A Trinitarian Community

Discipleship Group Questions for May 22, 2005

Scripture:

Ex. 34:4-9 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” 8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9 “O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes,” he said, “then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”

2Cor. 13:11-14 Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. 13 All the saints send their greetings. 14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Discipleship Questions:

1.This is Trinity Sunday. The focus though is not on a doctrinaire reflection on the Trinity but rather a more “visceral” reflection on the Trinity. The question is this: “What Lord do you want to reveal to us about your Triune nature? Look at Gen 34 verse 6 – what does this tell us about God’s inner character?

2.Now turn to 2Cor 13:11-14. What does this tell us about the inner character of our Triune God?

3.I would argue that in 2Cor 14:11-14 we’re being encouraged to make these virtues of God’s inner nature – grace, love and peace, the very hallmarks of our own Christian community! What do you think?

4.If this is true then we’re being encouraged to become a Triune Community i.e., to exhibit the very inner nature of God Himself in our community! What do you think about that?

5.Reflect together on the virtues of grace, love and peace and discuss what a community would look like which exhibited these virtues as their “Hallmark” virtues.

6.May I suggest that you close with a prayer that our community would become like this. Amen and Amen.