Alpha Session 3: How can we have faith?

Alpha Session 3: How can we have faith?

We used to ask ourselves questions relating to our faith in God and sometimes even asked doubtful questions about Jesus existence.
However later on we found ourselves asking these qns:

1. People asked me to pray for peace in my heart but I don't think anything will change even if I pray
2. My family is going through Financial ($$) problems , I need God to help but He's taking too long
3. I need to spend time studying for exams and don't have time to go for Church service and have quiet time with God, it's ok right?

When we ask such questions , do we place our faith in

GOD or Personal Feelings?

Let's take a look at the : Cola Challenge
We test the different Colas on the table but did we all get the same answers? ?
Some groups had similar answers but still not every group was sure of their answers although they tasted the colas.

In our Christian walk, some of us have already tasted what Christianity is like but we still have difficulty being sure. Do we base our beliefs in our Personal Feelings or what people tell us? Or do we base it on factual knowledge?

What about placing our faith in GOD ?
Specifically - THE HOLY TRINITY – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Think about what our beverages 3-in-1 coffee or tea..
These have been specifically researched and measured to fit the average consumers taste. It is an almost perfect mix with all 3 elements, coffee, creamer and sugar.

THE HOLY TRINITY is an even more perfect 3-in-1.
How can we base our faith on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

1. God the Father offers us promises
(of authority) John 10: 27-28 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand

(of love) Isiah 54:10 Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"says the LORD,
who has compassion on you
Jeremiah 31:3
I have loved you with an everlasting Love, I have drawn you with
Loving Kindness

(of Reassurance)
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart -
Deuteronomy 31:23 Be strong and courageous, for …I myself will be with you.

Let’s Discuss:
a) Do you think u can believe these promises of God??
b) Which would you rather believe in, feelings only or God? Why?
c) What would it take for you to believe in God? Think about someone u know who is a non-believer, do u think the person will believe in God after understanding all of this??

2. What Jesus did?
This is so simple to be told and yet so difficult to feel.
We watched a segment from the movie “Passion of Christ” and saw how Jesus carried the cross after being whipped and eventually very painfully nailed to the cross. Jesus cruxificion was a sign of God’s love for us. That God the Father sent His son to die for us so that we are forgiven.

3. What the Spirit does?
The Holy Spirit as a person of God and a presence within you.

Romans 8:9 “ When we invite Jesus into our hearts, the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us.”

The Witness of the Spirit frees us from our sinful self.
Romans 8:2-4
“because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering .And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.”


This verse also tells us that we are set free from a spirit of bondage.
Romans 8:15
For you did not receive a spirit of bondage again, but you received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

The Spirit bears fruit when we invite Jesus into our hearts and the fruit is seen in the verses in Galations, Love, Joy, Peace Patience, Kindness etc.. Remember how some of us went to Philippines and we were able to do God’s work with a sprit of love, joy, peace, patience.

The Fruit Of The Spirit
Galations 5:22 - 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

The Spirit is able to work within us, to transform us, relationships change and we start being conscious about being a better person, being better brothers and sisters in Christ and we start touching lives around us.

Let’s Discus:

1. Does faith have to be a leap in darkness or are there reasons we can be sure of our faith??
2. The talk mentioned that being a Christian changes us, what sort of a person would u like to be.. (Which of those maybe from Galations?)
3. Do you think you can do it on your own or do you think you need God’s presence in your life?

Alpha Session 2 - Why did Jesus Die?

Why did Jesus Die?

The Four 'P's of sins

1. The Pollution of sin

It pollutes us and makes us unclean. Sins are not just external acts but they come from within, which is our hearts.

Mark 7
²⁰He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' ²¹For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²²greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'

2. The Power of sin

When we continue to sin, we allow the devil to have control over our lives.

The Bible says that we become a slave to sin and it has power over us.

John 8:34 – Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

3. The Penalty of sin

This is like how the referees give a red card to the player for diving, injuring other opponent's legs – it is called penalty. What happened to the players who are penalized? They are out for the next match.

Every bad thing we have done has a penalty or a punishment that we cannot pay on our own. If God does not punish us for the sins we have done, he is not a good and holy God. When God is not good or holy, he is not worth following or worshipping.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4. The Partition of sin

Sin separates us from God and creates a high wall between God and us. This makes us feel far away from God.

Isaiah 59

² But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

This is how we commonly don’t know God due to the separation.

Demonstration - Water (Us), Iodine (Sins) and Bleach (Jesus)

• When God first created us - we are like the clear water, pure and clean.
• We started to sin (stealing, lying, cheating, gossiping etc.) - the water becomes light brown with the introduction of iodine.
• In the beginning, we think it is fine to play with our sins since we know that our sin become part of us. But what happened if playing with sins suddenly became serious burden?
  
• Growing sins began to chain us and we became slaves to our sins. The water becomes darker and darker brown in colour. We find it impossible to break the chains.

• We do good works like donating money to the needy and poor, obeying our parents etc
• We go to the church to worship every sunday or even if we go to temples and offering something to the gods,
• We study hard for a good degree, become a successful businessman, manager, actresses,
• What would happened to us? Sadly there is still a bad new for us that we still fail to reach GOD because of our sins despite of good works, good religions and personal achievements.
• God’s holiness can’t be denied as this is why God declares his stand as a holy God.

