parkerslope

What is the significance of Jesus' teaching that only the ones that the Father "draws" to Him can come to Him? If the Father does not draw a person to Himself, then that person cannot come to Jesus to be saved. In what way does this sound like predestination? God has predetermined who will be saved and who will not be saved, no matter what they try to do to be saved. How does the Holy Spirit prepare people to put their faith in Christ? The Holy Spirit works with a person through the Word of God to convict them of sin.

What kind of "works" do people sometimes pursue to please God? People want to pursue after works that bring rewards when finished. They wanted to know what duty they could perform to please God. According to Jesus, what is the most important "work" that God requires of us? Faith - believing in who He is and what He has done. Trusting in God the Father and Jesus the Son will bring eternal life. No works that we can do will bring us to the position of pleasing God.

Why were some of these "believers" following Jesus? Some of the people who were fed, followed after Jesus because they wanted more food to fill their physical needs. What were their selfish motives? Jesus had just blessed the two fish and five loaves of bread to feed the five thousand men, but the next day they were looking for Jesus to give them more free food. They were hungry again! For what motives do true disciples seek Jesus? True believers seek Jesus because they can see the spiritual side of Jesus' miracles and know that they need to change their spiritual nature in following Jesus.

What does "entering the Kingdom" have to do with being "born anew"? The Kingdom is spiritual, therefore there must be a transition from the physical to the spiritual. All things in our life have to be refocused on the spiritual to be a part of the Kingdom. Which do you think is the best translation here: born again? this is a good translation as a different kind of birth must take place. born anew? I don't think these words portray what is meant by "entering the Kingdom". born from above? This is good. God must perform the new birth - spiritually. Defend your reasoning? God wants us to be free from sin, so our nature must change to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

What does Jesus teach here about the nature of the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is not physical, but spiritual. It cannot be seen by the eye, but must be seen through the eyes of faith. Do you think that Nicodemus understands him? No! I do not, but Nicodemus was only thinking along the lines of what can be seen with the eyes. Why or why not? Nicodemus knew the Law and could not see where "being born again" fit the words of God.

What is the problem with faith that rests solely on miracles? The impact of miracles does not last long. Faith must be based on something solid and firm, like an eye witness. Miracles are good to increase our faith, but not to be the foundation of our faith. Is it true faith? No, I do not believe so. What is necessary for it to develop into true faith? A miracle is performed by someone to make a statement, Faith must be put in the person behind the miracle, not the person doing the miracle. Miracles become shrines to be worship instead of God. Did Jesus see these problems as a reason not to perform miracles? Jesus knew the hearts of all people, So He show miracles only when it meant that the ones who had the miracle performed on them or for them, would not enshrine it as a point of worship. Also Jesus did miracles and signs and wonders, so that only those seeking the truth would understand.

Apparently, Jesus was angry. Was his anger justified? Yes! Why? God is always right! Jesus is God! Therefore Jesus was justified in His anger because He knew what was best. Is anger good or bad? Anger can be good or bad, depending on what a person is angry about. Good anger is when we become angry at some injustice that we witness. What about anger gets us into trouble? Bad anger occurs when we are angry for selfish reasons and the result will have consequences of "pain".

What was going on in the temple? Through the years, the priests had allowed more and more secular activities to take place on the temple grounds. By the time that Jesus started His ministry, the court of Gentiles had become a market place, where animals for sacrifice were sold and the money exchanged to pay the temple tax.. Why was Jesus offended by it? The temple was built to replace the traveling Tabernacle. After having been destroyed several times and rebuilt, it still was God's house where He met with the Priests who offered the blood. The temple was the place that represented God on the earth and it was a very holy place. Jesus was offended by the actions of the people who made profits on the poor people needing an animal to sacrifice. What action did Jesus take? Jesus took a whip and drove out the animals and overturned the tables of the money changers, saying, "this is my Father's house".

Why did Jesus perform this miracle behind-the-scenes? Because He felt that this was not the right time for people to see His miracles as the Son of God. Who was he trying to protect? Jesus was trying to protect the guest at the wedding feast from seeing His miracles. What does the quantity of the wine tell us about Jesus' glory? Jesus made more wine than was necessary for the wedding feast. This shows that Jesus could have made any amount He wanted to. Jesus is God! What does the quality of the wine tell us about Jesus' glory? Jesus made the best! So the head of the feast told the bridegroom that he had saved the best for the last. Jesus is God!

Why do you think alcoholics are quick to point out this miracle? Jesus produced good wine instead of just purifying the water. Therefore, they feel that it is alright to drink wine and get drunk. Which is wrong: drinking wine or drunkenness? Drunkenness! We seem to get caught up in excesses of all kinds. We need to be moderate in all we eat and drink, not go to drunkenness. How can we avoid excesses and still enjoy God's good gifts? By practicing self control in all parts of our life.

