Bible Studies for Life | LifeMatters Personal Study Guide - Adobe ...
Contents
summer 2 0 1 3
Volume 6, number 3
Meet the writers REBECCA GEORGE has been married to her
4 God creates God began His narrative when He
husband, Christian, for nine very fun years. Since
created the entire world and the first people—people with the
moving back to the U.S. from St. Andrews, Scotland,
capacity for companionship with God but who gave it all up in a
she’s taught applied ministry courses at Oklahoma
tragic moment of rebellion. We’ll look at the incredible steps God
Baptist University. In her downtime, she enjoys
went to in fixing His relationship with people and establishing a
talking to college women about life and ministry,
connection with us based on His faithfulness.
reading mysteries, and hanging out with her honey.
JONathan AKIN is the Pastor of Fairview
46 god leads This month, we’ll study key pieces of God’s
Church in Lebanon, TN. He and his wife, Ashley,
Story and how He consistently led His people in the centuries
have two beautiful daughters, Maddy and Emma
leading up to Jesus’ birth. It’s a journey with twists and turns, but at
Grace. Jonathan graduated from The Southern
every step, God beckoned His people to remember their covenant
Baptist Theological Seminary. He enjoys sports and
relationship with Him.
spending time with his girls.
JASON HALE serves as the Missional Outreach
80 god restores In August, we’ll study how God
Pastor at Rolling Hills Community Church in
sent His Son to mankind and how that was a fulfillment of Old
Franklin Tennessee. He loves mobilizing others to
Testament prophecy. As the Son of God, Jesus was both fully
be involved in what God is doing throughout the
God and fully man and lived a blameless life on earth. Through
world. Jason is married to Jaclyn and is a graduate
His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled His calling and
of Morehead State University and The New Orleans
committed the message of reconciliation to His believers.
Baptist Theological Seminary.
Next issue • Presssure points We all face pressure from society, Satan, friends, and even from our own emotions. From the Book of James, we’ll explore the proper ways to keep those pressures in check.
ICON LEGEND
• When Relationships Collide Conflict Things to listen to
Things to watch
Expanding on biblical concepts
Fun facts and useful tidbits of information
Digging deeper into study concepts
On the Web
is a fact of life. Some conflict is quick and over in a moment. Other conflicts can last a lifetime. Since conflict is inevitable, we’ll learn to deal with it in appropriate, biblical, Christ-honoring ways.
2 summer 2 0 1 3
A Word
From the Editor
Summertime. It’s the season for flip flops, road trips, and a slower pace of life. I am a person who eagerly anticipates the
Production & Ministry team
changing of the seasons. Jackets and umbrellas are exchanged for shorts and sunglasses. Shorter days
Amber Vaden content Editor
are traded for longer days. Busy schedules become just a bit more relaxed and less stressful. Just when
Becca Cipriani Katie Krebs Production editors Lauren Ervin Leigh Ann Dans Graphic Designers
the days of Spring become predictable, the long, lazy days of summer arrive. Seasons usher in change, and this summer is no exception. Beginning with our Fall issue, LifeMatters will sport a new name and a new look. LifeMatters will become Bible Studies for Life: Young Adults. The new design will feature interactive discussion starters, key
Management personnel Ken Braddy Managing Director, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Philip Nation Director, Adult Ministry Publishing Faith Whatley Director, Adult Ministry
word studies, and practical ideas for living out truths from Scripture in a fresh, new format. Our focus remains the same—to provide significant, life-changing Bible studies that lead young adults to a deeper understanding of God’s Word. We want to create a relevant, original tool that challenges you and your group to grow spiritually and live out your faith each day. I hope this summer affords you lots of opportunities to put those flip flops and sunny days to good use. May you find yourself consistently reminded of God’s grace and love this season!
David Francis Director, Sunday School
Send questions/comments to: [email protected] OR write to Content Editor, LifeMatters, One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234-0175
summer 2 0 1 3
LifeMatters Personal Study Guide™ (ISSN 2167-8863; Item 005074998) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway. com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway. com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture marked (NASB) taken from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org) All stock photos purchased through photocase.com.
