This week, as we continue in our Luke series, we see Jesus developing and growing His disciples, as He grows us, by stretching our faith through challenging opportunities and giving us deeper revelation of who He is.
‘About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.’ (Luke 9:28-36)
Lesson: God wants to amaze us as He reveals Jesus’ glory to us so as to inspire us to listen and obey Him.
You can listen to this devotional below (It’s also available on Spotify on the Community Church Putney podcast)
Through this, and the previous, chapter, we’ve been exposed to revelation about who Jesus is: We’ve seen Him calm the storm; restore the man with a ‘legion’ of demons; we’ve seen Him Heal the woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years; raise Jairus’ daughter from death; we’ve seen Him give authority over sickness and demons to His disciples; feeds five-thousand; we’ve heard Peter’s, God-inspired, confession that He’s the Messiah; Jesus’ prediction - and thus His power over - His suffering and death; all these things have been helping us to answer the disciples’ question from the previous chapter, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
Now, added to all this revelation, Jesus is ‘transfigured’ and we hear God’s voice over Him saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
Luke, I believe, in using the words, ’about eight days later’, wants us to link this transfiguration moment with what has happened previously. Previously, He had told the disciples to “take up [your] cross daily and follow me.” and now we are being told by God, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” Revelation of God is always meant to inspire faith, worship, and radical obedience. We all need regular revelation and response; we need revelation of the glory of God from His Word and worship and this, in turn, is to lead to our listening to Him in loving response. We are to carry our cross each day by dying to our own will and choosing to listen to Jesus.
Response
God wants to amaze us as He reveals Jesus’ glory to us so as to inspire us to listen and obey Him. How are you ensuring that you are regularly inspired by the glory of Christ? If our hearts are cold and our obedience is wavering, it’s time to see Jesus again and agree with the Father that, ‘“This is [the] Son, whom I have chosen; [I will] listen to him.”
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
Please ensure that the members of your group are aware and familiar with using the daily devotionals which is accessed in Church News or the Teaching button on the website.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message from our series in Luke on Sunday was entitled, ‘With Christ is the School of Growth’.
In the section that we looked at (Luke 9:1-50), the disciples’ are grown through revelation of Jesus and by stretching ministry opportunities. To grow as a Christian or leader, we must be amazed by Jesus through fresh revelation, and we must also take on responsibilities that stretch us. The two things, as I hope we can see, work together.
Please read Luke 9:1-50, and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything specifically from Sunday’s message?
What are the various moments of revelation - where Jesus’ glory and mission are revealed - in this text?
What do these revelations teach us about Jesus and how should this affect our lives?
How does Jesus give His disciples responsibility - hard things to do - in order to develop them?
What hard things is Jesus calling you to do in order to grow you?
SIV - What does this text teach us about the ways we can seek to bring our community to Jesus?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
Let’s pray together that, this week, we will have opportunities to SIV; and pray for anything else that’s come out of our time in God’s Word.