Jesus Speaks to a World That Is Hopeless

Small Group Guide

JESUS SPEAKS TO A WORLD THAT IS HOPELESS

The Church at Brook Hills Matt MasonDecember 11, 2016Isaiah 61:1-3

MAIN TRUTH

Message Summary

This week, we begin a three-part series entitled Why the World Needs Christmas. At a time when we as Christians celebrate the coming of Christ, we remember that all of Scripture points to Jesus. Everything recorded in the Old Testament since the creation of the world looks forward to the person and work of Christ. This is apparent in the three “hero types” that often guided and protected Israel: the prophet, priest, and king. Although there were some great prophets, priests, and kings that we read about in the Bible, none were perfect, and all pointed to the ultimate prophet, priest, and king. Hebrews 1 shows us that this is Jesus. In this Christmas series, we will focus on how Jesus fulfills each of those roles, beginning with Jesus as Prophet.

In Isaiah 61:1-3, a Messianic prophecy proclaims the message of the Messiah. It is no surprise then, that Jesus picks this passage as the Scripture for his first sermon where He boldly said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk. 4:16-21). In connection, Isaiah 61 helps us consider three main points while we key in on Jesus as Prophet.

1.)The Messiah’s Purpose. Verse 1 shows that the purpose of the Messiah was to “bring good news.”Jesus echoes this in Mark 1:38 and Luke 4:43 when He explicitly says that the reason He is going from town to town is to preach to the people. Even the miracles Jesus did were not meant to be the focal point of His work but a way to reinforce the deeper narrative of what He was doing in the hearts and souls of the people. He was healing the blind and the deaf, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, and liberating the demon-possessed. Each work pointed to the message of the gospel He was preaching: sight for the spiritually blind, hearing for the spiritually deaf, food for the spiritually hungry, liberation for the spiritually captive, and life for the spiritually dead!

2.)The Human Problem.Notice the audience of Isaiah 61: the poor, broken-hearted, bound, and captive. While the passage uses physical images of brokenness, it is not merely focusing on bringing good news of relief from physical problems. While Jesus did not neglect the physical needs of the people, He was always truthful about the human condition. The common trait of all who experience His grace is poverty of spirit. While it is easy for us to allow our physical condition to mask the reality of our spiritual condition (Rev. 3:17), Jesus reminds us that He sees differently when He examines our hearts (i.e., encounters with the rich young ruler and the woman at the well). Through His ministry, we see Jesus engages real human need.

3.)The Divine Message. The word gospel means “news that brings joy.” The message of the Messiah for the world is one that is liberating and full of joy because it is a message of grace and hope. We see this even in the message of His birth: “I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people” (Lk. 2:10). The world needs Christmas because this world is full of pain and frustration. You have never met a person who isn’t hungry for hope, and hope is what the gospel provides! The difference between true Christianity and every other religion is that all other religions say, “This is what you have to do to connect with God.” In contrast, Christianity says, “This is what Jesus did to bring you to God.” The gospel is able to address all of the real issues that the world faces, and Jesus is going to put His hands on everything that Genesis 3’s rebellion broke and make it right!

The Christian gospel is hope generating. It generates hope in those who believe it, and it sends out hope-filled people on mission into the world, looking for broken hearts, captives, and prisoners. It sends us out so that those who are broken might hear the only message that produces real, lasting hope.

WHY IT MATTERS

Digging Deeper

“This is why the world needs Christmas - because the world is bursting at the seams with broken hearts, captives, and prisoners.” As you prepare to guide your group through time in discussion, meditate on that thought. All you have to do is turn on the news, listen to the radio, or have a real conversation with someone about their struggles to see that sin’s effect on this world is so extensive and painful that everyone that breathes feels it. As followers of Christ, when we see that He sought out the brokenhearted, captives, and prisoners, we should also see that His ministry did not end when He left. It was entrusted to us. Let the following questions help your group think about how the message of the gospel preaches life in the midst of the world’s brokenness and the part they play in the spread of that message.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus proclaims “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Who is Jesus speaking to? Who are the heavy laden, and what is their labor Jesus is talking about?
What is the rest that Jesus is offering?
What are some issues that people you know personally are struggling with, and how can the gospel bring hope to their situation specifically?
Just as Jesus knew that Martha needed teaching and exhortation while Mary needed Him to cry with her, how do you know when those around you need encouragement from the Word, a shoulder to cry on, or both?
Satan seems intent to attack the Biblical idea of family, especially in our culture, but the hope of the gospel is able to speak life and bring hope into the situation.
As divorce rates are alarmingly high, what does the gospel say to people struggling with the pain and the fallout of divorce?
What are the ways in which children today are impacted negatively by the lack of a father or mother? No matter what their relationship looks like with their earthly parents, how does the gospel demonstrate love, acceptance, and an intimate relationship with their Heavenly Father?
Racial tension in our country is very real, and it is increasing.
How can the message of the gospel bring comfort to those who have been marginalized?
How did the leaders of the New Testament church address tension between the Jews and Gentiles? How can we follow their example when seeking to show love and grace in the midst of racial tension?
How does the gospel bring hope to our city with its history of racial segregation? How can we be agents of gospel hope to our community to people of all races?
What does the gospel say to those who are dealing with bankruptcy or the loss of a job?
How can the gospel bring hope to the homeless?
What message does the gospel bring to the incarcerated?
Even in a world where social interaction has been made easily accessible by the internet and social media, depression and loneliness effect people everywhere. How can you apply the truths of the gospel to encourage someone struggling with loneliness and depression?
Who do you know who is facing any or several of the aforementioned situations? How can you encourage them and offer them gospel-centered hope this holiday season?

