1/31/10 Guide

Don’t You Forget About Me

Ezekiel 16

Week of 1/31/10

Getting Started

Super bowl is the most watched American broadcast and the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption (after Thanksgiving Day). Do you plan on watching? If not, what will you do? If so, which team are you rooting for?

Digging Deeper

Read Ezekiel 16:1-3. God reminds Israel of their “Canaanite” ancestry. Why does God say that the Jews were originally “Gentile?” How can overlooking or forgetting the junk in our past become dangerous to us in the present (cf. vss. 22 & 43)?

Recall that Abram was a gentile when God called him (Genesis 11:27-32). What made him “Jewish” was the salvation call of God upon his life. In the same way, we gentiles are “Jewish” by faith, though many of us non-Jewish by ancestry (Romans 2:28-29; Gal 3:29)

As to “forgetting the junk in our past,” consider: Matthew 3:9 “⁹ And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

In verses 3-5, God goes even further by portraying Israel as an unwanted newborn that is regarded unclean by her Gentile parents. Why would the Gentiles look upon Israel as unclean (cf. 3, 45)? What are some examples in Scripture and in life when people played down their sin?

Consider that this passage relates Israel as a mixture of two Canaanite nations. As such, the offspring of this mix-marriage would be considered by both Gentile nations to be tainted and diluted; an irony for sure.

In verses 6-14, Israel is described as being revived and raised by God (vss.6-7). Further, she is portrayed as being married to and crowned by the LORD (vss.8-14). Does this image describe Israel’s history to Ezekiel’s time? If so, what periods are represented by each picture in the image?

Perhaps the breakdown would be something like the following:

· Rejected Infant: From the call of Abraham to bondage in Egypt.

· Rescued: Exodus to the Covenant at Sinai

· Married: Covenant at Sinai onward.

· Crowned: The Establishment of a Monarchy with David.

Read verses 15-16. Israel regarded their borrowed-beauty as if were a native beauty. Paul says, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Cor. 4:7). How did the Israelites do this? What are some gifts from God that we tend treat as if they were our own?

Reread verse 16 and compare it with verses 31-35. Why does God regard Israel as more detestable than a prostitute? What is spiritual prostitution (cf. Ezekiel 13:16-19 & Hosea 2:1-13)? What does it look like in 21^st century Southern California?

According to the passage, prostitutes charge for sex. Israel is like a prostitute to pays men to have sex with her.

Read verses 20-21. How does forgetting God affect those who are closest to us?

In verses 37-42, the things that Israel pursued to get pleasure ultimately caused her great pain. Can you think of Biblical characters that experienced this truth? Have you?

The empires (e.g. Assyria and Babylon) that allured Israel with their corrupted cultures end up afflicting, destroying, and disposing them.

Verses 59-63 foretell the redemptive work of Jesus. What are the two covenants referred to in verse 60? How does the gospel cause us to “remember” (vs.61 & 63) and receive the Lord (vs.62)?

The first covenant was the Mosaic covenant and the second one is the gospel. The gospel changes our hearts to repent from our sins and receive Christ as Savior.

Putting it Into Practice

The apostle John instructs the church at Sardis to “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent” (Rev 3:3). What’s one milestone in your walk that you remember well? In what area of your life has your intensity in following Jesus decreased? Take sometime as a group to repent and pray.

1/24/10 Guide

Small Group Guide

1. On Sunday, several examples were given of instances when God brought judgment on a people, but also made a way for some to be saved. Can you think of examples in the Bible when this happened?

2. Read Ezekiel 9:4. Why do you think God spared those who “grieve and lament” over all the evil that was being done? Why was this sorrow pleasing to God? What does grieving tell us about their relationship with God?

3. Throughout the Bible God is described as a God of compassion. (see Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8) But in Ezekiel 9:5 God instructs the guards to kill “without showing pity or compassion?” How do passages like Ezekiel 9 fit into our understanding of God as compassionate?

4. In Ezekiel 9:6, God’s final instruction to the guards is to “Begin at my sanctuary” Why might God want them to start there? Is there an importance or symbolism in the fact that judgment would begin at God’s house? According to 1 Peter 4:17 where does judgment “begin”? Why would it begin there?

5. In Revelation 7, God tells the angels to hold off on judgment until God’s servants can be “sealed”, in Ezekiel 9 it’s a “mark”, but both cases God identifies those who we will be saved. With that in mind, think through the following questions.

Note to small group leaders. The following questions are designed to help people think through the Holy Spirit as God’s seal, or mark, that guarentees our salvation.

o What is the modern day “mark” that someone is truly a believer in God?

o Read Ephesians 1:13-14 – According to this passage, what is the mark or seal of someone who truly believes in God.

o In Revelation 7, God’s servants are sealed, according to 2 Corinthians 1:22, what is the “seal” that shows we belong to God?

o How can we tell that God lives in us? What does 1 John 3:24 and 1 John 4:13 say?

o In what way is the Holy Spirit the mark of a true believer. How can you tell if you have the Holy Spirit in your life?

6. In Ezekiel and Revelations we see a picture of people being saved from the wrath that is coming down upon humankind. According to 1 Thessalonians 1:10, who saves us from the coming wrath we will face? How does He save us from the coming wrath?

7. On Sunday we took a quick look at the Passover. According to 1 Corinthians 5:7 who is our Passover lamb? What connection can you see between Christ and the Passover

Putting it into practice - The title for this week’s message was don’t wait until it’s too late to get right with God. The hope is that everyone in our small groups will have a right relationship with God and an assurance of salvation. With that in mind, think through the following questions

8. What is the scariest part for you about facing God on the day of Judgment?

Note to Small Group Leaders – Use the responses to this question to help members identify if their fear is normal and flows from general uncertainty, or if the fear comes from knowing their lives are not right with God,.

9. On a scale of 1 to (“Ten” being “absolutely sure” and “one” being “very uncertain”) How confident are you that your sins have been forgiven by Jesus and that you have eternal life? What could help you bolster confidence in your spiritual standing before God?

Note to Small Group Leaders – use this question as an opportunity to help people think through assurance of salvation. If a group member seems unsure of salvation, here are two opportunities to point them towards.

1) On Tuesday, February 2^nd our topic at Accelerate is “God’s Guarentee Your Going to Heaven”

2) An abbreviated version of “God’s Guarentee Your Going to Heaven” is available online at http://newlifemessages.blogspot.com/2009/10/gods-guarantee.html

Praying for the Church - Take time during your small group prayer time to pray for the church. Please pray that God would strengthen our church and help us grow in our faith.