12-8-19 Huddle

Zach Below   -   December 8, 2019

12.8.19 Huddle—BAPTISM

 

INTRO: This past Sunday was a baptism service at One Life. Across all of our sites there were 20 people who made the public declaration of their faith in Jesus. This week in group, we will be examining a number of different narrative stories of baptisms in the early church. We will not get into the theology of baptism as much as examining the stories.

 

 

INTRO QUESTION

  1. For those in the group that have been baptized, what is one thing you remember about that experience?
  2. In the message on Sunday, Bret mentioned three general reasons people often remain skeptical to faith.
  • Bad Experiences (either in life or in church)
  • The thought that “faith stuff” just feels to fairy tale-ish
  • I somewhat believe but want to live my own life.

 

Which of these best describes your past or present struggles with faith?

 

 

GROUP ACTIVITY

The book of Acts is a historical account of the early church. In Acts, we see a number of stories of people coming to faith that end in baptism. Break into smaller groups. Each group take 3 of the following baptism accounts. As you read, make no of when/if faith is mentioned, when/if baptism is mentioned, and when/if the Holy Spirit is mentioned. After 10 minutes, get back together and summarize your findings for the other groups.

 

  • Acts 8:5-17
  • Acts 8:26-28
  • Acts 9:10-21
  • Acts 10:44-48 (Background: Peter has been told to take the message of Christ to non-Jewish people for the first time. This text is after he preaches to them).
  • Acts 16:11-15
  • Acts 16:25-34
  • Acts 19:1-5

 

After getting back together and debriefing

  1. What stands out to you among these stories? Do you identify with one more than the other?
  2. Do you see any common themes throughout?

 

 

STANDING STONES- SCRIPTURE ENGAGEMENT

Background Info: The book of Exodus tells the story of Moses leading Israel out of slavery in Egypt. His plan was to bring the Israelites into the promised land (a specific section of fertile land in ancient Canaan, modern day Israel that was rich in natural resources). Even though Moses gets the Israelites close, he never reaches the promise land. Instead, he hands-off leadership to a young man named Joshua. It is Joshua who finally leads the people of Israel into the promise land. The text we are about to read is a major moment for Israel. They are on their final conquest before claiming the promise land. To be successful, the whole nation must cross the Jordan River, which the Bible suggest is swift and deep. God once again intervenes. Just as the Red Sea was parted as Moses and the Israelites tried to escape the Egyptian army, God once again stops the water from flowing and the Israelites cross on dry ground.

 

What we are about to read is right after the Israelites cross the Jordan. Joshua sends 12 men back in to grab a stone.

 

Read Joshua 4:4-7, 19-24

 

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

 

19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”

 

  1. Why did Joshua have the Israelites get stones?

 

  1. How is baptism like a standing stone in our life?

 

 

JESUS’S BAPTISM—SCRIPTURE ENGAGEMENT

Intro: The word “theophany” is just a fancy theological word that means that a manifestation of God in reality. The Christ-Centered Worldview believes in what is known as the Trinity—the divine mystery that God is equally Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What is interesting about the account of Jesus’s baptism is that it is the only “theophany” of all three members of the Trinity.

 

Read Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

 

  1. How is this text a “theophany” or real presence of all three members of the Trinity at one time?

 

  1. Why do you think Jesus was baptized?

 

 

CLOSING QUESTION

Intro: Scripture tells us that when we are baptized we claim a new identity…become a new person…the old is gone and the new has come.

 

In light of that…

 

  1. For those that are baptized, we tend to think of “before Christ” and “after Christ”. If you are willing, share your story…before Christ ____________, after putting my faith in Christ _______________.

 

 

PRACTICE

We are constantly moving forward, new things, new experiences. Because of this, we rarely reflect back on significant moments of our lives. However, the way of Jesus is rich with reflection.

If you have been baptized…

Reflect back on your baptism. Remember everything you can about the day…even the smallest details. Try to remember where your heart was and how you were feeling. Then, think on how you have grown since then. Does your life have more peace? More joy? Do you handle failures better? Journal your thoughts.

 

If you have not yet been baptized…

Spend time reflecting on what is keeping you from it. Think about the stories we read and ultimately about Jesus’s baptism. What is one step you can take to move yourself closer?