Men of Grace: Equipping Faithful Men -1

Series Overview

Introduction:

We stand at a crossroads today. Most peoplearound us have no clear idea of who Jesus Christ is and what He has done. Also, sadly, many faithful church goers feel inadequate in sharing God’s good news and helping others become responsible, reproducing followers of Christ. The Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy not only to “be strong” but also to build an understanding of God’s truth and grace into the lives of others (II Tim. 2:1-2). It reminds us that we must be doing our job as a church.

Even church leaders need to examine their Biblical job description. The leader’s job is to equip “faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (II Tim. 2:2)and to “equip the saints, for the work of ministry, so Christ’s body may be built up”. (Eph. 4:11-12) That is the primary purpose for this study: to equip faithful men, who can do the work of ministry by teaching others also!

Challenges: Personal Study and Memorization

During this series, anyone can come to the Saturday meeting and participate. But if you want to dig deeper, there are two challenges you can take up:

  • Personal Study – work through the Bible Study on your own before each session
  • Memorization – memorize the key verse before each session

You can download the weekly Bible Study handout and also find memorization helps at:

Series Outline

I.Begin with the Gospel. We must understand God’s Good News if we are to be able to pass it on.

1.The fact of sin – (John 3:19) - How do you help a person understand this?

2.The penalty of sin – (Romans 6:23) -What’s the difference between wages and a gift?

3.Penalty paid by Christ – (II Corinthians 5:21) – Why is a substitute necessary?

4.Salvation, not by works (Ephesians 2:8, 9) – Explain the difference between “do” and “done”?

5.Must accept Christ (John 1:12) – How are believing and receiving related?

6.Assurance of salvation (I John 5:11, 12) – On what do you base the assurance of your salvation?

II. Christian Life: With new life, the believer needs to be established in his walk with the Lord, so he has all the “tools” with which to grow in place.

1.Christ the center (Colossians 2:6, 7) – What does this mean?

2.The Obedient Christian (John 15:10, 14) – How is obedience a proof of love?

3.The Word (Colossians 3:16) – Why is knowing God’s Word so important?

4.Prayer (John 16:24) – What part does prayer play in a believer’s growth?

5.Fellowship (Hebrews 10:24, 25) – Why are Christians expected to belong to a church?

6.Witnessing (I Peter 3:15) – How would you express your birth, faith and hope in Jesus?

III. Promised Blessings: As a result of a person coming to and responding to Christ, God makes some wonderful promises to give encouragement.

1.Forgiveness of sin (I John 1:9) – Why is it so important to know that God forgives people?

2.Comfort (II Corinthians 1:3, 4) – How does God use trials and troubles to become blessings?

3.Peace (John 14:27) – What makes Christ’s peace such a powerful blessing?

4.Christian growth (I Peter 2:2) – How does Christian growth flow out of a relationship?

5.God’s reward (II Corinthians 5:10) – How does accountability and reward motivate people?

6.Christ’s return (Titus 2:12-13) – Why is the promise of Christ’s return such a blessing?

IV. The Challenge: God’s promised blessings assure us that living as fully devoted followers of Jesus is worthwhile, but in following Jesus we must also accept its challenges.

1.To follow Christ (I Peter 2:21) – What does it mean for someone to follow Jesus in today’s world?

2.To be separate from the world (II Corinthians 6:17-18) – Why is this such a challenge?

3.To overcome trials (James 1:12) – Why is it important that a new believer understands he will face tough times?

4.To endure suffering (Philippians 1:29) – What kind of suffering can devoted followers of Jesus expect?

5.To be strong (Ephesians 6:10-11) – How is putting on God’s armor essential in maintaining spiritual strength?

6.To declare the message (Matthew 28:18-20) – How can every Christian be a part of fulfilling this challenge?

V. The Resources: God never expects His church and disciples to respond to His challenges without also supplying them with necessary resources.

1.God’s Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14) – Why is it necessary to know that God’s Spirit has been given?

2.God’s promises (II Peter 1:4) – How do God’s promises become resources to keep us going?

3.God’s power (Ephesians 3:20-21) – How does having God’s power enable us to get out of our comfort zones!

4.God’s wisdom (James 1:5) – How can a Biblical perspective give you Godly wisdom?

5.God’s guidance (John 16:13) – What key factors can help you find God’s guidance?

6.God’s grace (I Corinthians 1:4, 5) – What makes God’s grace such a valuable resource?

VI. Expected Fruit: As faithful men are equipped and are in ministry of equipping others also, spiritual results become evident.

1.Love (Galatians 5:22, 23) – Why is it so important that you know you’re loved through God’s grace before you can truly love others?

2.Faith (II Timothy 1:13) – What building blocks are necessary for faith to be a “living faith”?

3.Joy (John 15:11) – How is the joy from Jesus different from the happiness of our world?

4.Victory (I Corinthians 10:31) – Why is self-discipline essential to spiritual victory?

5.Humility (Philippians 2:3, 5) – What is there in Christ’s humility that is so necessary for us to reflect?

6.Maturity (Ephesians 4:13) – What can you expect to see in a mature Christian?

Do you want to be a “faithful” man of God?

Will you digest God’s Word and be prepared to bless and share the good news with others?

A. The Gospel1. The Fact of Sin

Scripture Study: John 3:1-21Memory Verse: John 3:19

Reflection:

As Christian men we must be able to give a reasonable explanation as to the fundamentals of the Christian faith from a Biblical perspective. The Word of God encourages us to “be ready always to give a reason for our hope to anyone who asks.”(I Pet.3:15) By putting scripture to memory we will be able to use God’s Word with a sense of authority because we will know what is says from memory and be able to use it as a resource tool.

Our first six studies will focus on the basics of the Gospel message. We begin by understanding that God sent a Savior into the world because people are in trouble. Every human being has missed God’s mark of perfection, or sinned, but it’s hard for “good, moral” people to understand and accept this, so our first study deals with a religious man named Nicodemus.

I. Background Study: John 3:1-21

  1. Who is Nicodemus and what is his position in Israel? Why do you think he would come at night?
  1. What question is implied by Nicodemus in verse 2 and what is the impact of Jesus’ answer? (vs. 3)
  1. What two kingdoms is Jesus talking about here and what does he say is the way to enter each one? (3:4-6; Ezek. 36:26-27)
  1. In verses 12-15 Jesus moves from an emphasis on birth to an emphasis on the need for belief. Read Numbers 21:4-9. How does this illustrate the necessity of believing what God says is true?
  1. What must true believing include?
  1. In verses 14-15 what demand is made of Nicodemus—and of each of us?
  1. What action has God taken: for what purpose, with what motive, for what result?

(Jn. 3:16)

  1. What does verses 17-18 tell you about our human situation?

II.Memory Verse: John 3:19

  1. Write out this verse in your own words so that it makes sense to you.
  1. What is the cause of man’s unbelief?
  1. Explain what it means that “men love darkness”? How have you seen the truth of that in your experience?
  1. Why do you suppose so many people “hate the light”?

III. Application

  1. Why is it so hard for ‘good, moral’ people to understand they need a Savior?
  1. As a result of this study, how would you approach a non-Christian and help him understand he needs a Savior?

Adapted with permission from a series by Stephen P. Struikmans (