Week 11 - Savior
This week in summary| Day 1 : Leader of All | Luke 19-20 |
| Day 2 : Jesus the Savior | Luke 21 |
| Day 3 : Four Laws | Luke 22 |
| Day 4 : Serving My Co-Workers | Luke 23 |
| Day 5 : My Life Mission | Luke 24 |
Leader of All
Leadership requires trust
Authority from on high is given to men and women that can be trusted to accomplish their task. Any corporate officer that acts unprofessionally should start looking for another job. Without the trust from the decision makers and business owners you won’t be able to keep your position.
Jesus knew that his authority came from on high, way up high. This put him at odds with the politics and people of power in the world around him. He refused to compromise the will of God. He would not pander to the movers and shakers of his day. He was incorruptible. The only deal he would offer was ‘follow me.’ This infuriated the rich and privileged who are used to clients catering to their whim.
Authority doesn’t just come from on high. It also comes from the hearts and minds of the masses. We ultimately choose who we follow. People will suffer the tyranny no longer than they have to. The moment a viable alternative presents itself the people will choose the leader they can trust.
Leadership is built on trust. It may be a director appointing an officer that she can trust to get the job done. Or it may be an average guy choosing to support a leader that cares about him and can provide a better future. Both models require a trustworthy leader.
Jesus is the kind of leader people are willing to die for. Literally. It comes from the simple fact that He is trustworthy.
Making Jesus known
It’s human nature to fear the unknown and trust what we know. So it stands that trusting Jesus could simply be an issue of getting to knowing him. How can you get to know more about Jesus? How can you help others to learn more about Jesus? What is the benefit of increasing your trust of Jesus? What kind of risks would you be willing to take to learn about how Jesus is trust worthy? What risks does Jesus ask you to take?
Jesus the Savior
Jesus - the name literally means ‘savior.’ He said he came to seek and save the lost.
So, Who is lost? and How does Jesus save them?
Who is lost? – Everyone
It’s easy to see how some unfortunate people could be lost. Caught in difficult life circumstances, following an unhealthy or destructive lifestyle; certainly they need to be rescued. But what about the rest of us who have things pretty much under control? We all start off disconnected from God (the source of life) and that puts us on a collision course with death. Everyone from the greatest to the least starts out lost and remains that way unless Jesus rescues them.
God sent us Jesus as a life line to get us connected with Him. Jesus accomplished this when he died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead. Everything that held us back and kept us separated from God was defeated. Jesus took it to the cross with him, buried and left it in the grave.
Jesus rescued us from way that leads to death and welcomes us to follow him on a way that leads to life. He is our savior.
Four Spiritual Laws
Just as there are laws that govern the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws that govern your relationship with God.
Law 1
God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God's Love
"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
God's Plan
[Christ speaking:] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).
Why is it that most people are not experiencing that abundant life? Because...
Law 2
Humanity is separated from God by sin
Therefore, we cannot know and experience
God's love and plan for his life.
Humanity is Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
We were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our own stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Humanity Is Separated
"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
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This diagram illustrates that God is holy and humanity is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that humanity is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through our own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion -but we inevitably fail. |
The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...
Law 3
Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin.
Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
Jesus Died In Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
He Rose from the Dead
"Christ died for our sins, He was buried, He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
Jesus Is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me'" (John 14:6).
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This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. |
It is not enough just to know these three laws...
Law 4
We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord;then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31)
This is a gift from God, not something we can earn
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as result of works that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
All the work of putting us back with God's love and plan was done by Jesus when He died on the cross. This free gift is for all who believe. If you believe tell him right now out loud: "Jesus, I believe that you saved me!"
Serving my Co-Workers
Jesus was a King yet he came to serve. His idea of leadership is humbly serving others, not being waited on and pampered by our power. Following in his footsteps we will be serving our co-workers this week. Remember co-workers could be anyone who works around you not just the people on your team. This may require creativity. Here are a few suggestions:- Give a gift such as baked goods.
- Try the obvious; “what can I do to serve you?”
- Ask, “What are you doing this weekend?”
- Or “What do you need?”
- Let them know you’re eager to help them
My Life Mission
Last week we began identifying themes and circles of influence in your life. Just like scriptures, our lives tell a story of how awesome God is. By identifying the themes of God’s work so far we can extrapolate to what God is doing with our lives and build a life vision statement for the road ahead. This statement can be a helpful guide as we face choices in life that move us towards fulfilling our life’s purpose.
Based on the surveys what trends do you notice God doing in your life?
Theme #1 __________________________________________
Theme #2 __________________________________________
Theme #3 __________________________________________
Theme #4 __________________________________________
Describe your circles of influence:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
What vision do you have for your circle of influence based on the trends that God has done in your life?
To ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
By ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
If you have any questions contact your facilitator ahead of time.