SESSION 2 - THE SYSTEM OF REDEMPTION
GROUP VIDEO
Today we look at why Redemption is important. We ask:
- What is Redemption?
- How extensive is forgiveness?
- What is God’s will concerning our blessings?
These are issues of identity! There is no greater revelation of God given to mankind than the gift of Redemption.
SESSION 2 - GROUP VIDEO
Watch 10-20 minutes of a GROUP video teaching, that correlates with the full Workshop semester topics.
GROUP CONVERSATION GUIDE
REDEMPTION AND FORGIVENESS
- What is Redemption?
- To purchase, or to buy back
EPHESIANS 1:7 NKJV In Him we have REDEMPTION through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of SINS, according to the riches of His grace…
Every sin you have ever committed is now absolved. God legally dances over you as though you never had sinned.
The forgiveness of sin is not just what violations you have committed, but it is the nature of sin that you inherited from Adam and Eve.
Forgiveness of sin is about the legal nature of God. It isn’t God cutting corners, or winking, or demeaning the offence of sin. Forgiveness is God doing the full measure of work to satisfy His Just nature, so that He can demonstrate pure Goodness into your life.
REDEMPTION TO REIGN
ROMANS 5:12, 17 NKJV Therefore, just as through ONE MAN SIN ENTERED the world, and death through sin, and thus death SPREAD TO ALL MEN, because all sinned-- ... 17 For if by the ONE MAN'S OFFENSE DEATH REIGNED through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
Forgiveness includes any sin we committed, and the sin nature we inherited from Adam and Eve. Forgiveness includes the most grievous things you might have done; abortions, murders, abuses, stealing, prostitution, slave trading, perversions, etc.
Redemption means we are now legally empowered, and responsible, to reign, rule and take dominion in this earth, as God’s representatives.
DOES GOD WANT YOU BLESSED?
Does God want you blessed? Many people will say “yes” without hesitation. But when pressed with accusations and conflicting experiences they will, with equal conviction, say “no.” So which is it? How do we know?
If sin brought death, then anything that causes death is also a part of this forgiveness. God wants you to be healed physically, and blessed materially, with the same passion He wants you to be forgiven. This is all central to Redemption!
HEALING AND PROSPERITY
The topics of healing and prosperity are the most common illustrations of Scripture to connect atonement, forgiveness and restitutionary blessings.
Healing and prosperity in atonement (Redemption) are to be explored as a system. Healing and prosperity are not the most important, or elevated values of God, for us. However, if you understand the system of forgiveness to healing, or forgiveness to prosperity, you will understand all the Redemptive systems for joy, peace, wisdom, favor and the Holy Spirit’s anointing upon your life. Redemption moves these blessings from being a random promise, or side-issue with God, to being central to what God has done in Christ.
Everything begins at a spiritual origin. God is a spirit, and He created all things physical. When many people talk about things being “spiritual” (i.e. “that’s just talking about spiritual things) we are diminishing the impact of sin and forgiveness being a mere side-issue with God and our lives. But when you realize that all things originate in a spiritual root, forgiveness and blessings become a central passion within the nature of God. Everything has a spiritual origin.
To deal with physical things, and to ignore spiritual things, is one of the greatest deceptions of mankind.
GENESIS 3:6-10, 21 NKJV So when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make [one] wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed FIG LEAVES together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where [are] you?" 10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I WAS AFRAID because I was naked; and I hid myself." ... 21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD GOD MADE TUNICS OF SKIN, AND CLOTHED THEM.
Sin brought sickness, disease, dysfunction, poverty, lack, suffering, sorrow, grief, trauma, etc. into the earth. Forgiveness is not only about releasing you from a violation, but it is the absolving of the things sin causes; sickness, disease, dysfunction, poverty, lack, suffering, sorrow, grief, trauma, etc.
FORGIVENESS AND ABSOLVING JUDGMENT
Many people will propose that God forgave us of the sin, but we still have to endure the consequences of our sin. However, for God to forgive without absolving us of the consequences of judgment is not really forgiveness at all!
God is as passionate, legally defensive of justice, for our supernatural resourcing of all blessings as He is for us to be forgiven of our sin.