Why do you think Mary pushes Jesus to solve the wedding host's problem? It seems like Mary is related to the host, so she does not want the host embarrassed. Are her words to Jesus appropriate? To her, as a mother, yes. But to Jesus, He wanted to set His own time to reveal Himself as the Messiah. Would you categorize Jesus' reply as a rebuke? Yes, a slight rebuke, but she did not stay close to Jesus to hear it., If so, why does he go ahead with the miracle? I think that Jesus did not want to embarrass His mother.

Why are we sometimes "too busy" to spend time with friends and relatives? We get all tied up with our own business and affairs. Too much of our life is involved with "me". What does Jesus' attendance at this wedding tell us about him? Jesus was a people person while on earth. He cared about people in all of their affairs. How can we apply that learning in our own personal lives? As Jesus was involved with people in their own affairs, we should also be involved with people to help them to know Jesus.

Which aspects of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 7:13 - 14 does Jesus apply to His title as the Son of man? He was given authority, glory and sovereign power over all people and angels. When will the Son of Man complete His ministry? Jesus' ministry was to redeem mankind, so it will end when He returns to take the church to heaven.

How does Jesus deal with Nathanael's skepticism? Jesus tells the others around Him that, "here is a true Israelite in whom is nothing false". What was the nature of the miracle? Jesus tells Nathanael that He saw him under the fig tree, before Philip called him. Upon coming to faith, what title does Nathanael bestow on Jesus? Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.

What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter's conversion? Andrew goes to Peter and tells him that he has found the Messiah, the coming redeemer. Then Andrew invited Peter to follow him to Jesus. Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing someone to Jesus with bringing them to church? People has increasingly isolated themselves from other people. By bringing them to church, Christians feel that their duty is done. It is now up to the preacher to convert them. Because we have been raised in a world that does not show love, love in a Christian has been watered down to where they feel that they are not "professional" enough to know the right things to say to the new person. What might be the similarities? When Jesus was on earth, the church did not exist, so when Andrew brought Peter to Jesus, it was similar to bringing him to church. What might be the differences? Today, we do not think about bringing people to Jesus, but rather to church to have the preacher tell them about Jesus.

Why doesn't Jesus tell his inquirers where he is staying? I believe that Jesus wanted to keep their interest in Him, so as they walked, He could teach them. Why was it important for disciples to "be with" Jesus? When a person is learning from another, he must be with them everyday, all day long. To encounter their lifestyle and copy it. A mentor shares what he knows with his disciples and in this way, they become like him, their mentor. What does "being with" Jesus mean today? It means that we have to be close to Jesus, both in the Bible and in prayer. And then we must only speak the words of Jesus in all honesty.

Upon whose recommendation did Andrew and another person start following Jesus? As John the Baptist was teaching his disciples, he told Andrew and another person that Jesus was the Lamb of God. What did this recommendation cost the recommender in this case? It cost John the Baptist some of those who followed him.

How does John the Baptist's baptism differ from the baptism that Jesus' brings? The tradition of converting a Gentile into a Jew was to have them strip of all clothing and have water poured over them. This water was to touch all parts of their body, as a spiritual cleansing. John did it a little different by using the water in the Jordan River. He immersed the repentant person in the water to show that they had a change of mind. Jesus, in applying the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, gave to each believer the indwelling presence of God's Spirit. I believe that this done during immersion by: "being buried with Jesus" - "our old man of sin is buried, no longer a part of our life". Then in Acts 2:38, Peter tells us that by the act of being immersed in the name of Jesus, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Baptism of the Holy Spirit). Baptism is a word that means, "immerse, plunge under water". What does a "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" imply about this event? While immersion in water is on the outside, the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" takes place in our soul, the sinful part. Holy Spirit "cleans our house" and lives in us.

What does the title "Lamb of God" tell us about Jesus' ministry? The point of God sending Jesus to become a man was to make payment for the sins of all people of all time. So God starts out by providing a sacrifice for Abraham when he was about to sacrifice Isaac. The in the Law, it was written that a lamb was to be used as a sacrifice for sin. According to 1:29, whose sins did He come to take away? Everyones! In what ways did Jesus fulfill Isaiah 53? 1. He was pierce for our transgressions. 2. He was crushed for our iniquities 3. By His wounds we are healed 4. Everyones iniquity was laid on Him

How does John the Baptist show humility? John is wearing an animal skin "robe" and eats locusts and honey. How can a person see himself as a fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? I do not know if John knew of the connection to the Isaiah prophecy. John was not a man that had the full Law and only knew what God had laid on his heart. He trusted God and leaned on Him. How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? John sees himself as a preparer for the coming Messiah. He knows that the Messiah will come to him and he will announce it to the crowd. John said the he, himself must decrease in influence and the Messiah must increase in influence. How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? John know what he had to do and that was to prepare the way for the Messiah. And he knew that he would have opposition from the religious, ruling Jews and he did not care. He did his job! Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist? YES! When the right person is doing it. John was one such person that had the power of God behind him and still did not seek any earthy power.

