Application
Guide: “That You May Believe” (John 11)
Sept. 4th,
2005: John Schmidler, Director of Family
Ministries at College Park,
preached on Jesus’ miraculous work of raising Lazarus from the grave. He
emphasized that the story in serves to help us move our focus off of all the
things Jesus does and onto whom Jesus is. The story reveals that the central
point of the gospel is not about our problems but God’s glory.
- Introduction:
The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people
to God. The aim of the gospel is the display of God’s glory…” (John Piper)
- In what ways has the culture pulled you into a
mindset that elevates the glory of man (e.g. – personal prosperity, success
in business, fame in Hollywood,
feats in sports, etc) in a way that usurps the glory of God?
Are you still tantalized by these things or has God’s glory caused them
to become “strangely dim”?
- If we truly believe that the point of the gospel
is to help people see God, why is so much of evangelism focused on scaring
people about hell or seeing our relatives in heaven? If the gospel is
about knowing God, then why is so much of church life about coming up
with “Christian” social activities and entertainment rather than pursuing
him?
- If we believe that the most precious gift God can
give us is God himself, how will we pray and live in relation to God?
- “It is when he walks by night that he
stumbles, for he has not light” (v. 10)
- What does it really mean to follow Christ, to
trust in the Lord? What does it look like for him to be the light to our
path (cf. Prv. 3:5-6; Ps. 119:105)?
- How can we tell we are trying to “light our path”
by our own means rather than through Christ? How can we tell whether or
not trials are the result of sin? What obstacles in your life are
preventing you from experiencing God’s power?
- “I’m
glad I was not there, so that you may believe” (v. 15)
- How has God used suffering in your life to help
you better see his glory? How have trials helped you find the greater
satisfaction that comes in knowing God rather than having comfort in our circumstances,
prosperity, etc?
- What are some areas of your life you need to
redirect your focus from your problems or how you want God to solve them
and onto God’s glory? What are some ways you need to embrace the trials
God brings into your life?
- “Move the stone” (v. 39).
- What are some things God is asking you to do
amidst your trials so as to make your faith real, to put it into action? How
can we balance our role and God’s role in spiritual growth (cf. Phil.
2:12-13)?
- “Many
believed, but some…” (vv. 45-46). How you
respond to trials reveals who you worship.
- Do you allow your life circumstances to mold you
into Christ’s image or harden you and lose your joy? Have trials in your
life revealed a dependence on God or on self?