God the Son, Student Workbook, SW10

1 1 6 /

G O D T H E S O N

* In what way should we incorporate texts like Philippians 2.5-11 and 2 Corinthians 8.9 into our understanding of Christian discipleship and ministry? * Of all of the pictures given of Jesus’ death and its meaning for our lives, which do you personally find most powerful for your life and ministry? * Finish the following statement: “The one thing that still troubles me about my own grasp of Jesus’ death that I need to learn more about is ____________________.” * What are the ways in which you will seek to make the death of Jesus more real in your life and ministry? Why is the Lord’s Supper such an important ongoing practice to help us appreciate the meaning of his passion and death on our behalf? * How might we better teach the humility and death of Jesus in our discipling, preaching, and teaching? Brainstorm together ways you can reemphasize the passion of Christ in your church life. Many modern presentations of the Gospel tend to focus on the ethics of Christian faith , that is, on the character of relationships and virtues associated with the Christian faith and not on the passion of Christ, his humility, sufferings, and death on Calvary. Many mega-churches associated with church growth and more contemporary approaches to Christian worship and witness are explicit in their insistence that dealing constantly with the violent and tortuous themes of death and sacrifice is ineffective in winning others. Churches that are growing deal with “real” issues, address people’s concrete personal anxieties and worries, and concentrate on the quality of life issues that most mainstream Westerners worry about day to day. Our entree into their lives will not begin, it is argued, with tough teachings on the shed blood of Christ but more ground-floor issues like work, family, and self-development. At what point ought we to introduce to genuine seekers of God the teaching surrounding the cross of Christ? Is it the ground floor or the end game of Christian witness? Explain your answer. A Bloodless Faith?

3