3
4 june
GOD CREATES Most young adults are familiar with at least a few Bible stories. We can picture Jonah getting swallowed by the massive whale, David leveling Goliath with his slingshot, and baby Jesus all wrapped up in a manger. Some of these stories stick out from childhood, and others are such a part of culture that it’s hard to make it to your 20s or 30s without having encountered them at least once or twice. But if we’re honest, there’s a lot of fuzziness surrounding much of the Bible narrative. How do the Bible stories fit together? What’s the overarching theme of Scripture? And, what does any of this have to do with Jesus? That’s where this month’s study comes in. Over the next five weeks, we’re going to rewind to the beginning and start walking through God’s Grand Story. We’ll see how God began His narrative, creating the entire world and the first people—people with the capacity for companionship with God but who gave it all up in a tragic moment of rebellion. We’ll look at the incredible steps God went to in fixing His relationship with people and establishing a connection with us based on His faithfulness. Then we’ll see how God, time and time again, has delivered His people from horrific oppression and bondage, and how He’s been working all through history to rescue His people. We’ll look at the standards God has given His people and better understand the terms for a relationship with Him. And we’ll finish up by seeing how God dwells among His people and is constantly and powerfully present in our lives. God’s Story is a remarkable one. This month sets the stage for understanding that story in context. So dig in, because you’re going to love the way the story ends.
summer 2 0 1 3
5
god begins the story
God creates a people for Himself. Once upon a time, silence enveloped everything. There were no iTunes playlists, blaring flat screen televisions, honking horns, or alarm clocks buzzing us up early in the morning. It was pure and perfect silence. And then God spoke. Creation burst into being! Light separated from darkness; land separated from liquid. Birds stretched their wings, fish slithered through oceans. But something was missing. “So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God;He created them male and female” (Genesis 1:27). At long last, the Creator could enjoy intimate conversations with His creation. He could walk and talk with them in the cool of Eden. Humanity and divinity were forever fused. At least that’s how it seemed in the beginning. This week, we’ll see how God started His Story. We’ll see how God created His people, how they rebelled against their Creator, and what happened because of that rebellion. The story has a great beginning, and it foreshadows an even greater climax when God Himself came to earth to fix what humanity had broken.
6 june 2
MIDWEEK READING 1
god creates Genesis 1:1,26-27
It’s no surprise that many of us are addicted to movies—all kinds of movies— action, scary, western, and romance. Movies tell us stories. They take us by the hand and guide us through a narrative. Have you ever noticed how the first scene of a movie often begins with a helicopter view of a cityscape? Maybe Manhattan or Chicago. Then after the opening credits are over, the camera focuses and zooms into a particular detail and begins the story. The Bible is a story, a story of epic proportion. In it is contained all the
In the opening credits of
tragedy, comedy, horror, and romance
Genesis 1, we’re presented
of any great Hollywood blockbuster.
with a broad perspective
It tells a story that spans thousands of
of what God created—
years. It includes a variety of characters— from shepherds and prophets to princes and paupers. But how does the greatest story in the world begin? In the opening credits of Genesis 1, we’re presented with a broad perspective
heavens, earth, light, darkness, water, sky, land, vegetation, sun, moon, fish, birds, Animals, and humans.
Check out 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” What’s at stake if we believe the Bible is full of errors?
of what God created—heavens, earth, light, darkness, water, sky, land, vegetation, sun, moon, fish, birds, animals, and humans. That’s our helicopter perspective. Genesis 2, on the other hand, zooms right into the heart of the action. We meet Adam and Eve up close and personal. We’re introduced to their context and also their conflict—to eat from or ignore the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. These two chapters don’t contradict each other. Instead, they complement each other by guiding us into a narrative in a creative and natural way. When you look at the beginning of Genesis, how hard is it for you to believe this really happened? When you think of the Bible as a story, what does that mean? What parallels can you draw between the movies you like and God’s Grand Story?
summer 2 0 1 3
7
MIDWEEK READING 2
humanity rebels genesis 2:15-17; 3:6-7 On December 16, 1773, a group of colonists boarded three British ships and proceeded to dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor.1 This event—the Boston Tea Party—was an act of blatant rebellion against King George III for raising taxes without offering representation. Thirteen years later, the Declaration of Independence was signed, causing the separate states of America to become the United States of America. The rest, as we say, is history. Disobedience is so ingrained in our patriotic DNA that we don’t always recognize it as such. And it’s certainly not just an American trait, it’s a human trait. Just turn on the television. From tax-evading Sometime this week, add the movie Of Gods and Men to your Netflix queue. This surprise winner at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival explores Christian obedience through the true story of Trappist monks and martyrdom.
