SESSION 05 - AUTHORITY GIVEN TO ALL BELIEVERS - SEATED WITH CHRIST
ARRIVAL
Arrival, sharing life, munching snacks.
SESSION 5 - GROUP VIDEO
Watch 10-20 minutes of a GROUP video teaching, that correlates with the full Workshop semester topics.
GROUP CONVERSATION GUIDE
STORY: PASTOR’S MOM PRAYING FOR HIS DAD IN A HELICOPTER
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS SESSIONS
BIG IDEA QUESTION AGAIN:
Does God use human agency to fulfill His purposes,
OR does God arbitrarily dictate outcomes via His sovereign determination?
DEFINE SOVEREIGNTY:
God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants,
without being accountable to anyone.
CONSIDER THE QUESTION:
If God delegated His rule on earth to His people,
and His people are delinquent to those responsibilities,
how much pain and sorrow have we unduly endured,
and how much of our understanding of God has been skewed?
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY?
The responsibility to rightfully govern and enforce justice.
WEEK SESSION 5: JESUS DELEGATES THE AUTHORITY TO BELIEVERS
THE GREAT COMMISSION
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
THE GRACE OF GOD
SEATS TELL US A STORY
- “Sit by me”
- “Shotgun” front seat
- Seated “WITH” versus “across from”
- Front seats
- First class seats
- Box suite seats
- Preferred seating
- Reserved seating
- Airplane pilot’s left seat (captain)
- Seats on a cabinet
- Seats on a board
- Head table seats
- State of Union seating protocols
EPHESIANS 1:20-23 NKJV …which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and SEATED [HIM] AT HIS RIGHT HAND in the heavenly [places], 21 FAR ABOVE all PRINCIPALITY and POWER (exousia – authority) and MIGHT (dynamis – power) and DOMINION (kyriotes – governments, rulers), AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put ALL [THINGS] UNDER HIS FEET, and gave Him [to be] HEAD OVER ALL [THINGS] to the CHURCH, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
EPHESIANS 2:5-9 NKJV …even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by GRACE you have been saved), 6 and RAISED [US] UP together, and MADE [US] SIT TOGETHER in the heavenly [places] IN CHRIST JESUS, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His GRACE in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
AUTHORITY CONFERRED ON ALL BELIEVERS
- GREAT COMMISSION
- THE KINGDOM
- THE GRACE OF GOD
- RAISED TO SIT WITH JESUS
- THE NAME OF JESUS
- THE WORD OF GOD
- THE HOLY SPIRIT
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Take a few moments to discuss your answers to these questions with the Group.
ICE BREAKER
What should I know about you that I’d never think to ask about?
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
- After watching this session’s video, what is your biggest takeaway, “ah ha” moment, or challenging thought? Why?
- Pastor Patrick opens the session with a story of his Mother praying protection around his Dad. Did God use human agency to fulfill His purposes, or did God already have a sovereign predetermination of what would happen? Did Pastor’s Mom simply play a “puppet roll”, or did her activation of spiritual authority change an outcome?
- Seats tell a story. Think of a time when a seat told you, or those around you, a story. What story did that seat tell you?
- What feelings or thoughts do you have when you consider that you have been “seated” together with Christ? Describe what it means to you?
SESSION 5 - 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:
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.