Session 4 – Small Group Study Guide
Sermon Study: Ambassadors for Christ
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Study Questions
As we consider what it means to be an ambassador for Christ, it’s important that we recognize it is both an individual and also a corporate endeavor. Just as we become more Christ-like by surrounding ourselves with the church family, we are better equipped to be ambassadors for Christ when we learn from our church family. To that end, our hope is that these questions will spur discussion and be helpful for us as we share and exchange ideas for how we can grow as ambassadors for Christ.
- In the first point of the message, Pastor Kim asked, “What in your life can only be explained by the work of gospel?” What specific areas in your life come to mind when you consider this question? Where do you see signs of life in your life? You’re more than welcome to reach as far back as when you were saved, but feel free to share where you have been seeing growth and change more recently and in this season of COVID.
- Part of growing in grace and growing to be faithful ambassadors of Jesus requires that we are attuned to the areas where we still fall short and need the grace of God for change. What are the specific areas in our lives that God is shining a light on? Where do we still need to grow and depend on the Spirit for change as his disciples?
- Pastor Kim said, “For Paul, gospel transformation meant a life with new meaning and purpose.” A disciple of Jesus is an ambassador of Jesus, imbued with new meaning and purpose. This means that evangelism isn’t just an add-on to the Christian life; it is inseparable and integral to the Christian life. What priority does evangelism take place in your life? If it isn’t really a priority for you, why is that? Could there be possible idolatries that prevent you from prioritizing the task of evangelism? As you consider your own heart, what idols tend to get in the way of sharing the good news of Jesus with others?
- Identify some recurring burdens and struggles that we hear from our beloved non-Christian friends and family. What themes regularly emerge in our conversations with them? As we listen to and minister to those caught in sin and suffering during this season, what are some ways that we can bear witness to the hope of Jesus Christ and the good news that he offers? As Pastor Kim asks, how can you turn those conversations about COVID to a conversation about Christ?
- A disciple of Jesus is fundamentally an ambassador of Jesus. We represent Jesus. The reformer Martin Luther once wrote that Christians are little “Christs” to their neighbors. We bear the image of the invisible God through our love. What does it look like to display a kind of love to our unbelieving friends, family, and neighbor that can only come from the love of the Father? Be specific and tangible.
- Charles Spurgeon counsels that if there is ever a time for when the mind and heart is sensitive to the gospel, it is during times of uncertainty. Indeed, in Caring for One Another, Ed Welch reminds us that the wilderness is an opportunity for faith (54), not the absence of it. What kinds of opportunities has this season of pandemic, politics, and social unrest brought to the fore as we consider our relationships with unbelieving friends or family members? What does it look like specifically to point people to the unchanging God in the midst of our uncertain world? As an ambassador of Jesus, what hope do you have to offer to your unbelieving friends and family members?
- A direct application of this message is to identify 1-2 non-Christians in your life whom you’d like to invite to our November 1st Sunday worship. Who are these individuals? Why?
- Use the space below to write down a prayer for yourself and for the individuals that you identified in the previous question.
Sharing and Prayer
- Looking back, in what ways were you able to apply what you learned in the previous session this past week?
- Although we took a break from our normal studies during this session, think of the 1-2 people you want to focus on caring for and moving toward during the rest of this small group season. Looking ahead, what are some ways that you would like to continue to apply what you’ve been learning in our study to your own life as you seek to grow in caring for one another during this season of COVID-19?
- Share other prayer requests:
