LAUNCH Winter 2015 Launch Session 1 9 a

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Launch Session 1 (9 a. m. – 11: 30 a. m. ) Introductions The Trinity – Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit? Lunch 11: 30 a. m. to 12: 30 p. m. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 (12: 30 to 3 p. m. ) The Ten Commandments

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Launch Session 2 (9 a. m. – 11: 30 a. m. ) The Sacraments Baptism Holy Communion Lunch 11: 30 a. m. to 12: 30 p. m. (12: 30 to 2: 30 p. m. ) Prayer Setting Sail – The Christian Life And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Welcome to “Launch”! Learning the Basics Together! • What do we do first? Pray! • Next – Let’s introduce ourselves • Introduction to FCC • Okay, what “God questions” do you have? • And, “what do I hope to get out of this class? ” (At the end of our Launch time together, we’ll see how we did in answering these questions) And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 • Let’s take another look at the Timetable

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Introduction to FCC What does it mean to be a “Church”? Are we an ἐκκλησία (ekklesia) ? Taking that word apart, it means ἐκ – “Out of” and κλησίs – “Called” or “Calling” The proper meaning has historically been “assembly” or “congregation” And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 So, are we a “church”? Or a “congregation”? Or an “assembly”?

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Introduction to FCC We are “called out” to “out callers” to the world around us This includes every “member” / “disciple” of Fishers Community Church! (See 1 Cor. 12) FCC is a church that will constantly “look at the mirror” to see if it’s really doing what it’s to be doing as a people called out All decisions, all direction, all of what we do will be guided by prayer and our mission statement: And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 REACHING • TRANSFORMING • SENDING

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? Icebreaker: Who or what is G(g)od? Here’s what some folks are saying… Debrief – What did you identify with? What didn’t you? (Don’t worry about your responses!) And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? Breaking it all down: Is Christianity simply a belief, or is it more? We live our lives “out there, ” crossing paths with people of all different kinds of cultures and faiths and experiences. Here’s how many people view Him in their “faith models”: 1. 2. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 3. Moral Relativism No absolutes; everyone makes up their own “rules” and definitions Secularism No need for God/faith; our norms are to be determined only with reference to the world around us Pluralism There’s more than one way to God/heaven etc. All paths are essentially the same

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Who is God? Where did the Christian faith come from? The Bible: This is the “Foundation” upon which we find our faith • The Old Testament (Jewish faith) • The New Testament • It is infallible • It is without a single error • It is Truth (eternally) • Contains Law & Gospel • Not just a “handbook of do’s & don’ts” • Not merely “suggested reading” for a Christian! • It is powerful, efficacious, and is the Norm and Standard for our lives

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? Breaking it all down So how do we “know God”? All religions are typically based on knowing their god(s). Those god(s) may be animate, inanimate, themselves, etc. All religions (except Christianity) believe that you have to search, discover, or otherwise work your way toward your god, a goal, etc. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 What are some of those major religions and what do they believe? (Note: This forces us to understand the Christian faith more!)

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Who is God? 10. Juche 9. Sikhism 8. African Traditional Religion 7. Primal-Indigenous 6. Buddhism 5. Chinese Traditional Religion 4. Hinduism 3. Secularism/Nonreligious/Agnosticism/Atheism 2. Islam 1. Christianity Special thanks to Pastor Dave Bunyan – Fellowship Baptist Church, East China, MI

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? But what if someone were to ask us “what proof do you have of God’s existence? ” God has revealed Himself to us through And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 1. Natural Knowledge • The world • Our consciences 2. Revealed Knowledge • Jesus Christ

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? The Qualities of God 1. Holy 2. Personal 3. Omniscient 4. Omnipresent And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 5. Sovereign

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? The Qualities of God 6. Eternal 7. Faithful 8. Gracious 9. Merciful And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 10. Love!

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? God the Father as Creator In the last 150 years or so, this has pitted the Christian church against theory of evolution. Now what? Does this pit science vs. The Bible? No. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 The Bible and science get along just beautifully. Who, after all, gave us science, in the first place?