We rebel against
CEOs to parent-divorcing children, humans are
God every day—a
wired for disobedience.
nasty word, a rumor
But we didn’t start out that way. In the
we fail to squelch,
beginning, God created us perfect. Though we
a jealous burning
don’t know how many times Adam and Eve
when our neighbor
strolled by the tree of the knowledge of good
upgrades to a snazzy
and evil and chose to ignore it, what we do
new car.
know is that eventually—with the assistance of a serpent—humans succumbed to the
temptation and elevated their own agenda above God’s. We rebel against God every day—a nasty word, a rumor we fail to squelch, a jealous burning when our neighbor upgrades to a snazzy new car. People rebel against God in many ways, but all of them have one thing in common—we establish our own laws and authority instead of submitting to the instructions of the Lord. Try to put yourself in Adam and Eve’s place. What would you have done in the garden of Eden? What life circumstances make you most susceptible to disobedience? What form does your rebellion against God usually take?
1. “Boston Tea Party,” [online], [cited 28 December 2012]. Available from the Internet: www.history.com.
In the midst of disobedience and rebellion, does God’s love for you change? How do you know?
8 june 2
MIDWEEK READING 3
sin has consequences genesis 3:14-19,23-24 “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So the saying goes. But sometimes you just can’t help yourself. Kids have a tendency to take apart everything they can get their hands on—clocks, radios, TV remotes. And sometimes, if it isn’t broken before they start tinkering with it, it certainly is after they finish. God knew that humanity would break itself. None of this caught God off guard. In fact, from the very beginning, God had a plan in place. Not a backup plan, but a primary plan: to recreate fallen creation. How interesting that God anticipated our rebellion with such precision that before humanity even committed its first sin, He already had a plan for overcoming it. Eden was the first garden, but
God is in the business of new beginnings, and no one is
there was another garden as well—
better suited for creating
Gethsemane. And in it, God began the
new beginnings than He is.
Listen to the song “You Are” by Colton Dixon, available for purchase on the Summer 2013 iMix, listed under “Additional Resources” at lifeway.com/lifematters.
process of making “the One who did not know sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The day after His encounter in Gethsemane, as Jesus hung from the cross, a mysterious and horrible thing happened—Jesus paid the ultimate price for restoring what Adam and Eve destroyed. Sin is the reason our world is a broken mess. The reality is that we need fixing. Sin corrupts societies, splits families apart, separates friends, and ultimately leads to death. Yet God is in the business of new beginnings, and no one is better suited for creating new beginnings than He is. This week, what evidence have you seen that the world is affected by sin? How has sin affected you? Your relationships? Your society? In what ways have you seen God at work, bringing about new beginnings?
summer 2 0 1 3
9
Community bible study
God creates a people for Himself. The most powerful statements aren’t always the longest ones. Nobody questioned the Terminator’s commitment when he growled, “I’ll be back,” and “Houston, we have a problem” communicated more to the audience of Apollo 13 than a ten minute discourse on the ins and outs of rocket science ever could have. A lot can be communicated in very few words. So when God started His story, it opened with “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). He packed a lot into that short sentence, establishing from the get-go who’s boss and what the boss has done. So let’s dive in to the beginning of Scripture and see what God has to say about our beginnings.
■■ god creates (genesis 1:1,26-27) 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth.
The first verse of the whole Bible, Genesis 1:1, summarizes the relationship between God and His whole creation.
.................................................. 26
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of
Check out Genesis 1:1. Who is the subject of that verse? What does this say about God’s position in Scripture?
the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
God is the subject of the Bible, and this truth sets the stage
So God created man in His own image; He cre-
for understanding all of the ins and outs of God’s story. The
27
ated him in the image of God; He created them
heavens and the earth—everything and everyone that
male and female.
isn’t God—were created by God and belong to Him. Psalm 24:1 reiterates this truth: “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD.” What does it mean for people to be created in the image of God? Are people today still created in the image of God? How do you know? Are any people not created in God’s image? If all people are created in the image of God, what does that say about how we view and treat people? To understand God’s Story, it’s important to grasp the privileged status that people have as bearers of God’s image and as the caretakers and rulers of creation. In the beginning of God’s Story, things started out as perfect for humans, but they didn’t stay that way for long.
1 0 june 2
■■ humanity rebels (genesis 2:15-17; 3:6-7) The LORD God took the man and placed him in
After breathing life into His precious creation, God gave
the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
this first man a home (the garden of Eden) and a job
15
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You
(taking care of the garden). God blessed Adam abun-
are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but
dantly, but something was still missing. So God remedied
you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge
the situation by creating a helper—a complement—for
of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you
Adam.
