Foundations
When constructing a house, laying foundations is not something you simply check off from a long list of possible options. Foundations have a permanent impact, holding the whole structure up and defining its shape. Everything you build subsequently is affected by the quality of what is first laid down. Foundations have ongoing relevance as you move on to the other more ‘interesting’ things which you will see day to day when you occupy your home.
Jesus spoke of wise and foolish people who build their lives on either sand or rock, and the enormous consequences for them in their choice of foundation as would-be disciples responding to his teaching.
The writer to the Hebrews addresses people whose faith has become vulnerable; whose faithfulness and continuance in following Jesus is in doubt; and whose discipleship is in danger of collapsing like a house of cards. In chapter 6, like an engineer inspecting the current state of a building, the writer identifies a large part of their problem as them being dislodged from their foundation. So of course, what is seen on top of this is unstable. They aren’t solid enough to move on to more complex things.
Like them, it is easy for us to wrongly assume we have things rightly in place as we begin being led by the Spirit in the reconstruction of our lives in Christ. In theory, there are things which ‘should’ be taken for granted in all Christians, but clearly this is not the case.
However, reading the list of examples given, it may surprise us what is mentioned as elementary, because each one is complex, hardly rudimentary, and all have been hotly debated through church history and remain so today. If asked to outline one’s understanding and explain how they function in present Christian experience, many of us might struggle. More importantly, we might be dangerously blind to our deficit, not appreciating the continuing effect this has in shaping our life now, failing to notice when we also slip from our foundations.
Critically, how do we build together as the church, the living temple and household of God’s people, if we don’t share the same foundations? Do we have genuine unity in our understanding and approach to the basic building blocks of discipleship, allowing us to stand on common ground? When and how are newcomers to our church introduced to these ‘basic teachings’?
In this topical series we will go over the foundations mentioned in Hebrews 6:1-2, drawing material from their wider architecture found elsewhere in Scripture. We will appreciate that these are hardly simple matters dealt with and then left behind as relevant only for novices. They remain formative in building who we are in Christ in our daily living. These are essential if we are to keep growing and maturing.
Join with us as we dig down into the bedrock of our shared Christian life – our ‘Foundations’.
Life Group Discussion Starters
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Which injustices in the world bother you most, and why?
What feelings does the idea of God’s ‘eternal judgment’ bring for you and why?
The First Testament writers hoped for the Day of the Lord (Amos 5:18-20; Is 11:10ff; 19:23-25; Dan 7:18-22; Zeph 1:14-16) which led to Jewish thinkers dividing history into two periods: the ‘present age’ and ‘the age to come’. How do you understand God’s eternal judgment revealed in the New Testament modifying this, by having aspects which are past, present, and future? (You might see John 3;16-21; 12:31-33; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Rom 3:21-26; 4:24-25; 5:8-11, 18-21; 8:1-4, 32-34; 14:10-13; Matt 7:1-5; 1 Cor 11:31; Rom 2:1-8; 1 Jn 4:16-21; Heb 9:26-28; 10:23-25; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Pet 3:4-18).
Do your feelings suggest anything which might need to change in how you perceive eternal judgement?
How does seeing God demonstrating his justice in the unjust death and vindicating resurrection of Jesus help us understand what God is like, and how he approaches righteousness?
If we believe that God will bring eternal judgement to all people and all creation, how might (and might not) this shape:
How we treat others?
How we treat ourselves?
How we treat ongoing injustice in the world?
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Our livestream did not operate for this Sunday. You can download an audio recording of this message here: Foundations - Resurrection
Discussion starters:
How does understanding resurrection in terms of the whole biblical narrative arch from “creation to re-creation” make sense of what God is doing in Jesus’ resurrection?
What difference does Jesus’ resurrection make for us now? (What does his resurrection show about who he is, and what he does for us?)
Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). What role do you understand prayer and action to play in living a resurrection kind of life now? (You might think in terms of areas such as personal formation, reconciliation, community development, social justice, and environmental stewardship)
In John 11:25-26 Jesus says to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die”, then asks “Do you believe this?” Do you believe it? What makes it easy or hard to believe?
