December 2, 2018

Clearwater Community Church - FL

December 2, 2018

Luke 1

December 2, 2018 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Passage: Luke 1
Theme: Gripped by Glory: Elizabeth
1. Before God’s glory revealed: Elizabeth’s reality (1:5–7):
a. Faithful Follower
b. Yet Barren Wife

2. God’s Glory Revealed
a. The visitation by Gabriel announcing God’s glory to come (1:8–23)
b. Fulfillment: God’s glory in Elizabeth’s life through a miraculous child (1:24–25)

3. Gripped by God’s Glory
a. Elizabeth’s Response 1: Prophetic Blessing (1:39–45)
b. Elizabeth’s Response 2: Submissive Obedience (1:57–66)

Main Idea: As we faithfully remain loyal to him, God can use even the most frustrating of circumstances in our lives to reveal his glory.

Application Questions:
• Have you ever experienced times in your life in which you were seeking to please God but were frustrated by the seeming absence of him in the circumstances of your life? Write them down or share these with one another. Looking back, how did he reveal himself powerful and present through this trial?
• What does the scene with Mary in 1:39–45 reveal about Elizabeth being gripped by God’s glory? How can we live this out today?
• How does Elizabeth display submission throughout this story, but especially in 1:57–66? What does this teach us about submission in our own lives?

January 27, 2019

January 27, 2019 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Passage: Ezekiel 43: 1-11 Theme: God’s Glory Restored How God restores his glory: God accomplishes all that is necessary to bring his people back into right relationship with himself (Ezek. 37:15–28). God reestablishes the presence of his glory among his people (Ezek. 43:1–11; cf. John 1:14; 2:19-21). God places his glory as a permanent dwelling in the midst of his faithful people (Ezek. 48:35; 1 Cor. 3:16–17; 6:19; Rev. 21:3, 21). Main Idea: God restores his glory among a chosen people so that all might know who he is and what he has done. List all the actions and results that God accomplishes for his people in Ezekiel 37:15–28. How do these provide you with assurance and confidence in God? What response does God expect from his people in regards to his work and reestablishment of his glory according to Ezek. 37:15–28 and 43:1–11? What should this look like in your life today? How does the NT identify the fulfillment of these promises by God to Ezekiel in the following passages: John 1:14–18; 2:18–22; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19–20; Rev. 21:1–21)? From these texts, where is the glory of God dwelling today? How should this affect the way we live individually and what we do corporately?

January 20, 2019

January 20, 2019 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Passage: Ezekiel 10–11 Theme: The Glory of the God Departed Notice the themes concerning God’s glory that emerge from Ezekiel 10–11: 1. God’s glory requires that he judge sin (10:1–22). 2. Life’s circumstances don’t serve as a barometer for the glory of God (11:1–13). 3. God removes his glory from sinful people (10:4, 18–19; 11:22–24) 4. God displays his glory by transforming abandoned sinners into his faithful people (11:14–21). Main Idea: God’s glory takes up residence among those whom he has transformed to become his people. Application Questions: • This text marks the end of the vision that began back in chapter 8. In Ezekiel 8–11, what specific actions or attitudes led to the departure of God from Jerusalem? • How might there be both similarity and difference between the abandonment of his people in this OT era and what the church experiences now in relation to God? Can we experience this kind of abandonment today? • Describe the attitude of the people in 11:1–13. What is it that they are presuming concerning God? How does this differ from God’s evaluation of them? Do we misinterpret how God sees us today? How so? • In what ways do you see the Gospel in Ezekiel 11:14–21? What should our response be according to this passage?

January 13, 2019

January 13, 2019 • Pastor Phil Burggraff

Theme: The Glory of God Offended Passage: Ezekiel 8–9 1. The glory of God is offended by our sin (chapter 8). a. Types of Sin i. Sin of False Worship: Worshipping God according to our standards and ideas rather than who he is and what he has done ii. Sin of Immoral Behavior: Violent treatment of others and degeneration of personal character b. Offense to God i. Sin provides us with false security that we are getting away with it without God seeing or caring. ii. Sin arouses God’s anger. 2. The glory of God requires the judgment of sin (chapter 9). a. God treats all of humanity fairly for their committing sin and rejecting the truth of his word. b. God will ultimately destroy those who reject him by going their own way. c. God will chasten and discipline his own people for their sin as well. d. God saves those who faithfully commit themselves to him. Main Idea: We need to understand that our sin stands diametrically opposed to God’s glory. Application Questions: • From the description in chapter 8, what were the sins that the people were committing that grabbed God’s attention? How might we commit similar sins today? • While the people had a false sense of security that God wasn’t seeing what they were doing and had abandoned the land, why do you think that God had waited as long as he did to bring judgment for their idolatry and violence? • What do you learn about God from his interaction with the prophet and his response to the people’s sin in chapters 8 and 9? How does this affect your understanding of him? • How would you respond to someone who was offended by what God does in bringing judgment the way he did in chapter 9? • What do these two chapters challenge you to do?