Sermon Discussion Guide 9-29-24

Sermon Discussion Guide
1 Peter | Part 3 | A Vision for My Life| 1 Peter 2:1-10

Gathering Prayer.
Father, by Your Spirit, would you guide us into all truth. Help us to hear and be attentive to Your voice as we work through this study. In the name of Jesus, Your Son, we pray, Amen. 

Opening Questions

• What stood out to you in the sermon? 
• What insights did you gain? 
• What questions did it raise?

Read 1 Peter 2:1-10

• Peter highlights the pattern of being "rejected by humans but chosen by God." How does this tension manifest in your life? What are some challenges you face in living out your faith in a culture that may not value it?

 The Great Dechurching

• Forty million Americans have left the church in the last 25 years. What reasons for this trend surprised or resonated with you? Have you seen this in your own community?

Church as Optional 

• Why do you think church often becomes optional for some people, especially in modern culture? How can we combat the cultural push towards isolation and individualism?
• In what ways has church been essential for your spiritual growth or life challenges?
• What are the dangers of treating church as a product to consume rather than a community to participate in? How can we move from a consumer mindset to being active participants in the church?

Reflect on this quote from Brad Yeast in Worship Together or Bowl Alone from Christianity Today,

“If the God of the gospel is the one true and living God, then every one of us should be at church every Sunday morning (and more). If not—if Jesus did not rise from the dead—then the church is built on a lie, our faith is futile, and “we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:16–19). If the gospel were false, church would be a waste of time, even if it added decades to our lives and absolutely ensured our total personal flourishing.  If the God of Abraham is fictional, if he is not the maker of heaven and earth, it would be better to live in the truth and be miserable than to playact the liturgy and be happy. At the cultural level, American Christians tend to treat the church as an embarrassing encumbrance or a bait and switch, something to be endured if you want to follow Jesus.

On the contrary: The church is the selling point. I don’t mean that we want people joining churches for the social perks. I mean that Christ himself has made the offer of the gospel one and the same as the offer of joining a people. Just as we cannot have the Father without the Son (1 John 2:23) or adoption by God without adoption by Abraham (Gal. 3:6–4:7), so we cannot have Christ without his body and bride (Eph. 2:1–22). It’s a package deal. The Lord and his family come together; either we have both or we have neither.”

• If the gospel is true, regular church attendance should be non-negotiable. How does this perspective challenge our modern approach to church involvement? In what ways might we be treating the church as optional?
  
  
• Accepting Christ means embracing his church as well. How does this "package deal" change how we view our relationship with both Christ and His people?

Closing Prayer