Mike Reeves and Jo McKenzie speaking at Forum 2007 at the Digging Deeper seminar on 'Depending on the Living God'

Trinity: God revealing who He is

Introduction

• What practical difference does Trinity make to your life?
• What makes the gospel Christian?
• How do you know what God is like?

The Need for Communication

Q: In what ways do people around us think that it is possible to know God?

• Where do people get their ideas of God from?
• Where do we get our ideas of God from?
• What factors influence what we understand God to be like?

We need God to reveal Himself to us:

General Revelation

Psalm 19; Romans 1:18-20

Special Revelation

Hebrews 1:1-2; John 1:18; John 17:26; Luke 24: 25-27; John 14 :26

• They want our way of life
• Well, they can take mine any time they like
  'Cos god knows - I know I ain't living right:
  I'm wrong
  Oh, I know I'm so wrong
  
  So like the Roman Empire fell away
  Let me tell you; we are going the same way   

Ah, behold the Decline and Fall
All hold hands with our backs to the wall

It's the end:

• Why don't you admit it?
• It's the same from Auschwitz to Ipswich
• Evil comes
• I know from not where
• But if you take a look inside yourself -
  maybe you'll find some in there way           

Why does this matter so much?

• God reveals himself so we can personally know Him, not just about him
  ‘Now this is eternal life:that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.’ John 17:3
• If we don’t know and worship the true God, we are idolators – worshipping false gods.

Getting to Know Trinity

In Scripture we are shown a God who does not confuse, but excites us: we meet the Father, Son and Spirit.  There is nothing more essential about God than them.  Yet God is one because God is love.  God is the Father, Son and Spirit loving each other.

Deep Impact

Group Questions:

How effectively does your CU expose people to God’s revelation of himself?  What elements of CU could change to make sure  you are getting to know the true God better?

Group Questions:

What is at stake if we misunderstand God as Trinity?  What practical implications are there if we distort the truth of who God is?

Personal Reflection:

From what we’ve been thinking about today, what false ideas of God do you personally need to repent of?

Trinity: Living For Jesus

Introduction

Having a Trinity Makeover

Read John 17:20-26

Q:  According to this passage where are believers?

      What is their status? 

      What do we learn here about the importance of community?

Implications of Trinity for Discipleship

The great news of Trinity: we are as loved by God the Father as God the Son is.

We must love each other as they do.

Deep Impact:

Q:   What causes you to doubt God’s love for you?

       If/When you doubt God’s love, what negative effects does this have on your life?

      How does what we have been thinking about help us with assurance as Christians?

      How well does your CU love one another?

      What can you identify as causes/potential causes of disunity in your CU?

Look again at John 17:20-26.

Why is unity so important?

Who is the unity between, v20-21?  How does this help us as we think about who we should unite with in CU?

Is there anything you need to do as CU leaders to help keep CU united?  What? Who? How? When?

Trinity: Speaking for Jesus

Introduction

God’s Love and Mission

Why did God create the world?

How do you know how much God loves the world?

Q:  Read 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2

      From these verses, how does love work as motivation for mission?

      How does the theme of reconciliation in this passage fit with the theme of love?

      To what extent does this match up with your evangelism?  How far would you say you are compelled by Christ’s love to speak for Jesus?

God’s Wrath and Mission

The loving God’s holy fury at evil in his world.

Discussion Qs:

    What do people around you on campus make of the concept of God’s wrath?  Where do these attitudes come from?

    How do you feel about the idea of God’s wrath?  Why do you think we are reluctant sometimes to speak about God’s wrath?

• Motivation
• Explanation

Trinity and Atonement

In Christ, God bore his own anger at our sin.

Deep Impact:

Q:  How would you answer someone who objects that ‘the cross isn’t very fair on Jesus – an innocent bystander’?

      Why do people struggle with the idea that God died? 

      What sort of problems are raised if we believe/say that a mere man died on the cross?

Look at Isaiah 53 in your groups.

Spend some time giving thanks to God for the way in which he has chosen to save us.

Share something that has really struck you from the track and pray that the truth will really impact your life.