God sent Jesus to die in our place and to suffer the results of our sins. God loves us much!

Jesus is our substitute and because of Him, we do not need to pay the penalty of our sins and die. Jesus’ death on the cross took care of the results once and for all.

Romans 5:8

“God shows his own love for us in this: While we were still sinner, Christ died for us”

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Perish mean lost

Eternal life do not mean up to 100 years old. It means after our death, we go up to the heaven with Jesus!

1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Once you believe Jesus, what happened to you?

Congratulations to you, you able to walk closer to God through Jesus Christ as a Bridger.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

When you believe Jesus, you are set free.

When you have that freedom,

1. Pollution of sin removed – cleansed (set free to be holy)
2. Power of sin broken – redeemed (set free to obey God)
3. Penalty of sin paid – justified (set free from condemnation)
4. Partition of sin destroyed – reconciled (set free to fellowship with God)

God gave you a gift - His Son, Jesus, to die for you so that you will be saved and have eternal life).

Will you accept this gift today?

Alpha Session 1 - Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

Historical Facts about Jesus

These are facts that everyone agrees on, historians, not just Christians.

1. We know he was a Jewish Man born in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago.
2. Famous as great teacher and miracle worker
3. He was crucified by the Roman Authorities.
4. His followers believed He was the Son of God and he rose from the dead and he took the good news throughout the world.

Jesus was fully Human

Jesus was fully human. He had a body, emotions and experiences just like ours.

• Jesus was tempted in the desert.
• He was hungry after 40 days.
• He was angry when people were doing evil things in the name of God.
• He was sad and cried when his friend died.

Let’s look at What he said about himself

1. “I AM” the bread of life: People are hungry for significance.’ Jesus said: “I am the bread of life.” In other words, `If you want that spiritual hunger satisfied, come to me.
2. “I AM” the light of the world: Many people are depressed, disillusioned, in despair—they’re in a dark place. Jesus said: “I’m the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
3. “I AM” the resurrection and the life: Mother Teresa was asked before she died: `Are you at all afraid of dying?’ And she said, `How can I be? Dying is going home to God. I've never been afraid. No, on the contrary,’ she said, `I'm really looking forward to it!’
4. “I AM” the truth: The world has been confused. We think if we have the latest phone and the best clothes, we’ll be happy. But when we get it, strangely…we’re still empty. Jesus said: “I'm the truth. I’m what will satisfy”
5. He claimed to be able to forgive sins (Mark 2:5).
6. He claimed to be Son of God (Mark 14:61).

Let’s think…

1. A good man | 2. Tell the truth | 3. God

6. A mad man | 5. Disillusioned | 4. Not God

9. A bad man | 8. Lies | 7. Not God

• If Jesus was a good man, a good teacher as everyone says he was
• then he would tell the truth
• If he told the truth and he said he was God, then he must be God.

• If Jesus is not God,
• One possibility is that he could’ve really believed he was God, so he was disillusioned
• That makes him a mad man.

• Now, if Jesus is not God, there’s another explanation.
• He lied about being God, just to be popular,
• If he lied to be popular, then he was not a good man or good teacher but a bad man
• then, he couldn’t have been a good teacher or a good man, because he was a bad man

He was either a Con Man, Mad Man, or the one and only God.
So, why do Christians believe that Jesus was not a mad man or a con man but the one and only God man?

Well, we look at some evidence

1. Well, the first area we cant look at: what did he teach? His teachings formed the foundation of Western Civilization. Many of our laws were originally based on the teaching of Jesus. We're making progress in every field of science and technology—but no one’s ever improved on the moral teaching of Jesus. They're the greatest words ever spoken. They're the kind of words you'd expect God to speak.
2. Then what about his lifestyle—what about the things that he did. Miracles: Healed the sick, women with haemorrhage, fever, leprosy, made the lame walk again, gave sight to the blind. And this guy was simply a carpenter by profession.
3. His Character: He was kind, compassionate, welcomed those rejected by society, treated them with respect. Look at Jesus’ courage. When he was being tortured, he said: “Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.” Could such a person really be evil or mad?
4. Fulfilment of Old Testament Prophecies: He fulfilled over 300 prophecies. Maybe you think he was a kind of conman who went to read all these prophecies and he thought, `Right, I’m going to go through all these and I’m going to fulfil them in my life.’ …. It would be really difficult! Because firstly, there were so many prophecies, and secondly, he had no control over many of these things—there were prophecies about how he would die and even about the place of his birth – he couldn’t have controlled that!
5. His Resurrection: How do we know the resurrection really happened?

• His absence from the tomb
• He appeared to many people at different times – Some people say it was hallucinations. It is highly unlikely that even two people would have the same hallucination. Jesus appeared 11 times, once to 500 people. 500 people cannot possibly have the same hallucination at the same time!
• The immediate effect – here was a group of disciples who were discouraged, depressed, fearful, hiding—and something occurred that totally changed them such that they went around telling everybody – it’s a phenomenon, the way the church grew
• Christian experience through the years. Millions of people down the ages have experienced the risen Jesus Christ. And it’s people of every ethnicity, continent, nationality, every economic, social, intellectual background, from all walks of life. They have this common experience of the risen Jesus

Few of those who are famous now will be remembered next year, let alone next century. 2000 years after Jesus lived not millions, but billions of people follow him.