16
will certainly die.” ................................................. 6
Then the woman saw that the tree was good for
When have you felt like God has taken care of you in these ways?
food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its
Adam and Eve had it pretty good in the garden. There
fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband,
weren’t bills to pay, speed limits to obey, or annoying
who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of
neighbors to deal with. In fact, the prohibition God had
both of them were opened, and they knew they
given Adam and Eve was to stay away from the tree of
were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and
knowledge of good and evil. Even though the first two
made loincloths for themselves.
people were surrounded by God’s abundance, they
7
disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Think about a time when you’ve had absolutely everything at your fingertips, and you sacrificed it all in a moment of disobedience to God. What does it feel like to mess up the way Adam and Eve did? In what ways are people today deceived by temptations that appeal to our appetites, our eyes, and our intellect? Has much changed since the garden of Eden? Adam and Eve’s first act of rebellion set in motion a whirlwind of death and destruction. And every sin since Eden has been another act of rebellion against God. When we set our own standards, selectively choose which of God’s commands we’re going to follow, we separate ourselves from God. The perfect relationship He established at the beginning of time is pushed further and further away. Sin—rebellion—has consequences.
summer 2 0 1 3
11
Community bible study
■■ sin has consequences (genesis 3:14-19,23-24) Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because
The immediate effects of Adam and Eve’s sin became
you have done this, you are cursed more than any
painfully obvious. There were consequences for the
livestock and more than any wild animal. You will
serpent, for man, and for woman.
14
move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the
How were these consequences similar? How were
woman, and between your seed and her seed. He
they different?
will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” He said to the woman: “I will intensify your labor
Adam and Eve both felt the consequences of their
pains; you will bear children in anguish. Your desire
rebellion, and interestingly, both would experience
will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.”
“labor” as a result.
16
17
And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to
your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which
When have you experienced the effects that God talks about
I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground
here in Genesis?
is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. 18 It
Because of human rebellion and disobedience to God’s
will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you
commands, people have faced death ever since. In fact,
will eat the plants of the field. 19 You will eat breads
the New Testament author of Hebrews declared all
by the sweat of your brow until you return to the
people were appointed to die (see Hebrews 9:27) and
ground, since you were taken from it. For you are
Paul stated death was the wages of sin (see Romans 6:23).
dust, and you will return to dust.” .................................................. 23
So the LORD God sent him away from the garden
What evidence do you have that creation is suffering the consequences described in this passage? Think about yourself,
of Eden to work the ground from which he was
your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, and the news
taken. He drove man out and stationed the
stories you hear from around the world.
24
cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree
In Genesis 3:15, we see the first promise in the Bible of the
of life.
coming Redeemer. From the beginning of God’s story, He had the end in mind. In God’s Story, He provided a perfect solution to the sin problem people created by rebelling. He sent His son Jesus to redeem humanity. Adam and Eve’s sin had far-reaching consequences. All the terrible effects of their rebellion could only be fixed through Jesus.
1 2 june 2
And Finally The Bible begins with God creating a people for Himself, but when Adam and Eve rebelled against their Creator, creation was cursed. Paradise was lost. Since that day when Adam and Eve suffered the consequences of their sin by being banished into the wilderness, humanity has yearned to return to Eden. But the story doesn’t end with yearning. Even though a barrier separated God from His people, there would be One who would restore the relationship sin had broken. He would satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart, and once again God would walk with His creatures in the Person of Jesus Christ. This week, be on the lookout for opportunities to foster intimacy with your Creator. He loved you enough to create you, and He loved you enough to die for you. What are some barriers in your life keeping you from intimacy with God? What can Romans 8:38-39 teach you about overcoming these barriers? Why does intimacy with God even matter to Him? Why should it matter to us? What can it look like this week? What can Adam and Eve’s example teach us about following God today?