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? God the Father as Creator Let’s get some things clear on evolution, first. Evolution is supposed to be a “scientific theory. ” Yet it continues to defy all scientific methodology. But the scientific method requires things to be: a. Observable b. Measurable c. Repeatable And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 The “key” for evolution to be successful is the time factor. Evolutionists will have us believe that, given enough time, almost anything can occur. (Hence the need for discussions of ‘billions and billions of years. ’)

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? God the Father as Creator There is a HUGE difference between evolution and adaptation! a. Evolution will tell us that there was/is/will be inter-specie change b. Adaptation tells us that a specie will change to adapt to its environment (not a fish changing into a bird!) This was the origin of Darwin’s theories, actually! The rest just became pseudo-theory. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? God the Father as Creator Moving forward… a. All of this didn’t “catch God by surprise”! This will be another opportunity for us to lovingly and winsomely discuss this b. What does that mean for us as Christians, when we’re faced with “a choice”? Is there some sort of “hybrid” middle ground? And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? God the Father as Creator Holy Scriptures tell us: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ” Genesis 1: 1 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. ” Psalm 33: 7, 9 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. ” Hebrews 11: 3

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who is God? God the Father as Creator What does that mean for us as Christians, when we’re faced with “a choice”? Is there some sort of “hybrid” middle ground? If the Bible is without error (remember we just discussed that), then how do we reconcile all of this? Does the Christian faith allow for other theories? And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who Is Jesus? Any questions yet? Please don’t be afraid to ask! This is where “the good stuff” happens! Week 2 Icebreaker #1: Tell the class what traditions you may have had growing up regarding the celebration of Christmas. What does Christmas Eve and Christmas Day look like? How soon do you start getting ready for Christmas? Debrief: All of these traditions and special moments, whether deliberate or not, are founded on the fact that the world has set apart a special day to celebrate the birth of Christ. All of time has been designated either as “BC” or “AD. ” And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 So… who is this Jesus?

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Who Is Jesus? Different Faith Perspectives: The Muslim faith looks at Jesus this way: • • Simply a messenger of God (a prophet) Wasn’t crucified, but taken to heaven Considered to have been a Muslim! Not God incarnate The Jewish Faith looks at Jesus this way: • Just one of many false messiahs • Certainly not God (God is “one”) • THE Messiah has not yet come And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Unless you hold that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world, you don’t have a true (that is, saving) belief/faith/knowledge of God & Jesus.

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Jesus is… Christians “believe, teach and confess” that Jesus is the Savior of the world. All of the Old Testament predicts or prophesies to the coming of the Savior of the world. Read Genesis 3: 15 together to hear the very first promise of the coming Messiah! (aka – “The First Gospel”) Jesus is both God and man How can that be? To be honest, we can’t really fully understand it! Remember, this is God we’re talking about!

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Jesus is… Read Luke 1: 26 – 38 Sound familiar? Remember, Jesus has existed as part of the Trinity since before time began! The sin of man needed to be “dealt with, ” so the “solution” to sin needed to be holy enough and human enough all at the same time. The answer? Jesus, both God and man. (Later in this session we’ll deal more deeply with theology of redemption and justification etc. ) Read Luke 2: 1 – 20 Note the timing and the circumstances that God uses to come into the world!

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Jesus is… Note also the special names given to Jesus: Christ – “The anointed One (Greek)” (John 1: 41) Messiah – “The anointed One (Hebrew)” (John 1: 41) Lord – “Jehovah” from OT; the great “I AM” (Luke 2: 11; Exodus 3: 14) Immanuel – “God with us” (Matt. 1: 23) And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Jesus – “The Lord saves” (Matt. 1: 21)

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Jesus is… Our substitute before God the Father is And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 – Holy; He can’t stand even a speck of sin, and our sin has done just that – Love; He couldn’t stand the thought of sin separating us from Him – We needed someone who could live a perfect life in our places – We needed someone, then, who would be a sufficient sacrifice for our sinfulness

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Jesus is… Our substitute before God the Son is – Holy; only He was able to live perfectly – Love; only He was willing and able to suffer and die for us – He is that only One who could live a perfect life in our places – He is that only One, then, who would be a sufficient sacrifice for our sinfulness And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Who Is Jesus? You see, Jesus is our “best friend, ” of course, but He’s so much more! He is God! He is our Savior who has bought us back from the hell of sin and has made us His. Why shouldn’t He be our consuming thought every day? Jesus is: • The 2 nd person of the Trinity • The fulfillment of OT prophecies • True God and True Man • The great “Sin-Eater” (2 Cor. 5: 21)