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What understanding of the ‘laying on of hands’ do you see in the following passages:
- Numbers 8:5-13
- Acts 6:3- Acts 13:2-3
- Acts 14:23
- 1 Timothy 4:14 & 2 Timothy 1:6
- 1 Timothy 5:22What is the purpose and power of the physical connection in laying on of hands?
How else do we affirm those we appoint? Why is this needed especially in Christian ministry and mission?
What is it like not to have a meaningful role and make a difference to the growth of Christ’s church?
What stops people serving, and how might we counteract each of these factors?
What might you need to do to become available to receive this experience of laying on of hands?
What might you need to do to become capable of giving this experience of laying on of hands?
What feelings might we have which make us refuse receiving or giving these hands?
Why does it take all of us to give and receive the laying on of hands to grow into a mature community of disciples?
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What meanings are signified in being baptised in the following passages:- Mark 10:38-39
- Romans 6:3-7
- Acts 1:5
- Acts 2:36-38; 22:16
- 1 Peter 3:18-22
- Hebrews 10:22-25
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-13Critique this statement: ‘Baptism is immersion into new life with God, symbolised and enacted by submersion in water.’
Why would someone choose to be baptised, or resist doing so?
What questions or concerns about the practice of baptism remain for you to explore?
What importance do you feel baptism has for you?
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Read Hebrews 11:1-3.
What are some of the effects of God that you see and experience in our world?
What have you found helpful for growing and nurturing faith toward God in your life?
Which of the aspects of the “flower of faith” have you found most challenging in your faith journey? These aspects being;
- Belief,
- Trust,
- Commitment,
- Dedication to living according to Jesus’ ways (the expression of the interplay between Commitment and Belief),
- Confidence in the reliability of Jesus’ claims (the expression of the interplay between Belief and Trust), and
- Persevering reliance on God’s character (the expression of the interplay between Trust and Commitment).In 1 Peter, Peter is writing to Christians whose faith is being tested as they suffer all kinds of trials, and he describes this difficulty as being like a ‘purifying fire’ for their faith. You may like to read 1 Peter 1:3-9. What role have you experienced suffering to play in the growth or regression of your faith toward God?
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What feelings or associations do you have when you hear the word Repent?
Now read Luke 5:27-32.
What do we learn about repentance from the story about Levi?
How closely does the story of Levi’s repentance relate to your associations with repentance in Q.1?
What are some reasons why we can find repentance hard?
Do you have an experience of repentance that you would be willing to share with the group?
What is Jesus asking us to do when he calls us to repent?
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Read Hebrews 5:7-6:2.
What are the most important things for us to learn about who Jesus is? (What characteristics of Jesus would you include on His "Top Trumps" card?)
In Heb 5:8-10 the writers outline the basics on Christ that they expect the Hebrews to build upon. How does this description resonate with your own understanding?
As you consider your own faith journey, how would you describe your own involvement in the experiences mentioned in 6:1-2, being:
Repentance from dead works
Faith toward God
Instructions about washings (Baptism)
Laying on of hands (Joining God's mission in the world)
Resurrection of the dead
Eternal judgement?
How might we describe who Jesus is for those who don’t know Him in our modern-day context? (Does ‘Great High Priest’ or ‘Lord’ work for us?)
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Read Hebrews 5:11-6:3. Summarise what the author is saying, and what they are trying to achieve?
Describe a mature person.
Describe an immature person.
What does being mature in faith enable a person to do?
What are the dangers of staying immature in faith?
Why might we resist ‘growing up’?
What actions help us to keep maturing?
Read Hebrews 2:10,18; 12:1-2; then 10:32-36. How was Jesus tested/tempted to shrink back immaturely from his calling because the consequences would cause him suffering, and how did ‘joy’ enable him to mature in his consistent faithfulness? How does our union with Jesus by ‘faith’ allow him to help us in these same dynamics?