8/14 - The Door of Obedience and the Key of Faith (a.k.a. Time to Step Out!) Luke 5:1-11
Outdoor Neighborhood Finale — Sunday, August 14 — Combined worship service at 9:30 a.m. followed by dinner on the grounds about 11:00 am (no Bible Fellowships or regular children’s programming on this day. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and side dishes for the pot-luck. Fried chicken and drinks provided by the church.) IN A NUTSHELL – The disciples had spent some significant time with Jesus but obviously they were still committed to their fishing business. In today’s text we see Jesus giving the disciples an opportunity to make the most profound change in their lives. Jesus invites the disciples to enter into a world of unbelievable realities, fishing for eternal benefits! With the key of faith they were to “step up”, or “step out” through the door of obedience.
1. Why did the disciples think that putting down the nets into the sea was a useless venture?
2. Why did they decide to go ahead let the nets down?
3. Do you think the disciples felt like they were walking away from something significant or walking towards something more significant when they chose to follow Jesus?
4. What more significant thing(s) do you think God may be calling you to choose instead of life as you have come to expect it?
5. How have other individuals experienced their faith being challenged to “step up” or “step out” and what were their next steps?
a. Acts 2:38
b. Acts 1:7-8
c. Acts 8:36–40
d. Acts 8:20-23
e. Acts 22:16
f. Rom. 6:17
g. Heb. 11:8
6. Is it really Biblical to tie faith and obedience together? Acts 6:7; Rom. 1:5; 15:18-19; 16:25-27; 2 Cor. 10:4-6; 2 Thess. 1:8; Heb. 5:9; 11:8; 1 Peter 1:2,22
7. Over the past couple hundred years diverse Christian denominations have replaced the Biblical first step of obedience in Baptism with the “Sinners Prayer” because people could not agree on when and how to be baptized.
8. Acknowledging the confusion in people’s minds regarding the place of baptism take a look at how God has challenged people and they have “stepped up”, and “stepped out” in their faith.
- Testimonies of responding to calls to faith and obedience.
- Testimonies of turning from Islam
- Testimonies of the Persecuted Church
9. What has God given you upon which you can initiate your faith? And what call to obedience is He making on your life today?
The Conclusion of the Matter – Salvation is by grace through faith unto obedience. At the point of responding to the Gospel before Jesus’ death He would say “follow me”, the apostles after Jesus’ death would say “be baptized”, and now the popular church tends to say, “pray this prayer.” We side with the Apostles. If you are ready to take a step of faith and have not yet been immersed, that is your first step. From there each step through the door of obedience will take you into a new world of eternal realities; forgiveness of sin, renewed joy, freedom from enslaving addictions, healed relationships, insatiable hope.
We are going to make available those new ESV Bibles that some of you personalized back in June. If you picked up a Bible for $6 then you are helping to provide that same Bible for your Neighbor for FREE!
Also, the CCCB bookstore is going to have a table where you or our guests can purchase a ESV study Bible and some great summary resources from "Rose Publishing." The following titles will be available at the bookstore table this Sunday:
- Tough Questions about Christianity
- Worldviews Comparisons
- Jesus: fact and fiction
- 50 Proofs for the Bible
- 10 Questions and Answers on Angels
- Bible Promises for Hope and Courage
- Where to Find Favorite Bible Verses
- Islam and Christianity
- How We Got the Bible