Connect WITH YOUR FAMILY All this talk about beginnings tends to remind us of our own beginnings. It’s natural to think about our parents, our childhood, and our own early days on earth. And just like in the garden of Eden, the odds are good that our own relationships have been fractured over the years by some kind of sin. This week, make steps toward repairing your family relationships that have been damaged. Make a phone call, set up a Skype date, or go retro and pull out a pen and paper to write a letter. Because of sin’s first entrance into the world, no one on earth has a perfect family. This likely isn’t a huge surprise to you. But the good news is that Jesus’ death on the cross has provided a way for us to experience reconciliation both with Him and with each other. Take a risk and make an effort to reconnect and reconcile. It won’t necessarily be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.
summer 2 0 1 3
13
summer 2 0 1 3
Volume 6, number 3
Meet the writers REBECCA GEORGE has been married to her
4 God creates God began His narrative when He
husband, Christian, for nine very fun years. Since
created the entire world and the first people—people with the
moving back to the U.S. from St. Andrews, Scotland,
capacity for companionship with God but who gave it all up in a
she’s taught applied ministry courses at Oklahoma
tragic moment of rebellion. We’ll look at the incredible steps God
Baptist University. In her downtime, she enjoys
went to in fixing His relationship with people and establishing a
talking to college women about life and ministry,
connection with us based on His faithfulness.
reading mysteries, and hanging out with her honey.
JONathan AKIN is the Pastor of Fairview
46 god leads This month, we’ll study key pieces of God’s
Church in Lebanon, TN. He and his wife, Ashley,
Story and how He consistently led His people in the centuries
have two beautiful daughters, Maddy and Emma
leading up to Jesus’ birth. It’s a journey with twists and turns, but at
Grace. Jonathan graduated from The Southern
every step, God beckoned His people to remember their covenant
Baptist Theological Seminary. He enjoys sports and
relationship with Him.
spending time with his girls.
JASON HALE serves as the Missional Outreach
80 god restores In August, we’ll study how God
Pastor at Rolling Hills Community Church in
sent His Son to mankind and how that was a fulfillment of Old
Franklin Tennessee. He loves mobilizing others to
Testament prophecy. As the Son of God, Jesus was both fully
be involved in what God is doing throughout the
God and fully man and lived a blameless life on earth. Through
world. Jason is married to Jaclyn and is a graduate
His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled His calling and
of Morehead State University and The New Orleans
committed the message of reconciliation to His believers.
Baptist Theological Seminary.
Next issue • Presssure points We all face pressure from society, Satan, friends, and even from our own emotions. From the Book of James, we’ll explore the proper ways to keep those pressures in check.
ICON LEGEND
• When Relationships Collide Conflict Things to listen to
Things to watch
Expanding on biblical concepts
Fun facts and useful tidbits of information
Digging deeper into study concepts
On the Web
is a fact of life. Some conflict is quick and over in a moment. Other conflicts can last a lifetime. Since conflict is inevitable, we’ll learn to deal with it in appropriate, biblical, Christ-honoring ways.
2 summer 2 0 1 3
A Word
From the Editor
Summertime. It’s the season for flip flops, road trips, and a slower pace of life. I am a person who eagerly anticipates the
Production & Ministry team
changing of the seasons. Jackets and umbrellas are exchanged for shorts and sunglasses. Shorter days
Amber Vaden content Editor
are traded for longer days. Busy schedules become just a bit more relaxed and less stressful. Just when
Becca Cipriani Katie Krebs Production editors Lauren Ervin Leigh Ann Dans Graphic Designers
the days of Spring become predictable, the long, lazy days of summer arrive. Seasons usher in change, and this summer is no exception. Beginning with our Fall issue, LifeMatters will sport a new name and a new look. LifeMatters will become Bible Studies for Life: Young Adults. The new design will feature interactive discussion starters, key
Management personnel Ken Braddy Managing Director, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Philip Nation Director, Adult Ministry Publishing Faith Whatley Director, Adult Ministry
word studies, and practical ideas for living out truths from Scripture in a fresh, new format. Our focus remains the same—to provide significant, life-changing Bible studies that lead young adults to a deeper understanding of God’s Word. We want to create a relevant, original tool that challenges you and your group to grow spiritually and live out your faith each day. I hope this summer affords you lots of opportunities to put those flip flops and sunny days to good use. May you find yourself consistently reminded of God’s grace and love this season!
David Francis Director, Sunday School
Send questions/comments to: [email protected] OR write to Content Editor, LifeMatters, One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234-0175
summer 2 0 1 3
LifeMatters Personal Study Guide™ (ISSN 2167-8863; Item 005074998) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway. com, fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway. com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture marked (NASB) taken from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.lockman.org) All stock photos purchased through photocase.com.
