Sermon Based Small Group Lessons
The Christian’s DNA: Helping One Another Grow
Dr. Les Hughes
2008 September 7
Galatians 2:14
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Beginning
Wednesday, October 8, 6:30 PM
House of Prayer
Westwood
Baptist Church
Opening Questions
(New groups: Share your name and the answer to the
following question.)
How
has someone helped you grow in your Christian walk?
How
have you helped someone else grow?
Focus Passage
Galatians
2
Paul
Accepted by the Apostles
(1)Fourteen
years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus
along also. (2)I went in response to a revelation and set before them the
gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who
seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or
had run my race in vain. (3)Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled
to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. (4)This matter arose because
some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in
Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. (5)We did not give in to them for a moment,
so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
(6)As
for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no
difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men
added nothing to my message. (7)On the contrary, they saw that I had been
entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles,[a] just as Peter had been to the Jews.[b] (8)For God, who
was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at
work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. (9)James, Peter[c] and John,
those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship
when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to
the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. (10)All they asked was that we should
continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Paul
Opposes Peter
(11)When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed
him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. (12)Before certain men
came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he
began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid
of those who belonged to the circumcision group. (13)The other Jews joined him
in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
(14)When I saw that they were not acting
in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all,
"You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it,
then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
(15)"We
who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' (16)know
that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by
faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no
one will be justified.
(17)"If,
while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves
are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! (18)If I
rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. (19)For through the
law I died to the law so that I might live for God. (20)I have been crucified
with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in
the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for
me. (21)I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be
gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Digging for Truth
Life-Changing Lesson 1:
When a disciple helps another Christian
grow, it doesn’t mean that one is more mature than or superior to the
other.
Even the most mature Christian still needs someone to come along
and help out from time to time. – When has someone you considered not as
qualified come along and taught you something new?
Learning from someone else takes humility. How can we turn off our
pride to allow someone else to teach us, even those we might consider immature
in their Christian walk?
We can learn from anyone.
Life-Changing Lesson 2:
Some matters are hills to die on, and
some are not.
We often tend to overreact to trivial/unimportant things. When was
the last time you blew up over something and looked back to realize it wasn’t
a big deal?
As well, we often tend to overlook important situations. Can you look back and see an opportunity
you might have missed to step up and confront someone based on biblical truths
to help them grow?
Life-Changing Lesson 3:
My ability to help someone increases
when I have
moral authority in that area.
Have you had a time in your life when someone with moral authority
confronted you about something and you realized you were in the wrong?
Life-Changing Lesson 4:
When confrontation is necessary, I am
to address conduct,
not presumed motives.
Have you ever had to confront someone who was acting in a way you
know to be contradictory with the way they profess to be living?
Life-Changing Lesson 5:
When disciples help one another grow,
it’s a win for the Kingdom of God.
How have you helped someone grow in Christ?
Can you think of ways you can help others to grow in Christ?
Closing Thought
What one person or group of people can help you grow? Who can you
help grow?
We must maintain a sense of humility to allow ourselves to grow
with others help.