March 27th, 2005: Kimber
Kauffman, Senior Pastor of CPC, preached on the heart and soul of Easter, of
Christ’s act of being a sacrificial lamb who went to the cross to take away the
sin of the world. With the help of some personal testimonies, Kimber challenged
the audience to see that Jesus Christ is our salvation and righteousness, that
we cannot be made right before God without receiving and standing upon the
Christ’s redemptive act at the Cross.
1. Kimber noted that God doesn’t grade on a curve or simply accept the top
twenty grades in the “class.” We cannot be good enough on our own strength to
satisfy God, because we will always be measuring ourselves by the wrong
standard.
a. How does this message – and the message of God’s grace – grate against
the general mindset of our culture? In other words, why is the message of the
Cross so offensive to the world? Consider this message in contrast to these
common cultural behaviors/ideas:
i.
People feel obligated to pay
back/return the favor when given a gift.
ii.
Maslow’s understanding of
“self-actualization” or the general encouragement of self-esteem.
iii.
Our culture’s definition of success,
drive for fame and popularity.
b. If we know, as Christians, that it’s worthless to compare ourselves to
others, then why do we still place a high priority on:
i.
Dressing the right way, or living in
the right place
ii.
One’s level of education/degree (or
the title before your name)
iii.
The fullness of our schedules, especially in regards to the number
of church activities we are involved in.
c. If we truly believe we can’t clean ourselves up before God and are
nothing without him, how will this influence the way we view the good things we
do, our title or “success,” our “level” of spirituality, etc.?
2. Amy grew up in the church and even argued for the case of Christianity,
yet she realized in her heart that she was only a Christian out of convenience.
a. What struck you about Amy’s testimony? Were there any parallels with her
testimony and yours? How did Amy’s testimony summarize the general American
definition of what a “Christian” is?
b. If it’s possible then to know information about Christianity and even
pray a “sinner’s prayer” without knowing Christ, how then can we know we have
“received” and “stand on” the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 15:1)? In other words,
how can we be sure of our salvation?
3. One of the foundational beliefs of Christianity is that all of us will
one day be judged by God (cf. 1 Cor 3:11-15; 4:5; Rev 20:11-15). In the end, it
is only God’s opinion that matters.
a. How does/should the fact that we will face God at the end of our lives
effect the way we live today?
b. What would your life look like if you lived as if God’s opinion was the
only one that mattered?