3
4 june
GOD CREATES Most young adults are familiar with at least a few Bible stories. We can picture Jonah getting swallowed by the massive whale, David leveling Goliath with his slingshot, and baby Jesus all wrapped up in a manger. Some of these stories stick out from childhood, and others are such a part of culture that it’s hard to make it to your 20s or 30s without having encountered them at least once or twice. But if we’re honest, there’s a lot of fuzziness surrounding much of the Bible narrative. How do the Bible stories fit together? What’s the overarching theme of Scripture? And, what does any of this have to do with Jesus? That’s where this month’s study comes in. Over the next five weeks, we’re going to rewind to the beginning and start walking through God’s Grand Story. We’ll see how God began His narrative, creating the entire world and the first people—people with the capacity for companionship with God but who gave it all up in a tragic moment of rebellion. We’ll look at the incredible steps God went to in fixing His relationship with people and establishing a connection with us based on His faithfulness. Then we’ll see how God, time and time again, has delivered His people from horrific oppression and bondage, and how He’s been working all through history to rescue His people. We’ll look at the standards God has given His people and better understand the terms for a relationship with Him. And we’ll finish up by seeing how God dwells among His people and is constantly and powerfully present in our lives. God’s Story is a remarkable one. This month sets the stage for understanding that story in context. So dig in, because you’re going to love the way the story ends.
summer 2 0 1 3
5
god begins the story
God creates a people for Himself. Once upon a time, silence enveloped everything. There were no iTunes playlists, blaring flat screen televisions, honking horns, or alarm clocks buzzing us up early in the morning. It was pure and perfect silence. And then God spoke. Creation burst into being! Light separated from darkness; land separated from liquid. Birds stretched their wings, fish slithered through oceans. But something was missing. “So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God;He created them male and female” (Genesis 1:27). At long last, the Creator could enjoy intimate conversations with His creation. He could walk and talk with them in the cool of Eden. Humanity and divinity were forever fused. At least that’s how it seemed in the beginning. This week, we’ll see how God started His Story. We’ll see how God created His people, how they rebelled against their Creator, and what happened because of that rebellion. The story has a great beginning, and it foreshadows an even greater climax when God Himself came to earth to fix what humanity had broken.
6 june 2
MIDWEEK READING 1
god creates Genesis 1:1,26-27
It’s no surprise that many of us are addicted to movies—all kinds of movies— action, scary, western, and romance. Movies tell us stories. They take us by the hand and guide us through a narrative. Have you ever noticed how the first scene of a movie often begins with a helicopter view of a cityscape? Maybe Manhattan or Chicago. Then after the opening credits are over, the camera focuses and zooms into a particular detail and begins the story. The Bible is a story, a story of epic proportion. In it is contained all the
In the opening credits of
tragedy, comedy, horror, and romance
Genesis 1, we’re presented
of any great Hollywood blockbuster.
with a broad perspective
It tells a story that spans thousands of
of what God created—
years. It includes a variety of characters— from shepherds and prophets to princes and paupers. But how does the greatest story in the world begin? In the opening credits of Genesis 1, we’re presented with a broad perspective
heavens, earth, light, darkness, water, sky, land, vegetation, sun, moon, fish, birds, Animals, and humans.
Check out 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” What’s at stake if we believe the Bible is full of errors?
of what God created—heavens, earth, light, darkness, water, sky, land, vegetation, sun, moon, fish, birds, animals, and humans. That’s our helicopter perspective. Genesis 2, on the other hand, zooms right into the heart of the action. We meet Adam and Eve up close and personal. We’re introduced to their context and also their conflict—to eat from or ignore the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. These two chapters don’t contradict each other. Instead, they complement each other by guiding us into a narrative in a creative and natural way. When you look at the beginning of Genesis, how hard is it for you to believe this really happened? When you think of the Bible as a story, what does that mean? What parallels can you draw between the movies you like and God’s Grand Story?
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MIDWEEK READING 2
humanity rebels genesis 2:15-17; 3:6-7 On December 16, 1773, a group of colonists boarded three British ships and proceeded to dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor.1 This event—the Boston Tea Party—was an act of blatant rebellion against King George III for raising taxes without offering representation. Thirteen years later, the Declaration of Independence was signed, causing the separate states of America to become the United States of America. The rest, as we say, is history. Disobedience is so ingrained in our patriotic DNA that we don’t always recognize it as such. And it’s certainly not just an American trait, it’s a human trait. Just turn on the television. From tax-evading Sometime this week, add the movie Of Gods and Men to your Netflix queue. This surprise winner at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival explores Christian obedience through the true story of Trappist monks and martyrdom.
