Small Group Guide
WAVED OFF AND SHELVED
The Church at Brook Hills Dr. Jim ShaddixNovember 16, 2014 Hebrews 6:1-8
Use this resource as a tool to help Christ-followers move forward in their spiritual growth. To do this well requires that the Small Group Leader is building a relationship with the individuals in the small group and has identified where the people are in their relationship with God. Are they Christ-followers? Are they growing in Christ? If so, in what areas do they need to grow further? As disciple-makers, Small Group Leaders shepherd people to know the truth of Scripture, to understand why it matters, and to apply it to their lives. Small Group Leaders come alongside those whom they disciple to discover how loving God, loving each other, and loving those not yet in the Kingdom should shape how they live. The structure of this resource coincides with moving people from knowledge (Main Truth) to understanding (Why It Matters) to application (Now What Do We Do?). Utilize this Small Group Guide as a flexible teaching tool to inform your time together and not as a rigid task list.
GETTING STARTED
Before Small Group
Weekly Readings for September 22-28
1 Chronicles 9-18, Hebrews 13, and James 1-5
Where We Are In The Story ~ Old Testament (1 Chronicles)
Background of 1 Chronicles: Scholars do not know the identity of “the Chronicler” God used to write 1 and 2 Chronicles, but the content of the book suggests that it was written after the people of Judah returned to the land after the Babylonian captivity (see 2 Chron. 36:21-23), which means that the earliest possible date for these books is 538 B.C. Chronicles follows the reigns of the Davidic kings and provides a theological interpretation of the nation’s history, demonstrating that God’s plans for the nation had not failed. For this reason, it acts as more than a supplement to Samuel and Kings, for it addresses the theological questions of God’s people after returning from exile and provides insight into the character of God, worship that pleases Him, and His covenant with His people.
This Week in 1 Chronicles: 1 Chronicles 1-9 contains two distinct genealogies: Adam to Jacob (1:1-2:2) and the twelve tribes of Israel from their development to their return from exile (2:3-9:34). By starting with these genealogies, the Chronicler reminds the people of Israel of who they are as God’s people and how God formed them for His purpose. Before the creation of the first man, He chose them. He formed Adam, chose Noah, selected Abraham, and ordained the twelve tribes (the descendants of Jacob). Therefore, the genealogies provide a zoomed out view of the nation’s formation and identity.
The genealogy of 1 Chronicles 9 records those who returned to the land, particularly to Jerusalem, in 538 B.C. after the Babylonian captivity. The Chronicler specifically focuses attention on the Levites who returned to Israel, and he particularly mentions the “son of Zadok” in 1 Chronicles 9:11 to establish that the high priestly line after the exile continued to be held by the descendants of Zadok. Because most of the descendants of Zadok were taken to Babylon, Levite families who were not taken captive continued the priestly duties in the land, so the Chronicler, Ezekiel, and Zechariah all established that the line of Zadok was to continue in its role after the exile. From the attention that Ezekiel and Zechariah give to this subject, it appears that not all of the Levites were happy about returning to their subordinate positions after the exile (see Ez. 40:46; 43:19; 44:10-27; Zech. 3-4). All of this background helps in understanding why the Chronicler spends most of chapter nine describing the duties of the Levitical families.
Having established the record of who returned to the land after exile, the Chronicler shifts attention to the nation’s history beginning with its first king, Saul. However, the Chronicler focuses only one chapter on King Saul while dedicating much attention to the Davidic line, particularly to David and Solomon. In 1 & 2 Chronicles, Richard L. Pratt explains why: “David and Solomon’s reigns also depicted responsibilities for post-exilic Israel. If they wanted to secure divine blessings in their day, they had to imitate the positive accomplishments of these kings. God’s favor would appear only as post-exilic Israel followed the patterns of the ideal United Kingdom.”
The Chronicler was not interested in producing an in-depth biography of David’s life and knew that 1 and 2 Samuel existed (he probably even referenced those writings when producing 1 and 2 Chronicles). So the Chronicler does not skip over David’s moral failures in an attempt to rewrite history. Rather, the Chronicler omits them because he is emphasizing the characteristics of David that the post-exilic people should emulate in order not to warrant another captivity.
1 Chronicles 10-11 focuses on David’s ascent to the throne, and 1 Chronicles 13-16 describe the Ark’s transfer to Jerusalem and worship at the tabernacle. The Chronicler attributes Saul’s death to God’s judgment on his “breach of faith” (10:13), which leads to the installment of David as king in Israel. Even this contrast between an unrighteous king who “did not keep the command of the LORD” (10:13) and King David who established worship in Jerusalem is meant to be instructive to the post-exilic people of Israel. All of this explains why the Chronicler skips the years that constitute 2 Samuels 1-4 and the situation with Ish-bosheth, Saul’s descendant. By rehearsing the capture of Jerusalem and how David made it the seat of government and worship for God’s people, the Chronicler highlights why the city should be rebuilt after exile – it is the historical seat of power and God’s choice city for His Temple.