Because Redemption is the moment of God’s nature being satisfied, God’s blessings in our lives is not about a random promise, but about an indisputable fact in the heart of God towards us. We don’t ever have to pray to get God’s will inclined towards us for good. God has already established His will, changed our very nature at the new birth, and now requires us to stand in our spiritual authority to execute that will in our lives.
IMPORTANT:
If you are struggling with pain and suffering, this teaching in now way is projecting that you must have sin in your life. The sin and forgiveness is about a system that caused the earth to be under a curse. That curse has now come upon all people. Redemption gives us restitution and spiritual authority to turn the curse into a blessing.
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Take a few moments to discuss your answers to these questions with the Group.
ICE BREAKER
When it comes to the future, what do you worry about the most?
MY MEMOIR STORIES
IMPORTANT: If the Group would like to continue telling one Memoir Story per week until they are completed, that might allow for a more congruent transition. Please be sensitive to the Science of Freedom content and discussion. It is important that our people are exposed to the possibilities in their potential that this content will provide. Please take no more than 20-25 minutes for the Memoir to leave time for the rest of the content below.
MEMOIR: PREPARING TO TELL MY STORY (Scope Timeline) worksheet to help you think through your story. You can download the SCOPE TIMELINE WORKSHEET at the link. There is a longer version of the worksheet, that gives an extra step to dig deeper into your story, which can be downloaded at LONG VERSION WORKSHEET (RECOMMENDED). You can also watch the WRAP UP video from last week that explains how to use the worksheet. Each person's Memoir should be 10-15 minutes long.
QUESTIONS
- Describe how you think God is emotionally processing your sin (both the aggregate of all your sins, as well as your most recent individual violations). Is God angry at you? Does He “get” you? Is God compassionate towards you? Is God celebrating and dancing over you?
- Share one of your present life-hardships (lost a job, got divorced, struggling financially, disappointed dreams, illness of a loved one, a loved one passed, compulsive/destructive behavior, etc.). Describe how you think God is emotionally processing your pain. Is God ambivalent towards it and you? Does God “hate” what you are going through? Is God compassionate towards you? Is God celebrating and dancing over you?
- Why do you think sincere people tend to elevate life-experiences as the detector of God’s will for them? If they experience blessing, then they assume God did it. If they experience suffering, they believe God was ambivalent, or actively allowed it, or even caused the experience. Is “experience” a healthy and authoritative detector of God’s will for us? Why or why not?
- After watching Session 2’s Video, what is your biggest takeaway, “ah ha” moment, or challenging thought? Why?
SESSION 2 - WRAP UP
This is a 5-10 minute section for MOVING FORWARD, GOING DEEPER, use of worksheets and periodic church-wide announcements.
MOVE FORWARD
Receive the challenge to “move forward” by applying what was learned this week.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, PREPARE TO TELL YOUR STORY, your MEMOIR, to the rest of us over the next few weeks. Use the MY MEMOIR: PREPARING TO TELL MY STORY (Scope Timeline) worksheet to help you think through your story. You can download the SCOPE TIMELINE WORKSHEET. There is a longer version of the worksheet, that gives an extra step to dig deeper into your story, which can be downloaded at LONG VERSION WORKSHEET (RECOMMENDED).
2. PRAY FOR GROUP MEMBER - Pray for at least one person in the Group. Try to identify someone who hasn't been prayed for, or given an encouraging Scripture. Don't worry about feeling inadequate as a prayer. No one feels like they are professional prayers, at least not when they look into eyes of the Almighty God. Praying the Scriptures over people is the best way to learn how to pray effectively. Simply find a Scripture, put the person's name in the text, and pray those words out loud. Then ask the Lord to help you think of things to say to Him about them that would help their lives.
3. ASK FOR A SCRIPTURE WORD - Ask God to give you a Scripture to give them to encourage, comfort and edify them. You can Google search "God's Promises" and find a plethora of appropriate texts. Look for one that seems to give you a spark of energy as you think about the person you have been praying for.
4. DELIVER THE WORD TO THEM - Then send them an email, text or phone call to encourage them. This is how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. As you practice these movements you will expand your own capacity with God, all while giving people much needed hope and strength.
GOING DEEPER
Encouragement to engage the FULL WORKSHOP SEMESTER experience. While this is not required, nor is the Group discussions connected to the full workshop, it is an option for everyone.
PRAYER / DISMISS GROUP
Prayer time with the Group.