1.3.21 HUDDLE | LISTEN, DO, REPEAT WK 1

Zach Below   -   January 3, 2021

OPENING QUESTIONS (Choose a few)

  1. What was something fun you did over Christmas break?

 

  1. What was your favorite gift that you gave this Christmas?

 

  1. What did New Year’s Eve look like for you? Did you make it to midnight?

 

  1. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions for 2021?

 

 

SERIES INTRO

If we aren’t careful, we can view faith merely as a set of beliefs that we hold. However, the Christian faith is meant to be a lived faith. The life that Jesus modeled . . . including his words, rhythms and actions . . . are more than just nice stories and catchy sayings that we are supposed to take to heart. The life that Jesus modeled is meant to be adopted, transforming us from the inside out into the likeness of Christ for the sake of others.

Welcome to our new series Listen, Do, Repeat: How Faith Works. Over the next few weeks, we will explore what a living and active faith looks like in 2021. This week’s key takeaway is Great Faith Requires Managed Expectations.

 

  1. At first look, what do you think it means that “great faith requires managed expectations?”

 

  1. What do you think are a few false expectations people have when it comes to . . .
  • God?
  • How life should be once you are a Christian?
  • The Church?

 

 

BIBLE ENGAGEMENT – LUKE 7:18-28

Context: John the Baptist was thought of as a prophet during the time of Jesus. In fact, before Jesus started His public ministry, John was sort of the big man on campus. Scripture presents John as a very unique individual: he lived in the wilderness (desert), ate wild honey and locust, wore camel’s hair clothing and was fearless in his message, confronted both the Jewish leaders of the day as well as key leaders of the Roman government. Many scholars believe that John was a part of the Qumran community (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947), a Jewish sect that retreated to the desert to live a purified life. John was thought of as the predecessor to Jesus, the one that would prepare the way for the messiah.

In the Luke 7 text, John’s confrontational nature has got him in trouble with the Roman government and he finds himself in prison, wondering what his fate will be. John is sitting in prison and his false expectations about what the messiah should be and do allows doubt to begin to creep in.

 

LUKE 7:18-28

18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’[b]

28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

 

BIBLE ENGAGEMENT QUESTIONS

  1. What stands out to you from the text?

 

  1. What questions does it raise?

 

  1. What do you think John is expecting from Jesus?

 

 

MESSIANIC PASSAGES

There are a number of texts from the book of Isaiah that first century Jews would have known and considered to be pictures of who the coming messiah would be and what the messiah would do. Read the following texts, keeping in mind how this would impact John’s expectations of what the messiah should look like and his question from our Luke text.

 

ISAIAH 42:5-7

This is what God the Lord says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

 

 

ISAIAH 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.

 

 

  1. In what way do these two texts speak to John’s expectations of the messiah . . . especially in light of his current situation? Make a list of attributes of the messiah from this text.

 

  1. Look back at Luke 7:22, what is noticeably left off of Jesus’s list that he sends back to John? Why do you think Jesus did that?

 

  1. John the Baptist’s mission was to “prepare the way for the Lord.” One cannot read the Gospel’s without it being clear that he lived up to that mission and completed it successfully. How does it make you feel that John did everything right but still died in prison? What could God be trying to teach us through this story?

 

 

SUCCESS

It is hard to know for sure what John thought about the success of his mission. However, it is not hard to imagine that if you were sitting in prison with no hopes of getting out, you might not view yourself as very successful. You may even consider yourself a failure. However, Jesus tells a different story when it comes to John’s success.

  

  1. Look back at Luke 7:24-28. How does Jesus view the success of John’s mission? What makes you say that?

 

  1. Respond to the following quote: “We may walk out everything exactly the way we are supposed to, but if we define success on our own terms, we are going to be disappointed.”

 

  1. One key learning that we can take from this story is that in the gospel view of life, we are simply called to walk in faithful obedience . . . not for the results. In the gospel, we don’t define success on our own terms, God define success. Is that message hard for you to receive/live out?

 

  1. What is one way you can live out that gospel message when it comes to how you approach the next week? How can it be lived out in relation to your family, parenting, job, etc?

 

  1. In what area of life do you find it hardest to simply walk-in obedience and let God define the success?

 

CLOSE IN PRAYER