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    Missional Formation

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Missional Formation
Week 4 | Space + Risk

Teaching Text

John 5:19-21

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.”

Sermon Recap

This week, guest Pastor Al Gordon from Saint Church in London continued our Missional Formation series with a word on Space and Risk. He brought stories of the powerful and supernatural ways God is moving in the Western Church. Hundreds of people are being brought to salvation, set free from addiction, and healed from chronic diseases, but these events beg the question: How do we steward the presence of God and move from the experiential to the deeply transformative?

Pastor Gordon invited us to practice four postures we find in the life of Jesus during this season of acceleration. Like Christ, we must both listen to and obey the Holy Spirit when He prompts us to join the work of the Father here on earth.

The first posture we are invited into is to wait. When we wait on the Lord, He begins to break in with power, accomplishing what we could not with human striving. The second posture is to watch. When God is moving, it is never dull or boring and there are abundant invitations to join Him in His work. Jesus was utterly dependent on the Father. Even as the Son of God, He did nothing on His own, but waited and watched for the Father’s leading. The third posture is to stretch — sometimes all that God asks of us is obedience through a small movement towards Him, and He will rush in. Stretching can often out our reputation or status on the line, but in earnest desperation for the Spirit, we find the obedience to take risks with Him. Finally, the fourth posture is to drink. The Holy Spirit is not a theory, but a person, a Counselor, a Friend, and a Comforter. Jesus promised that whoever came to Him thirsty would be refreshed with the streams of living water found in the Spirit. There is no hierarchy in who the Spirit choses to fill, the only requirement is to ask for Him.

Pastor Gordon declared that as followers of Jesus, it is mission critical for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As God’s work continues to accelerate on the earth, we must be a people who are willing to not only make space for the Holy Spirit’s leading, but take hold of every risk He puts in front of us both as individuals and as a body of believers.

For additional information and resources about “Space + Risk” you can check out the guide here.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  • 1. Where have you seen God moving in the past week?

  • Ask someone in the group to read John 5:19-21 aloud. Then, ask the following questions:

    1. What words, images, or phrases stand out to you?

    2. What does this passage tell us about God's character?

    3. What does this text reveal about Jesus’ relationship to the Father?

  • 1. What comes to mind when you think of the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers? How did this teaching challenge or encourage you in your understanding?

    2. Pastor Al Gordon highlighted four postures for receiving the power of the Holy Spirit: waiting on the Lord, watching for where God is on the move, stretching to reach out to Him, and drinking deeply from His endless well. Which one of these postures do you struggle to practice in your daily life? How could you implement that posture this week?

    3. In Luke 11:13, Jesus tells us that the only qualification we need to receive more of the Holy Spirit is to simply ask. Is this a truth that you actively live out? Is there anything holding you back from asking for more of the Holy Spirit?

    4. John Wimber said, “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K.” How do you respond to invitations into risk?  Is there an area in your life where God is calling you to stretch a little further in faith?

  • Take a few moments as a group to sit in stillness and call out for the Holy Spirit's presence. Is there anything He is leading you to do right now or later this week? Follow His promptings, and respond in obedience.