We rebel against
CEOs to parent-divorcing children, humans are
God every day—a
wired for disobedience.
nasty word, a rumor
But we didn’t start out that way. In the
we fail to squelch,
beginning, God created us perfect. Though we
a jealous burning
don’t know how many times Adam and Eve
when our neighbor
strolled by the tree of the knowledge of good
upgrades to a snazzy
and evil and chose to ignore it, what we do
new car.
know is that eventually—with the assistance of a serpent—humans succumbed to the
temptation and elevated their own agenda above God’s. We rebel against God every day—a nasty word, a rumor we fail to squelch, a jealous burning when our neighbor upgrades to a snazzy new car. People rebel against God in many ways, but all of them have one thing in common—we establish our own laws and authority instead of submitting to the instructions of the Lord. Try to put yourself in Adam and Eve’s place. What would you have done in the garden of Eden? What life circumstances make you most susceptible to disobedience? What form does your rebellion against God usually take?
1. “Boston Tea Party,” [online], [cited 28 December 2012]. Available from the Internet: www.history.com.
In the midst of disobedience and rebellion, does God’s love for you change? How do you know?
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MIDWEEK READING 3
sin has consequences genesis 3:14-19,23-24 “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So the saying goes. But sometimes you just can’t help yourself. Kids have a tendency to take apart everything they can get their hands on—clocks, radios, TV remotes. And sometimes, if it isn’t broken before they start tinkering with it, it certainly is after they finish. God knew that humanity would break itself. None of this caught God off guard. In fact, from the very beginning, God had a plan in place. Not a backup plan, but a primary plan: to recreate fallen creation. How interesting that God anticipated our rebellion with such precision that before humanity even committed its first sin, He already had a plan for overcoming it. Eden was the first garden, but
God is in the business of new beginnings, and no one is
there was another garden as well—
better suited for creating
Gethsemane. And in it, God began the
new beginnings than He is.
Listen to the song “You Are” by Colton Dixon, available for purchase on the Summer 2013 iMix, listed under “Additional Resources” at lifeway.com/lifematters.
process of making “the One who did not know sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The day after His encounter in Gethsemane, as Jesus hung from the cross, a mysterious and horrible thing happened—Jesus paid the ultimate price for restoring what Adam and Eve destroyed. Sin is the reason our world is a broken mess. The reality is that we need fixing. Sin corrupts societies, splits families apart, separates friends, and ultimately leads to death. Yet God is in the business of new beginnings, and no one is better suited for creating new beginnings than He is. This week, what evidence have you seen that the world is affected by sin? How has sin affected you? Your relationships? Your society? In what ways have you seen God at work, bringing about new beginnings?
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Community bible study
God creates a people for Himself. The most powerful statements aren’t always the longest ones. Nobody questioned the Terminator’s commitment when he growled, “I’ll be back,” and “Houston, we have a problem” communicated more to the audience of Apollo 13 than a ten minute discourse on the ins and outs of rocket science ever could have. A lot can be communicated in very few words. So when God started His story, it opened with “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). He packed a lot into that short sentence, establishing from the get-go who’s boss and what the boss has done. So let’s dive in to the beginning of Scripture and see what God has to say about our beginnings.
■■ god creates (genesis 1:1,26-27) 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth.
The first verse of the whole Bible, Genesis 1:1, summarizes the relationship between God and His whole creation.
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Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of
Check out Genesis 1:1. Who is the subject of that verse? What does this say about God’s position in Scripture?
the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
God is the subject of the Bible, and this truth sets the stage
So God created man in His own image; He cre-
for understanding all of the ins and outs of God’s story. The
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ated him in the image of God; He created them
heavens and the earth—everything and everyone that
male and female.
isn’t God—were created by God and belong to Him. Psalm 24:1 reiterates this truth: “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD.” What does it mean for people to be created in the image of God? Are people today still created in the image of God? How do you know? Are any people not created in God’s image? If all people are created in the image of God, what does that say about how we view and treat people? To understand God’s Story, it’s important to grasp the privileged status that people have as bearers of God’s image and as the caretakers and rulers of creation. In the beginning of God’s Story, things started out as perfect for humans, but they didn’t stay that way for long.
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■■ humanity rebels (genesis 2:15-17; 3:6-7) The LORD God took the man and placed him in
After breathing life into His precious creation, God gave
the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.
this first man a home (the garden of Eden) and a job
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And the LORD God commanded the man, “You
(taking care of the garden). God blessed Adam abun-
are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but
dantly, but something was still missing. So God remedied
you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge
the situation by creating a helper—a complement—for
of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you
Adam.
