Bible Reading
Ephesians 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
[13:49]1 Peter 5:6-11 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
[59:27]John 5:2-13 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.
[37:50]Acts 1:6-11 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
[29:14]Observation questions
- According to Ephesians 4:11-16, what are leaders in the church meant to do, and what are the saints meant to do?
- What words and images does Paul use to describe a church that is growing toward maturity, and what dangers does he say immature believers face? [14:29]
- In John 5, what does the man say about his situation, what does Jesus command him to do, and what does the man know about Jesus at first?
- In 1 Peter 5:6-11, what does Peter tell suffering believers to do with their anxieties, their enemy, and their awareness of other Christians who suffer? [59:39]
Interpretation questions
- Ephesians 4 says that every part of Christ’s body has a role in building up the church in love. What does this mean for the idea that ministry belongs mainly to pastors, leaders, or especially gifted people? [15:02]
- Acts describes the apostles receiving the Spirit and witnessing to the nations, while Ephesians directly commands believers how to live. Why does recognizing the difference between a descriptive story and a prescriptive command help guard believers from unhealthy expectations? [29:42]
- Jesus healed the man at Bethesda before the man even knew who Jesus was. How does this passage challenge the belief that healing always depends on the strength of a person’s faith? [39:01]
- Peter connects suffering, resisting the devil, and the care of God. How can believers take their suffering seriously without concluding that God has abandoned them? [01:00:08]
Application questions
- The church gathers to worship and scatters to witness. Where does God already have you during the week—at work, at home, among friends, or in your neighborhood—and what is one realistic way you could plant or water a gospel seed there? [08:50]
- Every believer has a valuable place in the body of Christ. What gifts, experiences, abilities, or opportunities has God given you that could help build up someone else in the church? [15:02]
- Scripture is one unified story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration centered on Jesus. When you open the Bible, do you tend to look first for yourself, your problem, or Jesus? What might change if you began asking, “What does this show me about Jesus?” [20:50]
- God can heal, and believers should ask boldly; yet God is Savior, not a genie. Is there a burden, illness, loss, or unanswered prayer that you need to bring honestly to God while also saying, “I trust you no matter what”? [40:30]
- Suffering can tempt people to isolate themselves because they fear being judged or becoming a burden. Is there a trusted person or group of believers with whom you need to share more honestly about what you are carrying? [52:25]
- God does not waste suffering and can use wounded people to stand in the gap for others. Has God brought you through a hardship that could help you tell someone else, “I get it”? What might compassionate presence look like this week? [53:29]
- Peter says to resist the enemy with truth and to remember that believers do not suffer alone. What lie tends to speak loudest when you are hurting, and what truth from 1 Peter 5:6-11 can you use to answer it? [58:32]
