Sermon Recap: In Good Company Pt. 2
Speaker: Pastor Pierre
Read: Genesis 3:6-10; Acts 2:46-47; Colossians 1:18-23; Hebrews 10:25; 1 John 4:18
Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God and His creation. But in their quest for independence and desire to be like God, they sinned and for the first time realized their nakedness. Shame and awkwardness followed, creating barriers between them and God. To deflect their fears and shame they sewed fig leaves together and hid in the shadows. As a result of their transgressions every human soul bears the markings of their self-consciousness. Like them, we too put on fig leaves and have a degree of shame. We have areas we don’t want exposed to others and hide, lest they see who we really are. We carry some level of guilt and struggle with feelings of being incomplete, never enough and unworthiness. For some of us this has led to loneliness and isolation.
Thankfully, God is in the business of restoration. He is able to take awkward broken pieces and put them back together again. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, He provided a way for us to be reconciled back to Him and to restore our capacity for intimacy with Him and others, thereby taking us back to the garden. The journey of restoration starts at salvation and progresses as we practice the things of God. And as with the believers in Acts 2, the practice of community is crucial to helping us build healthy relationships and reaching our full potential in life and restoration.
GROUP LEADER QUESTIONS:
1. What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. It was said that at the core of our being is this truth: that we are designed for and by our relationships; that we are born with a relentless longing to participate in the lives of others; and that fundamentally we are relationship souls. What does this mean to you? What do you think keeps us from forming relationships or engaging in community?
3. How do you think being in community with others can help us progress towards restoration?
4. It was said that restoration is progressive as we practice the things of God. What does this mean to you? What are the ‘things of God’ we should practice?
5. Fear was defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Read 1 John 4:18. What does this mean to you with regard to fear?
6. It was explained that:
Guilt is a focus on behavior but shame is a focus on yourself; Guilt says I did something wrong but shame says I am bad; Guilt says I am sorry, I made a mistake but shame says I am a mistake. As you reflect on your life, how have you experienced some of these thoughts?
7. Read Hebrews 10:25. What do you think Paul was saying to the people? What benefits do you think can come from believers meeting together?
