Small Group Guide

BEHOLD THE WORD MADE FLESH

The Church at Brook Hills Matt MasonDecember 13, 2015 John 1:1-18

MAIN TRUTH

Message Outline

To download the outline for this week’s sermon, visit brookhills.org/media.

Message Summary

In chapter 1 of the Gospel of John, the apostlelooks into eternity past and introduces us to Jesus as the Eternal Wordthat became flesh.Inthe OldTestament,God creates, rules, and reveals by His Word. In the New Testament, we discover that Jesus is the One through Whom the world was created, and He is the One through Whom Godrules. The bigger God gets in our minds and hearts through Christ being central to our lives, the more we will be prepared to live for Him, to trust Him, and to obey Him. Jesus is the epicenter of all Christian preaching. He is both Light and Life for the world. By definition, apart from Jesus, there is no light or life. Jesus is the Word made flesh through which God has made Himself known. Apart from Jesus, we cannot see or know God.

WHY IT MATTERS

Digging Deeper

John the Baptist is the first in a long succession of Christ-centered preachers. The Apostle John states his preaching philosophy in John 1:

He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light (Jn. 1:7-8).

The apostle Peter gives the very first sermon after Jesus ascended to heaven,and Christ operates as the central theme of apostolic preaching:

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men…(Acts 2:22-23).

Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him (Acts 3:12-13).

The apostle Paul also made it very clear Whostood as the central theme of his preaching:

We preach Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:23).

We decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord (2 Cor. 4:5).

Why is it important that Christ be central to preaching in Christianity? What marks Christ-centered preaching? What happens when preachers or teachers deviate from Christ-centered teaching?

Discuss ways that we as a congregation, as a small group, and as individual witnesses can continue the preaching philosophy John the Baptist and the New Testament apostles startedby intentionally making what we share with the lost about Christ and not about us.Pray as a group that Christ would be central in the preparation and presentation of the gospel message here at Brook Hills.Pray this also for yourself as you witness to others about Christ as light and life.

Look back on conversations this past week. How do your conversations and the way you live your live indicate what your life is about? Describe what a Christ-centered life looks like. What step can you take for your life to look more like this?

NOW WHAT DO WE DO?

Group Discussion & Application

Use the following questions to examine what the sermon and its text mean, to apply the Word to your life, and to guide how you pray.

  1. Read John 1:1-4. The Incarnation of Christ is mysterious. Looking at the manger, how should the truth that the eternal Word of God was made flesh cause the church to be in awe and wonder of our Lord and Savior? What are some ways we can grow in our faith in Christ, even when we do not have all the answers?
  2. Why is it important to know and believe that Christ "was" eternally God before creation and not just "became" God at birth?
  3. Discuss the contrast between the fact that the bigger God gets the more you want praise and trust Him and the smaller He gets the more we feel like we are the same or equals. How do we grow or change our view of God?
  4. Read John 17:5. We see in this prayer that, even before the world began, God glorified the Son. How does this passage reveal Christ as the eternal Word made flesh?
  5. Read Psalm 107:20. Throughout the Old Testament, God creates, rules, and reveals through an Agent, namely His Word. After reading John 1:3, we discover that Jesus is the Agent of God’s Word. How should that truth affect they way we praise God, pray to God, and present the gospel?
  6. Read Hebrews 1:1-2. How is Jesus both the clearest self-expression of God the Father and the embodiment of God’s truth?
  7. Read John 1:6-8. John the Baptist came to bear witness of the light. What are ways that we as the body of Christ can pray Christ would be central for every preacher? What are ways that we as a congregation can come hungry for unapologetic sermons that are Christ-central?
  8. How are the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles similar to sports field commentators announcing an event or filling the gaps of what is going on during the game? Why is John the Baptist the major turning point from the Old Testament to the New Testament? What is the significance of John’s words for us today as we share the gospel and point people to Christ?
  9. Read John 1:9-13. How is Jesus both the life and light of the world? Since we live in a world that desperately needs the light and life of Jesus, discuss how we make Christ central to our lives and be the light that shines into the darkness of this world?
  10. Read and reflect on John 3:16. How does the Bible differentiate between bigness and badness when it comes to the world? In what ways can we domesticate or romanticize the concept of the “world”? John 3:19 says the world is rebellious, not cuddly. Discuss ways we can reflect the light of Christ to penetrate the darkness of the world.
  11. Do you remember when the lights turned on for you? Discuss moments in your testimony where you discovered a new found joy, peace with God, and could declare, “I once was lost blind dead and separated, now I'm found, can see and am a child of God.”Why is it so important to both remember and share the testimony of Christ in your life with others?
  12. The exclusivity found in Christ is not a popular topic in modern culture. What challenges do Christ-followers face today when we share the truth that apart from Jesus there is no life? What are ways we can overcome those challenges?
  13. The Peter and Paul unapologeticallypreached Christ crucified. The centrality of their message is something we can certainly learn from and expect in preaching and in presenting the gospel. Why is it so hard to keep the message of Christ being the light and life of the World central to every message? What are some practical and intentional ways we can keep Christ central as we share the gospel and as we teach others?
  14. Read Hebrews 2:17-18. God really came and dwelt among us. How is Jesus like us in every way (except He did not sin)? Jesus "knows" what we are going through because He was both fully man and fully God and was tempted in every way we are. How is Jesus able to help us when we are being tempted? How does this provide comfort or encouragement for us?
  15. How is theology not disconnected from everyday life?
  16. How should our view of Jesus affect our view of the world and our view of ourselves?
  17. Pray that every sermon preached from the local church, including Brook Hills, would be Christ-centered and not man-centered. Pray that every witness of the gospel, including yours, would be Christ-centered as well.

Resources for Small Group Leaders

Weekly Prayer Focus (from Our Worship Guide)

•Pray for Our Church

oPraise God for revealing Himself to us through His Word. Pray for all those still living in darkness to see the light of Christ this Christmas season.

oPray that all Christ-followers will serve as witnesses to the saving power of Jesus.

oPray we will all see our need for Christ in every aspect of our lives.

oAsk the Spirit to help us grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.

oThank God for making a way for us to know Him personally.

•Pray for Our City:

oPray for the M-POWER Ministries, a faith-based social services agency in Birmingham that provides opportunities for people to break the cycle of poverty through education and health services

oPray that M-POWER would accomplish its mission through its two distinct centers.

▪The M-POWER Education Center provides adult literacy tutoring, GED programs, and career-readiness programs.

▪The M-POWER Health Center provides acute care walk-in clinics, primary care clinics, and sub-specialty clinics for patients without access to health care.

oPray for Greater Asbury United Methodist Church and Kip Laxson, Pastor.

•Pray for Our World:

oPray for all of our Brook Hills personnel and field partners who are working to care for Syrian refugees.

oPray for the ongoing efforts among Syrian refugees and give thanks to God for the way He has allowed our church to participate.

Weekly Readings forDecember14-20, 2015

Zechariah 1-7 andJohn 4-10

“Behold the Word Made Flesh,”December 13, 2015 | Page 1