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Week 2 Sermon Questions For Groups

December 10, 2017

What If?

Introduction:

Of all the “what ifs” in history, the most profound by far is “What if Jesus had never been born?” We would first lose our primary means of understanding the nature of God; without Jesus’ earthly experiences to look back on, we would never know how intimately our God identifies with us. We need to know what the problem is before we can find the solution.The problem is the devil is trying to do whatever it takes to destroy us. The solution is Jesus Christ. 

Bottom line: What if Jesus was never born?

Something To Talk About:

  1. The devil hates you and wants to destroy your life:  Satan wants to destroy your life. Satan wants nothing more than to enter certain areas of your life so he can gain a stronghold. We all have them. We all have weak areas where we are easily tempted to go astray. If we are not careful and we give into temptation on a habitual basis – a stronghold can form in our hearts and our minds. Strongholds come from arguments and opinions that are raised in our thoughts against God and His ways. Like the snake in the garden – when he questioned Adam and Eve, we ask the same question, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) Satan wants to weaken or destroy our relationship with God. Satan will try anything to throw you off center, distract you from your focus, and render you ineffective for the Kingdom of God. 
  2. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil: 1 John 3:8 says,  says, “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.” Christmas is the celebration of the appearing on earth of God’s eternal Son. Verse 8 says the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil.  He is the Great I Am, the Creator of the universe and He does not want you entangled and enslaved by the strongholds of the enemy. We don’t have to suffer from Satan’s debilitating presence or yield to his temptations or experience the shame and paralyzing guilt that he tries to inflict. The consistent testimony of Scripture is the victory of Christ over the devil and the authority and power that is ours if we believe and take our stand in the name and authority of the risen Christ, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think that Jesus came to earth? Based on this sermon, what would life be like if Jesus had not come to earth?
  2. How does Satan try to attack us today? What about at Christmas time?
  3. Jesus’ habit of reaching out in love and truth was not determined by His condition or by the external characteristics of another. He is looking out for our best interests. What is the devil trying to accomplish?
  4. What does it mean to you to overcome someone or something? What does it mean to overcome the devil?
  5. What did this sermon teach you about Jesus? About the devil?  How does believing these truths affect your life? Which truth from this passage is the most important to you today?
  6. What kind of person is this sermon calling you to be?  What practical way will you apply this truth to your life?

Take One Thing Home with You:

“But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”  (1 John 3:8)

There is no better way to celebrate Christmas than to reflect on Jesus Christ coming into our world. We know that Jesus came to “give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Paul tells us : Jesus came “to save sinners.” (1Timothy 1:15)   In the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus came “to bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) And in 1 John 3:8, Jesus came to destroy the devil’s works.

Satan doesn’t want to to give you problems or merely mess up your life; he wants to destroy your life. Satan doesn’t want to make your way hard; he wants to destroy your path. But the good news of Christmas is that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus came to destroy the destroyer. No wonder the angel said to the shepherds, “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”