The list of David’s mighty men and the brief narratives of their exploits in 1 Chronicles 11-12 reminds the readers of God’s blessing on David’s reign, for his reign extended widely, he and his supporters were victorious in battle because of the Lord, and the Lord honored David’s humility. 1 Chronicles 13-16 focuses on David bringing the Ark to Jerusalem and establishing this city as the seat of worship, even before the Temple is built, and the Chronicler zooms in on this event in order to remind the post-exilic Jews that their ideal was “a kingdom in which Jerusalem’s king and temple stood in the center of God’s people” (Richard Pratt, 1 & 2 Chronicles). Unlike the report in 2 Samuel, the Chronicler emphasizes how God blessed David despite the initial failed attempt to move the Ark, which contrasts David with Saul, and he also depicts David’s consultation with the leaders of the nation to move the ark, demonstrating the unity of the assembly and their submission to God in this venture. When the Ark had been placed in the tent in Jerusalem, David issued a song of thanks, and 1 Chronicles 16 contains portions of Psalms 105-106 with Psalm 96 as this song. It is likely that the celebration gave rise to several psalms, and the Chronicler only provides a snapshot of the songs that were sung that day.
Having moved the Ark to Jerusalem and established the duties of the Levites to minister before the Ark, David makes preparations for the construction of the Temple, and his desire to build God a house serves as the occasion for God making a covenant with David (1 Chron. 17). The Chronicler records many promises that God made to David; most importantly, he notes five components of God’s covenant with David: God would raise up one of David’s offspring to rule (17:11), God would establish the throne of this son forever (17:12), God would be his (Solomon’s) father (17:13), God would not remove his lovingkindness from Solomon as he had done with Saul (17:13), and God would set Solomon up over His house and His kingdom forever (17:14). This covenant expressed to David and to the people of Israel that David’s descendants were God’s choice dynasty for the nation, and unlike with Saul, God would not remove the throne from this family. David’s response exudes humility, expressing his recognition that he did nothing to deserve such divine grace (17:16-27), and the following chapter supports God’s promises by demonstrating the success God gave David and his men in battle and the resulting national security their success provided (18:1-17).
Where We Are In The Story ~ New Testament (Hebrews)
Background of Hebrews: Written by an unnamed author to second generation Christians (2:3; 4:2), Hebrews provides encouragement to believers to endure in their commitment to the gospel despite their persecution and to hold to the truth of God’s Word (2:1-4; 10:32-39; 13:7-9). This book was written more as a sermon to be read to the intended group of believers rather than a letter, which accounts for the lack of salutation that is included in all of the Pauline epistles. The title of the book does not necessarily mean that the intended audience was primarily Christian Jews, although that could have been the case. The author does presuppose that his intended audience has considerable familiarity with the Old Testament, for he exegetes the Old Testament in order to demonstrate the supremacy of Christ and how He fulfills the Old Testament.
This Week in Hebrews: After nine chapters of stout doctrine, Hebrews 10-13 digs into the practical implications of how Christ’s work affects the lives of His followers. While obedience was required by the Mosaic law, greater faithfulness is expected of those who are in Christ Jesus. This is not because obedience merits anything, it is because we have experienced the mercy and grace of our Savior. The commands in Hebrews 13 come in a rapid-fire fashion, and following chapter twelve’s concluding remarks about worship and our God who is a “consuming fire, these commands exhibit that obedience is part of our worship to God. Despite the persecution the original audience experienced, the author exhorts them to continue in love and righteousness, to pursue contentment in Christ, to respect and imitate the example of their leaders, to discern and avoid false teaching, and to continually praise God. Hebrews closes with a prayer request from the author, a benediction, and final greetings and remarks. The benediction (vv. 20-21) notes three specific things about God: He is the God of peace, He raised Jesus from the dead, and He equips us to obey through Christ. So after issuing commands that the believers are exhorted to keep, the author reminds them that God enables their faithfulness and that the One who has raised the dead has the power to work in and through us and to provide peace despite our circumstances.
Where We Are In The Story ~ New Testament (James)
Background of James: James, the half-brother of Jesus and a leader in the Jerusalem church, wrote this letter to the Jewish Christians who lived throughout the Roman Empire and who were experiencing persecution for the faith (1:1-18). Throughout this epistle, James contrasts a living, vibrant faith with dead faith, which is not really faith at all, and he emphasizes the connection between faith in God and obedience to Him. In James, obedience consists of three primary areas: perseverance in trials, simplicity in living, and sincere obedience in their lives.