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Who Is Jesus? The “Lutheran Confessions” state thusly: “…the promise of forgiveness of sins and of justification has been given us for Christ’s sake, who was given for us in order that He might make satisfaction for our sins. ”

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 So, why Jesus? Basically, “sin has done us in!” Sin has had a deadly effect on everything and everyone in this world. No one and nothing has been left without sin’s stain. In the Old Testament, sin was dealt with through the sacrifice of the spotless lamb, goat, bull, etc. It may seem out of place with our 21 st C thinking, but the debt of sin had to be dealt with, and the payment was the blood of the best of peoples’ flocks and herds.

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 So, why Jesus? Fast forward to the “Exodus” – the people of Israel are to finally leave Egypt after 400 years of slavery. One last plaque upon Pharaoh and Egypt: the killing of the firstborn of every living thing. How to be saved from such a curse? The blood of the lamb must be shed and displayed on the wooden doorframes of their homes. This was known as the “Passover. ” And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 So, why Jesus? This was all part of God’s plan to save the world, beginning first with the Jews and moving outward. The “rest of the plan” was to follow in the coming of the God-man Jesus Christ. No more need for endless animal sacrifices; only one would be necessary – the Lamb of God’s sacrifice, once and for all time, on the Cross of Calvary for all people.

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 So, why Jesus? Again, “why? ” What’s up with all the blood and suffering and anger? • Remember God’s holiness • The blood of animals was only “temporary” • Jesus is God. He is all-powerful and eternal and all-sufficient for sin Active obedience – living perfectly Passive obedience – dying “perfectly” And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Jesus - our “atonement” for our sins Sin - There is an “accounting” of sins But first we have to admit we’re sinners: we don’t like that! If we can admit our sinfulness, and be real about it, and have a true desire to not commit them again, we’re forgiven And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Forgiveness brings about a new life in Christ; we are “sanctified” and able to live new lives (holy lives)”

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Jesus - our “atonement” for our sins God the Son - Lived like us, experiencing life like us, yet sinless He was declared “guilty” of our sins; God placed our sins on Him’ He now sees us through the lens of Jesus This is grace! God gives us what we don’t deserve! And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Our “answer” for life now and eternally

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit We just finished some of the most important discussions of the whole class - the person of Jesus Christ, both God and man, the Savior of the world. Do you have any questions or thoughts on this awesome concept of a Substitute given for us to take away our sin? Session 3 Icebreaker #1: What's been your awareness/opinion of the Holy Spirit to date? There's lots of different views of who He is and what He does. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Debrief: As we discuss the 3 rd Person of the Godhead, we will further understand the Holy Spirit to be 100% God, as is the Father and the Son. His "special job" is to be the Sanctifier or the "holy maker". 35

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit: • Is the 3 rd person of the Trinity • Is the One responsible for bringing man to faith in Jesus • Endows us with the ability, then, to do good works • Maintains us in our Christian faith And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 36

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit How the Holy Spirit comes to us, typically: • Holy Baptism • Holy Communion And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 • The Word of God These are called the "Means of Grace. " We'll talk some more about this… 37

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit sanctifies us (makes us holy) by bringing us to faith in Christ, so that we might have the blessings of redemption and lead a godly life (sanctification in the wide sense). And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 38

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit By nature, we are spiritually blind, dead, and an enemy of God, as the Scriptures teach; therefore, "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. " (Luther's Small Catechism - Explanation to the 3 rd Article, p. 147) And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 39

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit Read: 1 Cor. 2: 14 "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. " and Eph. 2: 1 "You were dead in your transgressions and sins. " and lastly, And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Rom. 8: 7 "The sinful mind is hostile to God. " 40

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit also brings us to faith in Christ. Although this is a free gift from God (see Eph. 2: 8 - 9), the Spirit is the One who does the work in us. Remember, sin has damaged our relationship with God so badly, that we needed a “Helper" to assist us! (No such thing as "free will“ in the positive sense. ) And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 41