Why did John baptize? God called John to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. Thus John was told to baptize people for repentance to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Messiah. The people - Jews - were led into the traditions by the Pharisees which had diluted the Law. The Jews listening to John were told to REPENT- to turn from their sinful ways and to show that they had by being baptized. What is the meaning of the baptism he was performing? The baptism was to show that they had a change of heart toward God - that is by repented of their sins. What do you think baptism represents to those John baptized? The evidence to others, that they had taken the step to let go of the traditions and turn their lives over to the will of God. They were looking for the Messiah to come and they were ready.

Why do you think John the Baptist was being hassled by religious leaders from Jerusalem? They thought that he was trying to turn people away from the traditions that they taught. He was teaching the people to repent. What were they afraid of? They were afraid that they would loose people and money. How did John understand his own mission? I believe that John did not fully understand his work as the forerunner of Jesus. He knew that he had to get the people to repent of the traditions that the Pharisee's taught. Also to turn the thoughts of the people back to God alone, thinking of the coming Messiah. How much conflict do you think could be expected from John's mission? Much! John was saying things that went against what the Jewish leaders taught. The Pharisees and Sadducees wanted the people to follow them and not John the Baptist.

Why do you think John the Baptist was being hassled by the religious leaders from Jerusalem? The religious rulers were bound to the traditions of the "Fathers" which had covered the true meaning of the Law. John spoke about the love and mercy of God that was in the Law, but they had over looked it. John was teaching the people to repent, when that was the rulers job. What were they afraid of? They were afraid of being out of a job. Because John spoke of the truth, which they had not been doing. How did John understand his own mission? John felt like he was doing what God asked him to do. It was not important to him, how valuable his message was to the Jews. How much conflict do you think could be expected from John's mission? Much ! As John was speaking the truth about the Law, which was not the same as their own teaching. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were teaching the tradition and not actually the Law.

What does it mean that Jesus is the "Only God" or the "Only Begotten God"? Man in his filthy mind has made this statement into a false teaching. They want to say that by using the word "begotten", John is implying that Jesus is a "created" being, like the angels. By not using the word "begotten" and using just "only God", we are putting forth the truth of the rest of the scriptures. Jesus is God - Jesus is very God - Jesus is the very essence of God. Does the Apostle John seem to make a distinction between God the Father and God the Son? No, only man in his degraded mind have tried to make a distinction that is not there. God the Father and Jesus the son are ONE ! What does all this mean for our understanding of the Trinity? The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible. But because man needs to label everything, we have put the word "trinity" to mean - Father - Son - Holy Spirit. I believe scholars have tried too hard to make this fit. We need to believe that God is God and that He is ONE ONLY. Why must we believe in the trinity to be a true Christian? I believe in God the Father - Jesus as God the Son - Holy Spirit as God the Spirit. Is this wrong? Am I a heretic believing this? Our trust is the truth that Jesus is God and He has redeemed us.

Why is the idea of God "becoming flesh" so important to the basis of the Christian faith? God is pure, without sin. Man is sinful, but can only die for his own sin. Thus comes the plan of God to become flesh - that is to have all attributes of a human person, as well as still fully being God. Paul told the church at Philippi, that Jesus emptied Himself of God's powers to live in the flesh as a man. Also in the Bible, it says that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, but did not sin. Therefore, Jesus, being without sin could become the payment for sin. This He did on the Roman cross, taking all sins of mankind for all time upon His body, thus paying for them. If Jesus had not become flesh, we, all mankind, would still be in our sins and without any hope of an eternity with God. What would Christ's life, crucifixion, and resurrection mean if he were only pretending to "become flesh"? Jesus' life would have no spiritual meaning or benefit. And we would still be in our sins. In what ways have you personally experienced his grace? I experienced God's grace when I surrendered to Him, believing in His atoning death for payment for my sins. I also experience His grace each day when I sin. Because I believe that all my sins have been washed away through being buried with Jesus in "baptism". In what ways has his truth changed your life from what it was? My life had been point toward a career in science and math. But Jesus got a hold on me and pushed me to Bible College where I met Him personally and became a speaker for His truth.