The intent of this discussion is to remember that our Savior did not turn a blind eye to the pain of the people around Him. However, Jesus was not just about fixing physical or societal issues caused by sin. He addressed the root of the problem by going to the cross to redeem His people and, ultimately, all of creation. As His followers, we need to be sensitive to the pain and circumstances of those around us at work, at school, and at home. Not only do we need to know the issues facing those around us, but we need to know how to show grace and compassion by helping where we can, while also seeking to use those opportunities to address the ultimate human problem by sharing the gospel! Remember that the gospel is the only message that produces real, lasting hope!

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. Please note that you don’t have to use all of the questions. These are just options (along with the digging deeper section) to help you frame the group discussion.

What were the three hero types of the Old Testament? How did they point to Christ?
How does Jesus ultimately fulfill the role of the prophet?
In Luke 4, Jesus shows us that 700 years prior to His arrival, Isaiah 61 was written about Him. How does prophecy fulfilled strengthen our faith? How can it help us defend the faith?
What is the Messiah’s message found in Isaiah 61?
How were miracles meant to reinforce Jesus’ message? How did they point to the “deeper narrative” of what He was doing in the soul and the heart? Give examples of some of the miracles Jesus performed, and discuss the spiritual truths to which those miracles point.
Who were the people Jesus was seeking out during His ministry? What does that tell us about who we should be seeking out when looking for opportunities to share the gospel?
How can our physical circumstances such as riches tend to mask our real spiritual condition?
How can we use involvement in local missions to engage physical or societal needs while also opening doors to address the spiritual poverty in our city? How have you seen this done? How can you be involved in this work in our city?
What is the difference between true Christianity and every other religion in the world?
How would you describe postmodern thinking? How does the gospel speak to the postmodern generation and provide hope?
Read through the terms used to describe the people in Isaiah 61. Why is it important to see that Jesus chose a passage that evokes images of compassion? How should that influence the way we see those around us?
How would you define compassion? Are you naturally inclined to show compassion to others? If not, how can you cultivate greater compassion in yourself towards others? Why is this important?
How is it difficult to see that the message of the gospel addresses all of the real issues faced by our world today?
How can Jesus’ compassion towards the broken-hearted and afflicted show us how God feels about the injustice and brokenness in our world? How can that give us hope and joy?
What is the biblical concept of glorification? How does glorification address the brokenness and pain we experience in the world?
How can the saving grace we have experienced when we became a Christ-follower cause us to look forward to future grace and mercy through faith? How does this future also give us hope?

Resources for Small Group Leaders

Weekly Prayer Focus (from Our Worship Guide)

Pray for Our Church:
Praise God for sending Jesus with His loving message of salvation in the gospel.
Ask God to keep us focused on Christ throughout this holiday season.
Pray for opportunities for us to maximize this Christmas season to introduce others to who Jesus is and their need for His grace.
Pray we will all represent Jesus and His love to a lost and hurting world.

Pray for Our City:
Pray for God to be glorified by our jail and prison ministry teams as they proclaim the Word and sow gospel seeds into the lives of the incarcerated in Birmingham City Jail, Jefferson County Jail, and St. Clair Prison.
Pray, upon hearing the Word, the Holy Spirit would convict unbelievers in these facilities to trust Christ for their salvation and would encourage existing believers in the faith.
Pray for the teams that minister weekly in the jail system, that God would sustain these faithful seed sowers when their short time with inmates appears fruitless, and that they would trust Him to water the seeds that have been planted.
Pray for the Brook Hills-led worship service that takes place in St. Clair Prison once a month on Wednesdays, and for the ongoing discipleship relationships with those facing years of imprisonment. Pray for Brook Hills member and prison Chaplain, Jeremy Miller, as he continues to love and serve the men of St. Clair Prison.
Pray for the Church behind bars in prisons throughout Alabama. Pray for those who now know Christ to proclaim the gospel daily with their words and actions and to be identified as followers of Christ by their love for one another.

Pray for Our World:
Praise God for the nine members of our faith family who are currently serving Mid-Term and Long-Term on our East Asia Church Planting Team. Pray for each of them to be encouraged this week and be able to share the gospel boldly and without hindrance.
Thank the Lord for opening up doors into Hui villages and homes. Thank the Lord for the Global Offering that allowed us to send Short-Term teams of students and adults this year to live in Hui villages and homes. Pray for the Hui families who heard the gospel for the first time, and pray that God will use those encounters to draw people to Himself.
Pray for God to continue to provide sustainable ways for our Church Planting Team members to remain in East Asia. Pray for the new business that has been started, that God would make it profitable and a shining light in the community.
There are around 15 million Hui spread throughout East Asia, and to be Hui is to be Muslim. There are no Hui churches and very few believers. Pray for a movement of God among the Hui, and ask God to bless the Global Offering so we can continue to contribute to church planting efforts among the Hui.
Pray for other families from Brook Hills who are in the process of joining our East Asia Church Planting Team, and pray for God to continue to call out more members of our faith family to go.

“Jesus Speaks to a World That is Hopeless,”December 11, 2016 | Page 1