Resurrection Week 3： Part 3

In one paragraph

This message was part of an ongoing series on resurrection and what Brian calls "the new assignment." The main focus was the biblical picture of believers ruling and reigning with Jesus, and what that future role has to do with how we live right now. The conversation was honest and wide-ranging, with the congregation genuinely pushing back and adding to what Brian was saying. Brian opened by...

Read together

1. Ezra 1:5 God stirred the hearts of priests, Levites and leaders of Judah to rebuild the temple
2. Ezra 9 the people say God revived them and breathed new life into them to rebuild the temple
3. Isaiah 11:1-9 read aloud in full as a Christmas passage about the coming reign of Christ and renewal of the earth
4. Daniel 7:18 the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom and will rule forever and ever
5. Luke 21:15 God will give words and wisdom that adversaries cannot resist when believers are called to stand before rulers
6. Jeremiah 1:7 God tells Jeremiah not to say he is only a youth, to go where sent and speak what commanded
7. Revelation 2:26 to those who are victorious and obey to the end, God will give authority over the nations
8. Psalms 2 referenced as a hyperlink back to ruling the nations with an iron rod and smashing them like clay pots
9. Revelation 5:9-10 the new song declaring Christ worthy because his blood ransomed people from every tribe, language, people and nation, making them a kingdom of priests who will reign on the earth
10. Revelation 20 those beheaded for their testimony, who did not take the mark of the beast, came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years

What was said

• If the Holy Spirit puts an encouraging word on your heart for someone this week, say it out loud instead of talking yourself out of it.
• Pick one small act of obedience you have been putting off and do it, treating it as practice for the bigger moments of faithfulness that may come.
• Grab a Christmas Eve invite card on your way out and hand it to someone you know.
• If you have never been baptized as a believing adult, talk to Brian after service about the baptism planned for the first Sunday in January.
• Ask the Lord each morning this week to show you a burden you are carrying that belongs at the foot of the cross, and then consciously leave it there.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about the difference between driving past the Tetons at 75 miles an hour and actually stopping at the turnouts. Where in your own walk with God have you rushed through something that deserved more time and attention?
2. Lissa shared a picture of someone carrying a pitcher of water through Whole Foods while people around them were dying of thirst, and making excuses not to offer it. What kinds of excuses do you find yourself making for not sharing what God has put in you?
3. Brian described spiritual maturity as being measured by obedience and surrender rather than by years spent as a Christian. How does that land with you, and where do you see it playing out in your own life?
4. The sermon described a tension between being meek and being a warrior, and suggested that practicing spiritual disciplines like fasting, Sabbath, and solitude builds the muscle memory needed to stand firm when the stakes are high. What small, daily acts of surrender are you currently practicing, or could you start practicing?
5. Brian laid out three things that need to converge before planting a flag on something: personal conviction, clear biblical standards, and specific direction from the Holy Spirit. Think of a situation where you felt pressure to take a stand. Looking back, how many of those three vectors were actually present?