email:  whitpresby@mindspring.com

Class III, Fall 2001            “Thy Kingdom Come”

 The New Testament

Keywords: Christ, Kingdom, church?

1.. Introductions, nametags if new people

2.. Opening Prayer: Spontaneous, Gracious God, help us to remember that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word from you, make us hungry to eat that bread daily, that your kingdom may truly come in our lives and in your world. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.

3.. Reflect and review: comments on the first two weeks scriptures, keywords, and reflection questions.

From Oct. 17:  Question for reflection:  How can we see ourselves in the story and make it our story.  How can we understand the story of our ancestors in the faith to be our story.  Deut 5:1-4.  Keywords:  God’s name, holy, people;

From Oct. 10:  What does it mean to you that God has chosen to reveal Godself to you?  Keywords: father, Covenant, Bread.

Are you finding ways to use these during your week or not yet? How do "father, covenant, bread, God’s name, holy, people" relate to Jesus, kingdom, the church?

4.. What comes to your mind when you think of God’s kingdom coming? Record keywords of comments and use throughout lesson. Overview of NT: Draw time line and hand out MJ’s copies. Briefly explain events and writings. (Use two timelines pages from programmed books.)

5.. The Gospels:

Particular concepts: Synoptics plus John, using the parallels book;

Mt & Lk contain most of the teaching of Jesus;

Mk bare outline;

John does his own thing, stretching the stories out.

The openings of the gospels, comparing how they differ in scope, getting more theological as they go.  The four gospels differ, and that’s OK

These are not biographies in the modern sense of the word?

Gospels are the dawn of the kingdom – Mk 1:14-15.

Sample texts:

Luke 7:18-23, as a definition of the Kingdom of God.

6.. History:  Acts of the Apostles: Beginnings of the church, Peter, Paul.

Acts is the spreading of the kingdom:  Acts 1:1-8.

Sample texts: 

Then go through your bible, noting the paragraph or page headings, indicating what events are described or narrated.

Paul’s conversion in Ch. 9;  one who hates the church becoming one who serves it.

Peter & Cornelius in Ch. 10 – the story of the church breaking out beyond the bounds of Judaism

7.. Letters: Some named for recipients, others named for presumed writers or their disciples

The letters are application of the kingdom.

Important concepts here?  Applying the faith: Galatians 3:23-29

Adapting the faith:  I Peter 2:11-12,

Explaining the faith:  I Corinthians 13(Love) & 15(Resurrection)

Sample texts:  Romans 1:1-7 & Ch. 16, explaining the parts.

8.. Revelation:  apocalyptic literature.

Revelation is the conflict and fulfillment of the Kingdom.

Important concepts or approach?

Moral exhortations to churches;  a summation of all churches/congregations

Perseverance in the face of trial.  Rev. 13:10

Ultimate victory of God.  Rev 11:15

Sample texts.

Vision of New Heaven & New Earth – 21:1-4

9.. Integrating activity – get 10 articles from the newspaper and write “MK 1:14-15 over it (article represents the world/kingdom of this world, MK passage written over it represents the kingdom of God breaking into the kingdom of this world).

What are signs of the Kingdom?

10.  Subject for Reflection:  comparing the Kingdom of God to this world?

Where do you see signs of the kingdom in our world?

Where do you feel tensions between your life now and what you perceive as the Kingdom?

How can we live both in this world and in the Kingdom of God

11.. Close with the Lord’s Prayer