The World

REVIEW:
• We are all called to be and make disciples of Jesus.
• We are all on a discipleship journey that involves Sharing, Connecting, Ministering, and Disciple-making (SCMD).
• This process gets lived out in the 5 Spheres of our lives based on what we see in the book of Ephesians.
• Out of the overflow of our relationship with Jesus we are able to live godly lives as God intends us to in the Church, in the Home, and in the World.

LAST WEEK: THE HOME: Ephesians 5:21-6:4 & 1 Corinthians 7
God has a specific design and directive for the home.
• HUSBANDS AND WIVES: Ephesians 5:21-33 Mutual Submission and Complementary Roles—equal but different.
• CHILDREN AND PARENTS: Ephesians 6:1-6 Children: obey like Jesus. Parents: lead like Jesus.
• SINGLES AND WIDOWS: 1 Corinthians 7:8-9; 32-34 Our identity is not in our marital status but in our relationship with Jesus. Regardless of the status we find ourselves, God calls it good.

THIS WEEK: THE WORLD
• The world sphere consists of all the relationships and responsibilities outside of personal abiding in Christ.
• It is both WHOM you have relationships with outside of the home and the church, as well as WHERE and HOW you live those relationships out IN THE WORLD.
o This includes hobbies, neighboring, community involvement, interactions with government, and working.

FIRST: WORK
• Context: The institution of slavery was everywhere in the Roman Empire where it is estimated there was one slave to every five free adults while in the city of Rome the ratio was one to three.1

Ephesians 6:5–9 5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. 9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

• We shall look at this as an employer and employee relationship.
• Work was good as given to Adam, but it became cursed with the fall. God now desires for us to use our work as a form of godly expression and a tool of the mission. How?

1. God is our master, and He tells us what to do and how to do everything. (See 1 Corinthians 10:31-33)

2. It is assumed we are to work. How do we work?
• Employees are to work hard, be respectful, and have integrity no matter the reward.
• Employers are to lead fairly without favoritism, keeping in mind that your worker belongs to God.

2 Thessalonians 3:10–15 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 11We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. 14Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.

3. Slaves and Masters have the same value in God’s eyes, but they have different roles.
• There is no favoritism with God. Your identity is in Christ.
Galatians 3:26–29 26So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

4. The purpose of work:
• To take care of your own needs—family included. (See 2 Thessalonians 3:11–13 and 1 Timothy 5:8)
• To take care of others who have. (See Ephesians 4:28 and Galatians 6:10)
• To bring attention to our God by the way we act. (See Titus 2:9–10, 2 Corinthians 9:10–11)

SECOND: HOBBIES, NEIGHBORING, & COMMUNITY

Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

John 17:15-18 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
o Where is the world? Where are the lost? We are to GO INTO IT and share the gospel!

Ephesians 5:15–16 15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
o Make the most of every opportunity, everywhere, all the time.

THIRD: POLITICS & GOVERNMENT (See Romans 13:1-6)
• We’re not to be divisive people looking for a fight.
• We’re to be known for our humility, service, wisdom and love (fighting the right fights in the right way).

LAST: PRIORITIES & BALANCE
• We all have limited resources: time, energy, and effort.
• Spiritual Maturity is prioritizing these resources for the mission of Jesus, not the mission of “ME-sus.”
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative
o Self-Assessment

QUESTIONS TO REFLECT AND DISCUSS:
Passages to consider: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 4:17- 5:21; 6:5-9
Icebreaker: What is the last thing you remember breaking? Or What is the last thing you remember repairing?
• Most likely, something caught your attention from the sermon. Share what did with the group.
1. Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 and Matthew 5:13-16. What are some things these passages show us about who we, as Christ-followers, are as we live in the world?
2. What could set Christians apart in the world? A) What are challenges we face as Christ-followers in the World Sphere? B) If you look through the lens of the Abiding Sphere, how does that change your view of the World Sphere?
3. Who is someone who inspires you in how they display Jesus in the places they work, live, and play?
4. How is abiding with Jesus affecting how you see the world and the relationships you have in the world? Maybe even how you see your purpose in the world? A) What can distract or get in the way?
5. How do you share hope with the people around you? A) Who doesn’t know Jesus who you are concerned for?
6. What opportunities do you have to do good for the community you live in, work at, or recreate with?