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will certainly die.” ................................................. 6
Then the woman saw that the tree was good for
When have you felt like God has taken care of you in these ways?
food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its
Adam and Eve had it pretty good in the garden. There
fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband,
weren’t bills to pay, speed limits to obey, or annoying
who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of
neighbors to deal with. In fact, the prohibition God had
both of them were opened, and they knew they
given Adam and Eve was to stay away from the tree of
were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and
knowledge of good and evil. Even though the first two
made loincloths for themselves.
people were surrounded by God’s abundance, they
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disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Think about a time when you’ve had absolutely everything at your fingertips, and you sacrificed it all in a moment of disobedience to God. What does it feel like to mess up the way Adam and Eve did? In what ways are people today deceived by temptations that appeal to our appetites, our eyes, and our intellect? Has much changed since the garden of Eden? Adam and Eve’s first act of rebellion set in motion a whirlwind of death and destruction. And every sin since Eden has been another act of rebellion against God. When we set our own standards, selectively choose which of God’s commands we’re going to follow, we separate ourselves from God. The perfect relationship He established at the beginning of time is pushed further and further away. Sin—rebellion—has consequences.
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Community bible study
■■ sin has consequences (genesis 3:14-19,23-24) Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because
The immediate effects of Adam and Eve’s sin became
you have done this, you are cursed more than any
painfully obvious. There were consequences for the
livestock and more than any wild animal. You will
serpent, for man, and for woman.
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move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the
How were these consequences similar? How were
woman, and between your seed and her seed. He
they different?
will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” He said to the woman: “I will intensify your labor
Adam and Eve both felt the consequences of their
pains; you will bear children in anguish. Your desire
rebellion, and interestingly, both would experience
will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you.”
“labor” as a result.
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17
And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to
your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which
When have you experienced the effects that God talks about
I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground
here in Genesis?
is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. 18 It
Because of human rebellion and disobedience to God’s
will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you
commands, people have faced death ever since. In fact,
will eat the plants of the field. 19 You will eat breads
the New Testament author of Hebrews declared all
by the sweat of your brow until you return to the
people were appointed to die (see Hebrews 9:27) and
ground, since you were taken from it. For you are
Paul stated death was the wages of sin (see Romans 6:23).
dust, and you will return to dust.” .................................................. 23
So the LORD God sent him away from the garden
What evidence do you have that creation is suffering the consequences described in this passage? Think about yourself,
of Eden to work the ground from which he was
your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, and the news
taken. He drove man out and stationed the
stories you hear from around the world.
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cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree
In Genesis 3:15, we see the first promise in the Bible of the
of life.
coming Redeemer. From the beginning of God’s story, He had the end in mind. In God’s Story, He provided a perfect solution to the sin problem people created by rebelling. He sent His son Jesus to redeem humanity. Adam and Eve’s sin had far-reaching consequences. All the terrible effects of their rebellion could only be fixed through Jesus.
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And Finally The Bible begins with God creating a people for Himself, but when Adam and Eve rebelled against their Creator, creation was cursed. Paradise was lost. Since that day when Adam and Eve suffered the consequences of their sin by being banished into the wilderness, humanity has yearned to return to Eden. But the story doesn’t end with yearning. Even though a barrier separated God from His people, there would be One who would restore the relationship sin had broken. He would satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart, and once again God would walk with His creatures in the Person of Jesus Christ. This week, be on the lookout for opportunities to foster intimacy with your Creator. He loved you enough to create you, and He loved you enough to die for you. What are some barriers in your life keeping you from intimacy with God? What can Romans 8:38-39 teach you about overcoming these barriers? Why does intimacy with God even matter to Him? Why should it matter to us? What can it look like this week? What can Adam and Eve’s example teach us about following God today?
Connect WITH YOUR FAMILY All this talk about beginnings tends to remind us of our own beginnings. It’s natural to think about our parents, our childhood, and our own early days on earth. And just like in the garden of Eden, the odds are good that our own relationships have been fractured over the years by some kind of sin. This week, make steps toward repairing your family relationships that have been damaged. Make a phone call, set up a Skype date, or go retro and pull out a pen and paper to write a letter. Because of sin’s first entrance into the world, no one on earth has a perfect family. This likely isn’t a huge surprise to you. But the good news is that Jesus’ death on the cross has provided a way for us to experience reconciliation both with Him and with each other. Take a risk and make an effort to reconnect and reconcile. It won’t necessarily be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.
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