Home Group Study

Sermon Date: 9 March 2018

Text: Revelation 3:1-6

Opening Discussion: Please watch this video clip as an introduction to your Bible Study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RjfZzLBMmU

Observation

What does God’s word say?

As you observe what God’s word says, answer the following questions from the text(s):

• What are the key words and phrases of the text? Is anything repeated?
• What does this text reveal about human nature?
• What does this text reveal about the character and purposes of God?

Read:  Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. (Ephesians 6:5-8)

What are your observations?

Meaning

What does God’s word mean?

Servants - οἵ δοῦλοι (hoi douloi). The word used here denotes one who is bound to render service to another. The duty of servants is summed up in one word, obedience. The servants of old were generally slaves. Servants are to reverence those over them. They are to be sincere; not pretending obedience when they mean to disobey, but serving faithfully. And they must serve their masters not only when their master's eye is upon them; but must be strict in the discharge of their duty, when he is absent and out of the way. Steady regard to the Lord Jesus Christ will make men faithful and sincere in every station, not grudgingly or by constraint, but from a principle of love to the masters and their concerns. This makes service easy to them, pleasing to their masters, and acceptable to the Lord Christ.

Read : Romans 6:16-18

What would you say is the difference between a servant and a slave?

Application

How must I change?

Is there a Truth to be believed?

The Church in Sardis was a dead church because they were not spiritually alive. What does it mean to be alive in Christ? Read Ephesians 2:1-10 for a definitive answer.                                            

Is there an Attitude to be fostered?

In the sermon of Friday, John MacArthur was quoted in his identification of a dying church. Some of the things he listed as danger signs was, “…[1]when a church is more concerned with what men think than what God said... [2]when it is more concerned with material than spiritual things… [3]when it loses its conviction that every word of the Bible is the word of God Himself”.

• Are any of these attitudes prevalent in New Life Church?
• Are any of these attitudes prevalent in your own life?

Is there a Behavior to be changed?

What are signs of salvation, that help us determine if someone is a true believer? Are these signs evident in your own life?

Closing Prayer: lead the groups to pray to the Lord:

• If we are dead, please wake us up!
• Remember the gospel.
• Receive the word of correction.
• Obey the words in the Bible and live by them again.
• Repent and turn away from our soiled lifestyle to receive the promise of having our lives written in the book of life.