Doctrine: Resurrection (John 11)

9:30-9:37- Welcome/Vision casting/Doctrine

9:38-9:50- Prayer Request Share/Prayer

9:50-10:10- ALL-Leader Training

10:10-10:47- Discussion Groups

10:50-11:00- Quick training in individual roles (use this time for whatever you need to touch base for on Wednesday); encourage leaders to move quickly into training rooms after discussion

VCA:

We are going to change the order of the morning from what we normally do because we are going to do an all leader training.

As you know, next year we will be studying the book of Revelation…

it’s a book of hope.

a book of life.

a book..about Jesus.

For some of you- you can’t wait to dive into this book and share it’s rich truths with others.

and for others- this book intimidates you…in fact- if you had a choice- you would prefer not to read it.

I dunno where you are today..

but I know that God has called you here…as a leader in this class…to study His word…ALL of His word..and to be a part of proclaiming those words to the women and children in this class.

Last time we studied Revelation, BSF as a whole, including this class, saw unprecedented growth.

The reality is- we don’t know what God is going to do in our class…

But when the shepherd calls…we respond..and as his flock we prepare to make room for whoever God brings in.

So that is what we are going to do…prepare…and watch God do his thing and get all the glory.

People in our world are hurting…longing for hope…for answers to their deepest fears and questions.

The truth is- there is no special secret that lies in Revelation not found elsewhere in scripture.

The answer they are looking for..is simple…in fact, it is simply…Jesus.

He is the answer.…

and because you know Him- you have all you need to be a part of leadership for next year!

So as we begin as a leadership to prepare together for Revelation, I am going to start today by simply reading parts of Revelation, chp. 1…then we will move into the doctrine talk…then into a time of prayer…after that- stay put because we are going to go straight to a time of training together…

and then after the training we will transition into our discussion groups.

So here we go….…

REVELATION 1……

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b] and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”[c] So shall it be! Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches….…

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

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the keys of death…held in the hands of the son of man..

In our scripture this week……Lazarus was dead- and the one who held the keys of death-the one John reminds us in the book of Revelation is the first and the last…the alpha and the omega, the one who is, and who was, and who is to come… showed his power over death as he brought Lazarus from death to life.

I recently read an article titled: “The Man Who Thinks He Can Live Forever”

This man has spent the last 3 years with one singular goal: don’t die.

He has reduced life down to an algorithm.

He takes over 100 pills a days….…follows a strict diet and meticulous lifestyle routine..

Apparently- this man is convinced that he holds the keys of death……

However- experts strongly disagree that he can achieve immortality..one Dr. said: “Death is not optional; it’s written into our genes,”

another doctor ironically said…“If you want immortality, you should go to a church,”…

While this man is looking for LIFE in all the wrong places.

He has one thing right……death is not natural.

at the core of our being- we all know that…

we were not created to die…

We were created for abdundant life everlasting- in perfect relationship and harmony with God.

but when sin entered the world- so did death- and death disrupted God’s design.

and there is not one person sitting in this room who has not felt the sting of death in their lives.

Resurrection is our doctrine for this week’s passage where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead…

This sign was a foretaste of Jesus’ ultimate defeat over death on the cross—it was a divine declaration proving death does not have the final say for those who believe in Christ….

… it was an indisputable display of how Christ’s resurrection power brings new life to His people. Jesus’s resurrection won back what sin stole from humanity. Jesus’s resurrection ensures that those who believe in Him will be raised again to life eternal. and the assurance of our resurrection allows believers to live confidently today- free from sin’s penalty and power. Believers can flourish, living a new life in freedom from death and joyful obedience to the Lord because they follow the one who holds the keys of death in his hands. They follow the one who conquered death…the one who defeated sin and is ALIVE forever and ever…

When I don’t believe in Jesus’s resurrection and future resurrection-I see this life as all there is. My focus is on the here and now, spending time on things with no eternal significance.

But- when I believe in the resurrection, I stand on the solid foundation of Christ and His finished work, given confident assurance that I will live with God forever- not because of my own doing, but b/c of His.

For the believer, death does not represent a sad finish line but rather the beginning of a glorious eternity.

Lazarus’s return to life is a picture of the internal transformation salvation brings. Like Lazarus, we were dead in our sin – totally, completely without hope of life.

Like Lazarus, we were raised from death to life by Jesus.

Only Jesus has the power to bring the dead to life.

and As believers, we live in the promise of resurrection. We are no longer in chains to death and sin –and like Lazarus- those grave clothes can be put away.

What remnants of sin’s grave clothes do you need to allow the Lord to remove so that you can experience the freedom of life you were designed to experience with Him?

Who in your life needs to know the one who holds the keys of sin and death?

and now- let’s worship Jesus- the one who conquered death and the one who was and is and who is to come..

so pray with me now and let’s being our time together, worshipping through prayer.

