1月29号周六下午聚会

锡安的民哪，不要惧怕，你的王骑着驴驹来了。(约12：15)

亲爱的弟兄姐妹：

主内平安！

这个周六我们在ESG聚会,继续学习约翰福音第12章1~19节。

时间：15：00
地点：Jakob-Kaiser-Str. 26  ESG


愿主耶稣基督的恩惠，神的慈爱，圣灵的感动，常与你们众人同在。

CCF Bielefeld

《约翰福音》第11章17-37节查经

图片来源 http://thenormalchristian.wordpress.com/
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问题和讨论

（1）耶稣是如何知道拉撒路已经死了四天了？（参考11：11， 传道书3：1~2）

（2）根据20节，马大和马利亚的性格有什么不同？

（3）根据21节马大对耶稣所说的话，你认为什么是信心？信心为什么不是“我看见了才相信”，而是“未曾看见便相信”？甚至于去世的时候“仍未得到所应许的”？（参考希伯来书11：1和11：39）

（4）在圣经之外，你有没有看到过死人复活的记载？圣经中关于死人复活还有别的记载吗？

（5）马大是如何理解耶稣说的“你兄弟必然复活”？马大所说的“末日复活”，旧约圣经中有没有相关的记载？（以赛亚书26：16~19， 但以理书12：1~2，13）

（6）“复活在我，生命也在我”，耶稣用这句话将马大对于“末日复活”的相信和盼望转移到耶稣自己的身上，对我们来说有什么启迪？

（7）耶稣所说的“信我的人，虽然死了，也必复活”和“凡活着信我的人必永远不死”，是否前后矛盾？这两者有什么区别？

（8）26节耶稣的问题“你信这话吗？”，是在挑战我们对于死亡的理解，也在鼓励我们凭着信心来获得救恩。（参考以弗所书2：8~9，你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信。这不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的；也不是出于行为，免得有人自夸。）你对于救恩是如何理解的？

（9）如何理解“耶稣哭了”？

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Matthew 7:24-29 (Bible study)

  24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

 ²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

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Questions 

(1) What do the images of “builders” and “house” represent?

(2) Who is the “Rock” for us and what are the specific characteristics of this Rock?

(3) How do you interpret the picture of “a house on the rock”?

(4) “Rain, streams and winds” in verse 25, what do they represent? Can you give one or two examples?

(5) How are these two kinds of builders different?

(6) How do you distinguish “putting words into action” from “salvation by works”?

(7): Did you experience a struggle when you acted on the words of Jesus and how did you manage to overcome it?  (Optional sharing)

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 References
(1) His house. "house" of character?? his whole life?? Including “Body”???(1 corinthians 6:9)
(2) Rock: Christ (Rock) The Lord Jesus Christ is the "rock" on which the individual Christian and the Christian church as a community of character builders are to be built (see on ch. 16:18).
A tested Rock as a firm foundation: Isaiah28:16 or 1 peter 2:6 Hebrews 4:15
See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are---yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15
 

There are some other characteristics of Rock, which may not relate to this parable.

A Rock providing spiritual drink, the ROCK from which flows LIVING WATERS.
1 Cor. 10:4 They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual food, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them and that rock was Christ.
Exodus 17:6 Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.
Numbers 20:8 Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.

A Rock that causes those who disobey the words to stumble
1 peter 2:8 A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.
King James Version: A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Gen 49:24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel

(3) The house on the rock pictures a life founded on a proper relationship to Christ, which simply means “hear his words and act on them”.
How to build a house upon a rock? According to Luke 6:48 the builder need to "dig down deep" in order to have a firm foundation. To build firmly requires much time and effort; it is far simpler to build a house without going to the trouble of providing a solid foundation.

(4) The "winds" might mean temptations, trials, and tribulations, maybe including all the difficult times in our lives, something happening out of our expectation, something uncontrollable like earthquakes.
Temptation is from one’s own evil desire or Satan; Temptations are used to test our faith in Jesus and God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear and he will also provide a way out so that we can stand up under it. (1 cor 10:12)

Trials are from our own deeds, the sinful world, Satan. They can also come from God. (Proverbs 3:11-12) 
A storm from God is coming that will try every man's work, similar to the fire which is going to test each man’s work (1 corinthians 3:13).
Or perhaps it means the winds of false teaching that tend to remove a person from the firm foundation of faith. Eph. 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

(5)James 1:22 Hearers and doers
Building process: easy or hard (digging down deep) Luke6:48
The investment might be similar, such as your time, income, gift, strength, relationship.
In consequence: didn’t fall or fell down

(6) We are saved by God's grace alone, and nothing that we can do ourselves
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
True repentance does require a change of heart, and if a heart truly belongs to God, that heart will earnestly seek to honor Him. A true believer belongs to God and therefore he will bear good fruit in the kingdom.