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit also converts us. Before, we were dead in our sinful condition; now we are alive in Christ. Additionally, He regenerates us. We've been born again in Christ. Made new. Holy, pure, Christ-like. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 42

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit doing His Work He uses the "means of grace" to draw us to Christ - picture it like this: And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 Through the means of Grace, He both creates faith and sustains that faith. 43

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Holy Spirit One of those “Means of Grace” – The Word Old Testament New Testament Writers Moses, Kings, Prophets Evangelists, Apostles Language Hebrew Greek Books History, Poetry, Prophecy History, Epistles, Prophecy Time 1500 – 400 BC 40 – 100 AD Content Promise of Christ Fulfillment of Promise Two Main Doctrines in the Bible: And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 • The Law - Shows us our sin • The Gospel - Shows us our Savior 44

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Launch Session 1 Lunch 11: 30 a. m. to 12: 30 p. m. (12: 30 to 3 p. m. ) The Ten Commandments And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 The Ten Commandments We're turning the corner this afternoon, as we take things we've learned about God and begin to apply His love and holiness to our lives. We'll take a look at the Ten Commandments. What they mean to us as Christians, why God gave them to us, and all of those questions we all must have regarding so many of them! Session 3 Icebreaker #2: What sources do many people today use for their "Moral Compass? " Is there an absolute truth or is truth whatever works for you at that time? Debrief: What are some of the dangers when it comes to a "situational" right and wrong? How does a "Biblical World View" fit into this?

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments A little background on the Ten Commandments: First given to Moses and the Israelites in Exodus 19 & 20 "The Law" was given on Mt. Sinai - why there? There is a sense of a covenant being given between God and Israel And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments Purposes of the Law: • Curb • Mirror • Guide S. O. S. ! Remember: Just because we can't keep all of the Commandments doesn’t mean that the requirement still isn't there! And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 The Ten Commandments Are the Ten Commandments really relevant for us to this day, or are they merely the "Ten Suggestions? " When it all comes down to it, it's a matter of what we think and believe as to the authority of God's Word, isn't it? Isn't it easy to say to ourselves that these "rules" don't apply to us anymore? Or that we've moved on so much that they're obsolete? God's Word comments on that very thing!

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 The Ten Commandments Let's read Rom. 3: 19 - 28 We're going to read about what our sin has done to us and what extent God went to for us. Rom. 3: 23 " For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…" Rom. 3: 24 “…And are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. "

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 1 st Commandment: You shall have no other gods. Who is the only TRUE God? How can we make such a statement? What is required/forbidden? And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 2 nd Commandment: You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God. What is God’s Name? How is it misused? What is required? And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 3 rd Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy. What is the Sabbath? Where does “worship” come from? How do we sin against this? How do we keep this? And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 4 th Commandment: Honor your father and your mother. Note how the circle of honoring and authority expands in this command. What does it mean to “honor? ” And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 5 th Commandment: You shall not murder. God forbids us to take the life of another person. i. e. , Murder, abortion, euthanasia, suicide. What about war? Let’s remember the Biblical View vs. the World View. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 6 th Commandment: You shall not commit adultery. God’s design for marriage… One man & one woman… God’s design for our sexuality… And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 7 th Commandment: You shall not steal. God forbids every kind of robbery, theft, and dishonest way of getting things. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 8 th Commandment: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Speaking the truth… in courts, in our relationships… building one another up. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 The Ten Commandments 9 th & 10 th Commandment: You shall not covet. Anything! And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 God doesn’t want us to desire things that aren’t ours, because He knows that this can easily lead to breaking other commandments. It begins with the heart!

“LAUNCH” Winter 2015 Homework Read the Bible verses below. Write down your thoughts about how they relate to the questions below. Bring them with you next week. Let’s see where the Holy Spirit leads us. Matthew 4: 19 & Ephesians 4: 11 – 16 What is the greatest need of the St. Clair area? What’s the BEST and WORST experience you’ve had with Christians and Churches? Why do you think many people don’t attend church? If you were looking for a church, what kinds of things would you be looking for? And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. ” Matthew 4: 19 What are some ways we can be God’s hands and feet?