9.20.20 Huddle–BECAUSE WK 4
WEEK 4 INTRO
We are in week 4 of our Because 2020 series. This week we will continue our study on worship by looking at Jesus’s understanding of truth. This understanding helps answer the question, “Why do we worship Jesus?”
INTRO QUESTION
- On Sunday, Pastor Bret told a story about attempting a fancy dive but doing a massive back-buster in front of a crowd of people. Have you ever an embarrassing moment in front of a crowd? Is so, share.
- Our working definition of worship is “the recognition of and response to worth,” What are some things that our culture “worships?” Why are those things given so much worth?
SCRIPTURE ENGAGEMENT- JOHN 18:28-38
Context: The Jewish leaders arrested Jesus but their law made them unable to punish him the way they wanted to . . . the death penalty. So, they took Jesus to the Roman rulers in hopes that they would give Jesus the death penalty. They trumped up charges on Jesus to try and cause the state to sentence him. This text begins as the Jewish leaders bring Jesus in front of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor over Judea.
28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.
33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.
SCRIPTURE ENGAGEMENT QUESTIONS
- What stands out to you from this verse?
- Jesus had already made a pretty exclusive claim in John 14 when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We find another major claim in this text. What claim is Jesus making when he says, “In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
- com defines truth as “the actual state of a matter; conformity with reality or actual existence. Theologian John Frame summed it up saying, “Truth is what . . . IS.” Based on this definition of truth, is it possible for you not to like something and it still be true? Can you give an example?
- What do you think people mean when they say, “That is my truth or that is your truth?”
- Based on the above definition, if we hold different opinions, is it possible that “your truth and my truth” are both truth?
- Respond to the following statement: “If we look at truth and define it correctly, truth does not matter if I like it or not.”
- S. Lewis said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of port would do that. If you want religion to make you comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” What do you think C.S. Lewis is getting at here?
IMPLICATIONS AND ACTIONS
- What are the implications if the claims that Jesus made in both John 14 and John 18 are actually true?
- What are the dangers of assessing truth based on what makes us feel good?
- If Jesus’s claims are true, it means that we have a way to the Father. Why does that inspire worship (remember our working definition of worship is . . . the recognition of and response to worth)?
CLOSE IN PRAYER