12.1.19 Huddle
WEEK 7 INTRO
Welcome to the final week of our Centered Series—where for the last 7 weeks, we have explored what it means to have a Christ-Centered Worldview. Remember, our working definition of “worldview” is…what you believe about the most important and meaningful questions of life.
We have used the same worldview assessment tool every week…does anyone remember what they are?…Every worldview consists of 1. CLAIMS—2. REASONS—3. IMPLICATIONS—4. ACTIONS.
In our final week, we will be exploring the question, Is there hope?
WATCH THE SHORT FILM
FILM RESPONSE QUESTIONS…
- What stood out to you from the film? Did you find any piece particularly compelling or moving? Did it raise any new questions in your mind?
CLAIMS
Every worldview has to answer the question, what happens when we die? Is there hope beyond death? In this section, we will examine the claims made by a number of different worldviews in response to this question.
Naturalism
Naturalism claims that nature (the physical—i.e. atoms, molecules, etc) is all that there is. The claims of naturalism can be discovered in the following quote from Nobel Prize winning philosopher and mathematician, Bertrand Russell. He says,
“That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors or the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins—all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.”
Leader Note– You can have them look up the huddle on the app if they need to see the quote.
- What strikes you (or stands out to you) from this quote?
- How would Bertrand Russell (and fellow naturalists) answer the question, is there hope? What makes you say that?
Pantheism or New Age Spirituality
Pantheism or New Age Spirituality claims that ALL of reality (rocks, trees, water, humans, birds, etc) is ultimately divine. Upon death, the spiritual part of us returns to become part of the one impersonal divine energy.
- While the pantheistic worldview seems to hold out some inkling of hope beyond death, how is it different from the Christ-Centered Worldview view of hope beyond death?
Leader Note—You may have a variety of different answers to this question. While there is likely a number of differences that could be pointed out, the biggest difference is that in the Pantheistic worldview, we no longer have any since of self…all of that is lost in death. In addition, the Christ-Centered Worldview claims that we return to a personal and loving God, whereas Pantheism claims we return to an impersonal “energy.”
Christ-Centered Worldview
The Christ-Centered Worldview claims that there is real hope in both life and in death…that hope is tied to a historical event, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Historians now believe that 1 Corinthians 15 is an early Christian creed, dated to just 2-3 years after the death of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas (Peter), and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.”
- How does the creed from 1 Corinthians 15 provide us with both claims and reasons?
- Why do you think Paul makes the point that some of the witnesses were still living at the time of his writing? How does that strengthen his claim?
REASONS
We see from the earliest creed of the early church that the believers tied their hope to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everything centered around that event. This naturally leads us to wonder, is there any evidence of the resurrection of Jesus?
To answer this question, we are going to look at a number of different videos. Two are from Dr. William Lane Craig’s ministry, Reasonable Faith, and one was made by One Life.
LEADER NOTE: If you need to skip one for the sake of time, skip the last one, “Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead Part Two”
WATCH “DID JESUS REALLY RISE FROM THE DEAD PART ONE” VIDEO (6 MIN)
- What stood out to you from the video?
- For you, what fact seemed to be the strongest argument? Weakest?
- What questions did it bring up?
- Did any part of it help strengthen your faith?
One of the historical facts mentioned in the video was the disciples belief, even to the point of death.
Historian and New Testament Scholar, Dr. Gary Habermas, said,
“Virtually all scholars studying Jesus’s resurrection, whether conservative, moderate, or liberal, acknowledge that Jesus’s earliest followers were convinced not only that Jesus was raised from the dead but also that he had appeared alive to many of them on several occasions. Further, scholars also almost unanimously recognize that two former skeptics, James the brother of Jesus and Saul of Tarsus (Paul), became believers after they, too, were convinced that they had seen the risen Jesus.”
A few years ago, One Life created a video that addressed this very idea.
WATCH “EVIDENCE FOR THE RESURRECTION” VIDEO(5 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwQUPbL6ghQ
- What stood out to you from the video?
- Did any part of it help strengthen your faith?
We want to examine one more thing before moving away from reasons to believe. This is Part Two of “Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead” and it covers the major theories that have formed over the years to find a way to naturally explain the empty tomb. Check it out.
Watch “DID JESUS REALLY RISE FROM THE DEAD PART TWO” (6 MIN)
- What stood out to you from the video?
- Had you heard of any of these theories prior to today?
- In your mind, what was the strongest argument? Weakest?
- What questions did it bring up?
- Did any part of it strengthen your faith?
IMPLICATIONS
Now that we have explored the reasons we can confidently believe in the resurrection of Jesus, let’s think about the implications. Remember…beliefs don’t live in isolation, they work through all parts of our lives and actions.
When we think implications, it helps to think… “IF” ______ is true, “THEN” it means _________.
- What are the implications IF Jesus did NOT really rise from the dead?
- What are the implications IF Jesus really DID rise from the dead? In smaller groups, try to come up with 5…”IF” Jesus really did rise from the dead, “THEN” _________. Think of it in terms of what it means for things like death, fear, identity, suffering, the Bible, etc.
ACTIONS
Belief is not confined to our thoughts. True belief is lived out in action.
- If Jesus really did rise from the dead, proving to be God…how should it affect the way we live? In smaller groups, think of 5 tangible ways this reality should affect our actions.
SERIES CLOSING QUESTION
- Looking back over the series, what was your favorite week?
- Was there anything that really stuck with you from this series?
- How has this series helped you trust and follow Jesus more?