What point did you find helpful and encouraging from the sermon? Did it bring you hope?

Tim pointed out that Joel 2:17-32 was fulfilled in one person first – Jesus Christ. The ultimate day of the LORD’s wrath is still to come upon all his enemies outside of (i.e., not trusting in) Christ. The ultimate day of God’s saving work is still to come upon all his people in Christ.

Regarding the Apostle Paul’s letters Dr. Tom Wright notes, “[Paul’s] theology has the character of inaugurated eschatology, that is, of a sense that God’s ultimate future has come forwards into the middle of history, so that the church is living within – indeed, is constituted precisely by living simultaneously within! – God’s new world and the present one.” He goes on to write, “Restorative justice, this covenant faithfulness through which creation itself will be redeemed, has been unveiled already, in advance, in the apocalyptic events of Jesus’ messianic death and resurrection.” (Paul, 57)

If you were to use a different set of words to communicate “inaugurated eschatology” what would they be? Imagine you wanted to explain this to your non-Christian neighbor or a 3rd grader in Christian Education.

Read Paul’s letter to the Colossians 2:9-15.

How does “realized eschatology” help you to understand Paul’s meaning?

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10.

How should “realized eschatology” impact our life?
Socially?
Emotionally?
Psychologically?
Missionally (activity done for the sake of God’s mission to bring blessing to all the families of the earth)?

What if “realized eschatology” were not true. How would that change the nature of Christianity?

The Flow of Gathered Worship at Crossroads
What stood out to you from the sermon Sunday?

Have you worshiped at churches that had a flow somewhat like the revivalist movement? (Prayer –> Song –> Song –> Prayer –> Sermon –> Altar Call –> Prayer –> Song). What did you like about it? What are the positives? Why did Tim say that worship in this tradition can feel like going round and round in a turn-style? To see the video he referred to visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0dUAhSFB4.

The beginning of worship at Crossroads highlights the majesty of God and his act of creating and sustaining all things. (Those mighty deeds of God are traditionally referred to as Creation and Providence). If you invited your not-yet-Christian friend to Crossroads worship service how would you explain why we focus on God as Creator and the world as his creation?

The next movement in the worship service is about God’s people confessing their sins and receiving God’s grace afresh. This highlights that God is not only a Creator but a Restorer of his creatures. Why is it important that we continue to confess our sins as the Church? What kind of a relationship with God does this help to develop? How could our confession of sins be a good thing for non-Christians to see us do?

The next part in the flow of Crossroads gathered worship is “God Instructs Us”. Read Acts 2:41-42. After Peter’s evangelistic sermon and baptism of 3000 people the people began to meet together for worship. Which activity of theirs corresponds to “God Instructs Us”? Why put this part of the worship service here? How does it’s placement highlight the logic of the gospel (grace –> law and not law –> grace)?

Next in the service is “God Communes with Us” which we celebrate on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at Crossroads. Read 1 Corinthians 10:16-17. Paul is describing what’s known as Communion or the Lord’s Supper. Why is it appropriate that we celebrate this together at our regular gatherings on Sunday? Why would it be inappropriate to celebrate it by ourselves as individuals?

The last movement in Crossroads worship service is “God Commissions Us” to be participants in his restorative mission. God addresses us as our Covenant King and Lord through the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and Benediction and we address him (and one another) in song. Do you think that God’s commissioning of us is a part of the gospel, the good news? How is this good news along with all of the rest of the worship service? How does it help us to understand God and ourselves better?

If a neighbor or co-worker were to ask you what the Pastor spoke about on Sunday how would you summarize the sermon in one sentence?

You can’t understand sacrifice of Jesus until you understand sacrifice in Leviticus. Leviticus 16 is about the Day of Atonement? How was the Day of Atonement like spring cleaning?

An atoning sacrifice is also known as a ransom in Leviticus. Let’s consider how a ransom works.
Jay Sklar writes, “In the Old Testament, a ‘ransom’ has the following characteristics:
1. It is a legally or ethically legitimate payment;
2. It delivers a guilty party from a just punishment that is the right of the offended party to execute or to have executed;
3. It is a lesser punishment than was originally expected;
4. It is up to the offended party whether or not to accept the payment; and
5. Its acceptance serves both to rescue the life of the guilty and to appease the offended party, thus restoring peace to the relationship.

Exodus 21:28-30 is an example of how a ransom works in human-to-human relationships. Read Exodus 21:28-30
How can a man whose ox has gored others multiple times avoid the death penalty?
Is the offended party required to place a ransom upon the offender?
How would you view the offended party’s action?

Read Leviticus 17:11
Just as God mercifully provided for a ransom in human-to-human relationships Lev. 17:11 is about how ransom, or atonement, also works in God-to-human relationships. Sacrifice in Leviticus is a ransom for those who deserve death.

Read Mark 10:45
How does Jesus’s death on the cross meet the requirements of ransom above?
How is Jesus’ ransom payment even better than that required in the Old Testament?
How much of the debt has not been paid by Jesus? How does this help us to understand why the New Testament speaks of Jesus’ saving work as a gift (see Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8)?