Theological Issues Kingdom Living & the Christian Life Trinity International University © John Stevenson, 2009.

Theological IssuesTheological IssuesKingdom Living & the Christian Kingdom Living & the Christian

LifeLife

Trinity International University

© John Stevenson, 2009

Break into Small

Groups to discuss the

following questions

from Resident Aliens:

• Why does the world need the church? (See page 94)

• What is Christian ethics in light of the reality of the church and the Kingdom of God? (See page 97 ff.)

What is the What is the Christian Life Christian Life and how do I and how do I

live it?live it?

You agree or Disagree with You agree or Disagree with this statement?this statement?

It is impossible to live the Christian Life without being

a Christian.

How did Jesus define the How did Jesus define the Christian life in His Sermon on Christian life in His Sermon on

the Mount?the Mount?

Matthew 5:48 Matthew 5:48 Therefore you are to be

perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 22:35-38 Matthew 22:35-38 One of them, a lawyer, asked

Him a question, testing Him,

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and foremost commandment.

Matthew 22:39-40 Matthew 22:39-40 “The second is like it, ‘You shall

love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 13:8-10 Romans 13:8-10 Owe nothing to anyone except

to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Were the Ten Were the Ten Commandments primarily Commandments primarily outward or inward in their outward or inward in their

focus?focus?

What is the What is the opposite of opposite of

loving the Lord loving the Lord your God with your God with all your heart, all your heart, and with all and with all

your soul, and your soul, and with all your with all your

mind?mind?

You shall not

Covet

Colossians 3:5 Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members

of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

When does proper desire When does proper desire become coveting?become coveting?

Desire becomes sin when it fails to include

the love of God or men.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; 17 pray without

ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

What is the relationship of giving thanks versus covetousness?

Romans 1:21-23 Romans 1:21-23 For even though they knew God,

they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

From where does one get From where does one get the motivation to live the the motivation to live the

Christian life?Christian life?

Matthew 5:43-45 Matthew 5:43-45 You have heard that it was said,

“You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 ).

Romans 6:5-7 Romans 6:5-7 For if we have become united

with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

Romans 6:8-11 Romans 6:8-11 Now if we have died with Christ,

we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 7:1Romans 7:1Or do you not know, brethren (for

I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

Romans 7:2-3 Romans 7:2-3 For the married woman is bound

by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

Romans 7:4 Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also

were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Colossians 3:1-3 Colossians 3:1-3 Therefore if you have been

raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Devise a strategic plan for making

disciples in a

church context.

• What processes should be implemented? What procedures followed?

• What would be the desired end result?

• How would you know if the methodology was successful?