9:40- Adoration-

9:42- Thanksgiving

‌Supplication- groups of 3-4

9:44-BSF Global

HQ-

International- Classes will be a bright beacon of hope in a hurting world where all people need Jesus

AT- Direction as they spend time praying about needs/priorities for each specific class for next yea

9:45- BSF Local

Teacher- (Megan)- For God to provide relevant lecture applications and truth's for His class and that I would hear and follow His voice only as I prepare to teach

Leadership- Eye's and ears to identify potential leaders for next year

Serving Sisters- Robin Beardin

Marysville Prison/Transformational Recovery group-

Revelation- God to call abundant numbers of new leaders to allow every adult and child God is drawing to come to the study

Host Church- for effective collaboration between our class staff and church staff

Local BSF Classes-

9:46- ADMIN & AL's

9:47- BSF KIDS/PSCL's

9:48- BSF STUDENTS/SPCL's

9:49- Groups/GL's

ALL LEADER TRAINING (9:50)

- Get into groups of 5-6

TELL:

BSF Leadership is not a place for people who have “arrived” but for people willing to depend on God.

All BSF leaders can intentionally watch for class members whom God may be preparing to lead and serve.

As you know, being apart of BSF leadership is both a privilege and an honor.

God called each of you specifically into your role this year- and I believe that he is currently preparing the hearts of women in our class to also enter into our leadership circle this year as we start to prepare for Revelation.

We are asking God to grow the number of women and children that come to our BSF class- but in order for that to happen- we first have to have leaders.

God reminded us last week that he is the Good Shepherd...he goes before us...he guides and leads and we follow.

So...the purpose of today's training is to show you HOW to be a part of growing our leadership.

9:52- SHOW:

Each of you are in a different role and have different types of interactions with women in our class.

Thinking about your specific leadership role- WHERE and HOW can you OBSERVE a potential leader?:

CL's- when a woman volunteers in the classroom

RA's when they pick a child up- how do they interact with their own child

GL's- weekly contacts

responses in groups

AL's- maybe a woman stayed after to help clean up?

did they go out of their way to help another class member who was lost?

Last week- I watched a class member literally giving a woman visiting for the mini study a tour of the building and explaining the in's and out's of BSF.

I 100% followed her around the corner- got a glimpse of her name tag and I wrote down her name.

As a group, take about 1 minute to identify opportunities to observe qualities in potential leaders. Try to think past the obvious...

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

So- what should you be looking for in a leader

Openness

Curiosity

Servanthood

Resourcefulness

Awareness

Teachability

Engagement

Authenticity

Compassion

How might openness might be demonstrated.

Possible answers include:

welcomes and values perspectives different from their own

greets others with friendliness and warmth

willing to try new things

shares vulnerably in the group

shows up as their true, honest self

9:56-10:00 LET:

Leaders gather into small groups. Assign each group 1-2 of the above listed qualities.

Groups brainstorm ways their assigned qualities might be demonstrated.

10:01: Large Group Debrief: Each group reports one or two top answers for each quality.

PERSON who has been in leadership the longest will report your top answer

COACH: 10:05-10:09

So..you have identified the potential leader...now what?

To streamline the process for leadership recommendations, I have created a google form for you to fill out.

Click on the form, put in the persons name (even if you just know first name that is ok- tell me the context of where you observed them)

Please tell me ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you think would be helpful as to WHY you are recommending them- even if you think I already know it.

Once you submit the form- trust that I saw it, I'm praying, and I will take steps to approach them if the Lord leads.

NEVER EVER TELL someone that you are recommending them and please do not ask them WHY they are not in leadership.

EVEN if they have been in leadership before (there are at times exceptions to this- which I know several of you and I have talked about personally, but if we haven't talked about it- you shouldn't be bringing it up)

THE TEACHING LEADER IS THE ONLY PERSON who can approach someone about BSF leadership...

Leadership is a call by God and He makes His call known to both the group member and the TL.

Please trust this process...you may recommend someone to me and I may not approach them about leadership.

Please do not ask me WHY certain people are not in leadership....there is a good chance I will not answer your question.

Know that a great deal of prayer goes into each and every potential leader BEFORE they are even approached.

If I don’t approach someone know that there are things/factors that I may know that you don’t.

Maybe they have been asked over and over and over again.

Maybe they do not qualify.

Maybe the Lord has told them.....not right now.

Maybe the Holy Spirit has told me....not right now.

Trust that their are things that I know that you may not, and just as I protect your privacy in what you share with me, I do the same for each and every potential leader.

GL's- I may ask you to approach one of your members- we are going to train on HOW to do this next week..but you should not be discussing leadership with ANYONE unless I have directed you to do so.

This is a protection for BSF, for our leadership, and for the women in our class.

Please remember this process if confidential...

The heart behind this is we would never want ANYONE to feel as if they don't belong in BSF simply because they have not been asked or do not qualify for leadership.

Remember, we aren’t looking for “finished products” or those with no obstacles to answering “yes” to God’s call. If that were the case, this room would empty.

Every group member should be considered a potential leader unless there is a specific disqualification

As you consider women in our class, prayerfully seek to look beyond the obvious knowing that God’s call comes with His enabling.

Thank you for joining me in this process- I'm excited to see what God is going to do...