Week 1 - OBEY
FREEDOM
Welcome to part 6 of Follow The Way called FREEDOM.
One of the great blessings of trusting in Jesus is that we are free.
Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT)
13 For [God the Father] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
John 8:36 (NIV)
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
But what does this freedom look like and how can we personally and practically embrace the freedom Jesus has purchased for us? That’s what FREEDOM will explore.
Hopefully, you’ve been working through Follow The Way. It’s important to at least have worked through FOUNDATIONS, the other part of THE GROW SET. These foundational truths are essential for walking in freedom.
DISCOVERY DISCIPLESHIP GROUP
Let’s remind ourselves what we’re up to.
DISCOVERY
Instead of telling you what to believe and how to live, we’ll connect you with the Bible so you can discover that together as a group. Discovery promotes engagement in the process and ownership of the outcomes.
DISCIPLESHIP
Being a disciple is a whole-life response to Jesus as Savior and Lord. It’s about following Jesus and His way of life. As you grow in your faith and commitment to Jesus, you’ll learn to live your life as if He were in your shoes. Be with Jesus > Become like Jesus > Live like Jesus > Make Disciples of Jesus.
GROUP
You could go through Follow The Way on your own. You’ll get more out of it, however, if you work through it with 2 or 3 others. Consider finding a guide to coach you. This guide doesn’t have to be an expert in the faith. They just need to be a few steps ahead of you on the journey to point you in the right direction. Here’s a thought. After you have worked through Follow The Way, you’ll be ready to guide others through it.
3/3s FORMAT
In order to learn how to practically follow Jesus, our group will continue using what is called the 3/3s Format (Connect-Discover-Live)
CONNECT
What are you thankful for?
What challenge are you facing?
Have there been any answers to prayer?
Pray for each other.
From the last week of FOUNDATIONS (Week 8 on FROM ALREADY TO NOT YET) …
Did anything stand out to you from last week’s follow-up Bible readings?
How did your “I will …” statement from last week go?
How did your sharing goal from last week go?
DISCOVER
Ask God to speak to you as you read His Word.
Romans 6:15-23 (NLT)
15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Have someone retell the passage in their own words.
What stands out to you in this passage?
What does this passage say about God (The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)?
What does this passage say about people, including ourselves?
What does this passage say about the life God invites us to live?
Freeing Obedience
If salvation is a free gift received through faith in Jesus, why do we still need to obey?
Why does disobedience enslave us?
John 8:34 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.”
Why does obedience free us?
James 1:25 (NLT)
But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
How can being slaves of God and righteousness be true freedom?
Are you free? Why or why not?
What are you enslaved to?
The Good News is that Jesus will free you from this bondage and FREEDOM will help you to find and walk in this freedom. Be encouraged!
Truth & Responsibility
As we work through FREEDOM, we’ll state a freedom truth and then call you to a freedom responsibility.
This week’s freedom truth:
Obedience leads to freedom and disobedience leads to bondage.
This week’s freedom responsibility:
So obey the Lord and be free.
Saving Obedience?
Romans 5:18-19 (NLT)
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
Whose obedience saves us? Why is this Good News?
As we discovered in FOUNDATIONS, Jesus took personal responsibility for both our obedience to and our disobedience of God’s law. He did this by living the life we should have and dying the death we would have. Jesus' finished work, then, is foundational to our freedom. Jesus has set us free from Satan, sin, the fear of death and even God’s law as a way of self-salvation. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus perfect obedience and sacrificial death. We don’t obey, then, for our salvation, but from our salvation. Out of gratitude and love for Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we obey and find greater and greater freedom in life.
Loving Obedience
John 14:21-24 (NIV)
21 “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
Why is love such an important motivation for obedience?
1 John 4:19 (NIV)
We love because he first loved us.
Who starts this love and why is that important?
Respectful and Empowered Obedience
Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV)
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
What does Paul mean by fear and trembling?
Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Why are we to obey God out of deep respect or reverence?
How is working out your salvation different than work for your salvation?
Who worked for our salvation?
How do we work out our salvation?
What does God work in us to help us work out our salvation?
How is the phrase “Not Able but Enabled” a good description of this empowered obedience?
God never intended for us to live the Christian life in our own strength. Instead, as we respectfully work out our salvation, He powerfully works in us to live for Him.
Freedom Commands
Once again, obedience leads to freedom while disobedience leads to bondage, so obey the Lord and be free. In FREEDOM, we will work through these 9 commands that lead to true freedom.
Resist
Forgive
Run
Renounce
Replace
Trust
Stand
Submit
Mature
LIVE
What truth have you discovered from today’s Bible passage(s) and conversation?
What would stop you from believing and obeying this truth?
How will you live out this truth this coming week? Finish this statement: “I will ….”
Who else needs to hear this truth? How could you share it with them?
When will we meet again?
Who will facilitate that meeting?
Pray for God’s help as you seek to follow Jesus this coming week.
FOLLOW-UP BIBLE READINGS
After each group meeting, there will be 3 Bible readings to help you dig a bit deeper into what we have discussed.
To help you connect with Jesus, we encourage you to use the Daily Connect connection prompts with the first two Bible readings and the Lord’s Prayer with the third Bible reading.
Here are the Bible passages you are encouraged to read this coming week:
BUDDY SYSTEM
It’s recommended that you set up a buddy system for ongoing encouragement and accountability. Buddy people up and have them contact each other for a midweek check-in. Think of this as a five-minute phone call, rather than an in-person sit-down meeting. Touch base and ask these questions of each other:
How are your readings going?
How’s your “I will …” statement coming along?
How’s your sharing goal coming along?
How can I pray for you?