This Week in James: Chapter one contains three “how to” sections: how to respond to trials (1:2-12), how to respond to temptation (1:13-18), and how to respond to truth (1:19-27). James 1:2 and 1:12 form an inclusio with the word “trials,” and everything sandwiched between these two words relates to facing “trials of various kinds.” James directs his readers to consider how God uses trials for our sanctification and how He equips us with the wisdom needed to respond well in such hard times (if we ask for such wisdom). Furthermore, we can have hope and joy because our earthly situations will not persist forever.
In James 1:8 and 4:8, James references the “double-minded,” and these are people who try to have one foot in the world and one foot in the Christian camp. The word literally means “of two minds” in Greek, and it involves both doubting God and duplicity. As Frank Thielman describes in Theology of the New Testament,
These people cannot make up their minds to do what is right (1:6), and they act insincerely (3:17). They are quick to boast of ‘understanding’ and ‘wisdom,’ but their deeds tell the true story-the story of a corrupt heart (3:14; 4:8). These are divided people, boasting of heavenly wisdom but acting in agreement with its earthly, spiritual opposite (3:13-17).
James 1:13-14 warns that temptation comes from our evil desires, and this involves temptation regarding our speech (1:19-20, 26), our temper (1:19-20) our own wickedness (1:21), our care for the powerless (1:27), and our purity (1:27). James exhorts us “to put away” such things and to live in light of the “implanted word” that we have received (1:21). This implanted word is a reference to the transformed heart that comes at salvation and is accompanied by the Holy Spirit’s residence in us, and it is a fulfillment of the prophecies made by Jeremiah and Ezekiel regarding the new covenant (Jer. 31; Ez. 36).
True religion shows itself in our speech, in our care for orphans and widows, and in our purity (1:26-27), but on the heels of these descriptions, James jumps into a warning against partiality in the body (2:1-13), showing how social discrimination flies in the face of loving our neighbors as ourselves and is a sin (2:8-9). James 2:1-13, therefore, expounds on James 1:27 and contrasts God’s way with the way of the wicked when it comes to how we treat people. For James’ original audience, they showed priority to the rich, but such sinful, prejudiced behavior is also exhibited towards people of different ethnicities, lifestyles, and sexual orientation. Authentic faith shows itself in love, and it shows itself in the way we speak (1:19-20, 26; 3:3-12; 4:1, 11-12; 5:9, 12). So according to James’ definitions of a sincere, living faith, we should all examine our lives to determine whether our lives align with what we say we believe.
Throughout James, he touches on warnings regarding wealth. It will not endure but will fade away (1:9-11; 4:13-17; 5:1-3), but if we do not keep this in mind it can consume us and lead us to forget God. Our interactions and care for each other should not be influenced by what one has or does not have (2:1-6). It can cause us to neglect the poor (2:14-16), either because we are so consumed with ourselves that we do not notice their need or because we are too stingy to give our money away. It can lead us to depend on ourselves and not to remember or trust the sovereignty of God (4:13-16). And it can lead us to act unjustly towards others, oppressing and taking advantage of the poor in order to pad our own pockets instead of alleviating their suffering (5:4-6). And to what end? As a warning, James reminds us that “the Judge is standing at the door” (5:9). We will give an account to the Lord for our actions on this earth, and don’t we want to live for what will last rather than what will fade away? Will we spend our lives in a way that has positive eternal impact on others, or will we waste the life and the resources that God has given to us?
In James 2:14-26, he expresses that faith without works is dead (2:17, 20, 26), and through the examples of Abraham and Rahab (see Gen. 22; Josh. 2), James demonstrates that true faith results in radical obedience to God and is willing to sacrifice for Him. Often, questions arise over how James’ relationship between faith and works gels with Paul’s understanding of the gospel. However the two are not at odds, for James does not advocate a works righteousness theology. While Paul often refers to faith in a salvific sense (but not always), James focuses on how faith expresses itself in our daily lives, but keep in mind that Paul also urges believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). James does not advocate works in order to earn salvation; instead, he notes how our faith (or lack of faith) expresses itself in how we think, speak, and act. As James Adamson states in his commentary on James, “Faith and works are not antithetical but complementary – cause and effect: both are necessary and inseparable (2:24). Faith is the inspiration of works, and works are the proof of faith.”
James also differentiates between godly wisdom and earthly wisdom (3:13-18). Following on the heels of a warning about the tongue’s ability to bless and to harm (3:1-12), James shows that earthly wisdom involves boasting, deception, jealousy, selfish ambition, chaos, and “every vile practice” (3:16), and he characterizes it as demonic. After describing what wisdom is not, he transitions to describe what godly wisdom looks like. It is “pure, peaceable, gently, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere” (3:17). Fruit is the evidence of the tree type (3:12), and the wisdom displayed in your life reveals whether you are worldly or godly. As James Adamson states, “Worldliness is the negation of true wisdom,” and worldliness or earthly wisdom stems from the devil, not from God. This is why James harps on believers for loving the world and why he spends valuable real estate in this letter showing how love for the world and love for God cannot co-exist in the believer’s life (4:1-10).