in an

unknown language and reveal that message to whom God desires it to be known.

For Discussion: God gives each of us gifts to build up the body of Christ, His church.

1. Only believers in Christ have spiritual gifts. I Cor 2:14. What surprises many that are not gifts of the Spirit? (Musical talent, humility, Etc)

2. Every believer has at least one spiritual gift. I Cor. 7:7 What about people who say they have nothing to offer in serving the church?

3. No one has all the gifts. We need each other to function as one body. I Cor 12:27-30

4. We develop these gifts. We steward them. I Tim 4:14-15 How can we develop gifts of the Spirit? How have you seen these develop as more spiritually mature believers?

5. Spiritual gifts are for the benefit of the church, to minister to others. It is not inwardly focused. I Peter 4:10 How have you seen people misuse their Spiritual gifts?

6. We have needs in the body, with specific gifts to meet these needs. Where can we injure the church, or injure believers, as we fill these needs?

2. John 13:2-17 (ESV) - 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

For Discussion:

When did this event occur?

Why washing feet?

Who usually washed the feet of guests?

What was Jesus teaching His disciples?

What is He teaching you and me?

Other ways we can serve in the body of Christ?

3. Mark 10:45 (ESV) - 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Luke 12:35-37 (ESV) - 35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.

For Discussion:

How is God using me to build up the body at HHBC? If I am a babe in Christ, is it OK if I don’t truly comprehend this concept of serving yet?

How can I get unbalanced in my service to the Lord and His church? How can I get tricked by the enemy to serve myself, or other “good things” and miss His fruitful service for me, that He has prepared in advance for me?

KEY THOUGHT- It is easier to discover our individual spiritual gifts through ministry than to discover our ministry through our spiritual gifts.

III. Responding in Prayer:

1. As we head into the fall, pray for our church that we would be led by the Spirit to fully embrace the mission of our church: Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples. As Christians, we were chosen for purpose — the purpose of glorifying God, and we glorify God by loving him, loving people, and making disciples! Pray that God reveals His will and purpose to each of you in your CG.

2. Pray for the people in our community group that each of us would grow up in spiritual maturity this fall. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal and refine our gifts, so we can be fruitful, glorifying God through our service to Him and to His church

3. Praise the Lord for the Lord’s moving through this church for salvation of souls. Specifically, we have seen the Lord save a high school student at Chi Alpha (Wednesday night HS service), and ten people professed Christ as Lord and Savior at Triumph Monday night (our Celebrate Recovery testimony series). We are seeing people come for obedience to baptism. Praise the Lord!!!

Mission / Vision / Valuesof Henderson Hills Baptist Church

Our Mission:Love God. Love People. Make Disciples. Our Vision:Our vision is to become a diverse family of surrendered and transformed people who passionately love God and others. We endeavor to be a body that is overcome by the reality that this life is not about us, but all about the glory of God. We want to be transfixed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and compelled by His heart for our world. We strive to be seed-throwers and fire-starters, hope-announcers and grace-givers, risk-takers and constant-reformers, lifelong-learners and sold-out doers. We desire to be a people who gladly give our lives to free the captive, strengthen the weak, embrace the outcast, and seek out the lost. Because Scripture is our authority, we strive to be a family that serves together, studies the Word together, plays together, worships together, and lives life together. By God's grace our world will be changed because we are here. Our Values:

1. Glorifying God:

We value the passionate pursuit of knowing God and walking with Him.

2. Submitting to the Authority of Scripture:

We value the sufficiency of Scripture in every aspect of our lives.

3. Living the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

We value sharing the Gospel and making disciples.

4. Serving with a Kingdom Perspective:

We value living our lives focused upon what will matter most for eternity.

5. Cherishing the Local Church:

We value the essential role of the church in the sanctification of the believer and salvation of the nations.

6. Doing Life Together in a Christ-Centered Community:

We value that God uniquely uses personal relationships to sanctify and sharpen believers.