Active Duty
Discipleship
Group Questions for October 3, 2004
2Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
2Tim. 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into
flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of
timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2Tim. 1:8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our
Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the
gospel, by the power of God,
2Tim. 1:13 What you heard from me, keep as the
pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was
entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Questions for reflection:
1. Please discuss the
following quote from the sermon notes: “Are you
standing on the battle line but ready at any moment to run the other way? Or are you standing on the battle line . . .
scared, but certain in your General and of the ultimate victory? Or perhaps you aren’t even in the battle . .
.
You see,
many Christians don’t really understand that when we were born we were born
into a war zone and our life’s mission is to fight and take ground for the
Many of
us want to hide in the neutral zone of faithlessness, and laziness, and
carelessness, and compromise. Little do
we know that there is no “neutral zone” – we’ve simply joined the enemy in our passivity.
Some of
us might even be saying, “Show me Lord
your miracles and then I’ll get involved again!
Give us a revival! Give us power
. . . and then I’ll act again!”
Jesus doesn’t have much time for people like this” –
Mark 8:11: “The Pharisees came and began to question
Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a
sign from heaven. 12. He sighed deeply
and said, no sign will be given to you.”
2.
Do you believe that we are in a war zone? Please discuss. (Do you know why I know this is a
battle? Because death
faces all of us – an end to all of our dreaming. Satan wants us for himself forever but so too
does God. Hell or heaven await us and
the choice is ours. These are the high stakes of war not the stakes of some
soap opera or midday TV melodrama!)
3.
In 2Timothy 1:6-8 we’re being challenged to “fan into flame the gift of
God! We’re being called upon to act –
to activate our faith. To agitate
ourselves into action! God has kindled
a flame in us and our role is to fan that lighted kindling into a blazing
flame. How many of us are simply smoldering -
squandering the gift that is within us.
What an indictment this is upon Christendom today! O Lord forgive
us. Discuss this possible indictment
please.
4.
Please discuss the following quote from the sermon notes: “So what
is our Lord telling us? Recognize your
status as “active duty” and turn your face towards the front lines and begin to
walk towards them. It is there that real
life can be found and the most sublime fellowship with Jesus Christ. It’s there that He can be found – not in the
shadow lands of retreat or retirement!
Are you actively walking towards the battle lines? There is no neutral ground! Where do you stand?”
5.
What is our Lord saying to you in these verses?