Jesus pitched a tent among us to bring us home to God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. —John 1:14
What we believe about Jesus…
- Jesus is fully God. (John 1:1, 14)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. —John 1:1
- Jesus is fully human.
He is like us.
…who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. —Philippians 2:6-7 NASB
- Jesus is sinless.
He is not like us.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. —Hebrews 4:15
- Jesus died for our sins.
He was on a mission.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8 NASB
- Jesus rose from the dead.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures… —1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Here’s how we pitch our tent…
1. Posture our hearts to serve.
2. Slow down to listen and empathize.
3. Have the smell of the harvest.
Discipleship Guide
Let’s Talk About It
Jesus pitched a tent among us to bring us home to God. We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, incarnated for our redemption, born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, one person in two natures. As our substitute, He lived a sinless life and willingly gave himself as a propitiatory and reconciling sacrifice for our sins on the cross. He died, was buried, rose bodily on the third day, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as the only mediator between God and humanity. One day He will return again to judge the living and the dead.
John 1:1-5, 14; Philippians 2:6-7; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
Purple Book, review:
- What did you learn about faith from chapter nine of TPB?
- What does it look like to live and walk by faith?
Sermon questions:
- Which part of the message impacted or challenged you?
- How could ‘pitching your tent’ help someone else take steps to come home to the Lord? Which of the three areas that pastor Gregg mentioned will you trust God and step out to ‘pitch your tent’?
- Read John 1:1-5, 14 and Philippians 2:6-7. Jesus is fully God and fully human. What is at stake if we deny the Virgin Birth?
- Read Hebrews 4:15. How does knowing that Jesus is ‘like you’ but also ‘not like you’ give you the confidence to approach God?
- Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. How does Christ’s victory free us from bondage, and how do we practically apply it to our lives?
- How does Christ’s resurrection ensure our salvation? How does Christ’s resurrection ensure that we have power over sin? What are you feeling powerless to fight? How would applying Jesus’ victorious example help you in your fight against sin?
Take a Step
- Consider the magnitude of what Jesus did for you when He died for your sins. What is one thing you can do this week to express greater gratitude for God’s provision?
Here’s My Prayer
Jesus, You paid the debt of sin for us by Your blood poured out in lovingkindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by Your magnificent and radiant resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a Conqueror. You reconciled heaven and earth. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are now seated at God’s right hand in glory. We had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us, but Your resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence, and brought us joy.