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Introduction : Session 1
LETTING GO OF THE TABLE

When my son, Parker was learning how to walk,
he would use the coffee table in our living room
to pull himself up and then walk around that
table, smiling beyond the safety of the table.
After about a week, he seemed to be getting a
little bored (or dizzy) from the monotony of
walking in circles, but he didn't know what to do
next.

Then, for no obvious reason, one morning he
walked to the corner of the table, but instead of
turning to follow the table around the corner, he
took an extra step forward and found himself
standing on his own, hands in the air. I could
tell he was thinking, Wow! Here I am out here in
the middle of the room with no table holding me
up! He began to giggle and then fell right down
on his bottom. That was the beginning. From
that moment on, he never walked around that
table again. He would go to that same corner,
pull himself up, turn away from the table and
take a step. Everything has changed.

NEVER GOING BACK

The moment a child takes his or her first steps
is special. Letting go of the table is thrilling
because it symbolizes; for when a child let go,
he or she is never going back.

Stand Walk Run become spontaneous and
automatic, and gradual a very part of the child.

As you go through the study, you will have an
opportunity to let go of the table and venture
out, as many of us are living our Christian lives
holding on to the programs, events, and comfort
of our local church. Many of us have never
ventured out from these programsSunday
service, weekly Bible study and the annual
Christmas gift drive.

When no one is around, though, we wonder,
Is this all there is?
Is this all that were supposed to do and
be as the people of God?
What can we do as a group to help each
other practice the self-denial that Jesus
calls us to?
How can we help each other focus on the
needs of others rather than focusing only
on our needs?
What is one thing that you would like God
to do in you or through you as you get
uncomfortable?

All these church activities are good but they are
just a part of a much larger process.
Do not miss the bigger picture of things that
God has planned for you.

Zechariah 7:9-10
This is what the Lord Almighty said: Administer
true justice; show mercy and compassion to one
another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the
fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot
evil against each other.

EMBRACING SELF-FORGETFULNESS

A mature believer develops a healthy sense
of self-forgetfulness rather than an unhealthy
preoccupation with self." Todd Phillips

Jesus demanded that if we would truly follow
Him, then we must deny ourselves.

Luke 9:23 NIV
Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be
my disciple must deny themselves and take up
their cross daily and follow me.

Their world out there needs believers who have
denied themselves to become runners in Gods
race to increase His eternal kingdom through
Jesus Christ.

What do we need in the church today?
We do not need more activity.
Busy believers are not necessarily mature
believers. We need to be more mature, not
busier. We need to move from internally
focused to externally focused.

Let go and venture out into the world on your
own two feet into the realm of poverty and
injustice. God passionately desires to do
something about suffering in the world and he
invites you to be a part of the solution.

Have you held on to the table long enough?

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Session 1
BEGINNING THE
CONVERSATION

God has a message regarding the way you
should live your life. Get ready.
You have the opportunity to change in
ways you can't imagine.

A PROBLEM OF GEOGRAPHY

i. Todd said "Americans live in a cocoon."
It means that people in US live lives
separated from the way the majority
of the world lives.

E.g. One third of the world lives on less
than $2 per day.

Do Malaysian also live in a cocoon,
disconnected from the way the majority of
the world lives?

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What societal element or cultural
perspectives do you believe contribute to
this?

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ii. God's Word is not silent about issues
of social change. There are more than
2000 verses that clearly reveal God's heart
for the poor and oppressed, the true
condition of our world, our responsibility
and opportunity to spread the gospel by
serving others in need and he promise that
God will empower his children to accomplish
His goal of justice and mercy for all the
world through His Son, Jesus.
iii. Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt
offerings, with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of
rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my
transgression, the fruit of my body for the
sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to
walk humbly with your God.

What strike you most after reading
the Bible passage above?

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Issues
A. The churches only pay lip service to
social justice.

I. The Preference of the church.
Christians feed ravenously (hungrily) on
Scripture that refers to blessings from God
and give little time to Scripture that speaks
of self-denial, service, sacrifice, suffering for
the sake of the gospel and sharing in the
misery of others.
ii. The Helpless of the Poor & Oppressed.
The church seldom preach social justice
because "service" and "sacrifice" in Jesus'
name is difficult to teach in today's
consumer-driven church culture.
Note :
The poor and oppressed are unable to
attend church and give to the church.
So, preachers shy away speaking about
them.
iii. The Crowd-Pleaser Preacher.
Preachers fear displeasing church
members and do not wish to risk lower
attendance.

B. The churches aren't structured
toward responding effectively to
global issues.

i. Country clubs vs Spiritual Hospitals
syndrome.
Churches are more concerned about
church growth and spiritual maturity.
Churches end up being more concerned
about their own needs than the needs
of others, outside the church.


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Gradually, churches become "all about
themselves and little else."

Reggie McNeal
"Pastoral care and spiritual growth of
members are critical. But how many
church activities for the already-saved
are justified where there are people out
there who have never been touched
with Jesus' love?"

C. The publishing industry is
profit-oriented.

Books dealing with the issues of generosity,
compassion, charity, poverty, injustices
are few to come by because they do not
sell.

What must we do now?

i. The only option we have for profound
change is to re-engage in the Word of God
and then DO what it says. We must take
ownership of our faith. We must read,
understand and put into practice what God
truly wants in relation to those who are in
need.

ii. James 1:22-25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone
who listens to the word but does not do
what it says is like someone who looks at
his face in a mirror and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets
what he looks like. But whoever looks
intently into the perfect law that gives
freedom, and continues in itnot forgetting
what they have heard, but doing itthey
will be blessed in what they do.

How does a Christ-follower who knows what
God expects but chooses not to respond?

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iii. Scripture Look-Up

John 10:37
Do not believe me unless I do the works of
my Father.
John 13:17
Now that you know these things, you will be
blessed if you do them.
Jeremiah 22:16
He defended the cause of the poor and
needy, and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?
declares the Lord.
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Titus 1:16
They claim to know God, but by their
actions they deny him. They are detestable,
disobedient and unfit for doing anything
good.

REDISCOVERING OUR CHRISTIAN
HERITAGE

i. How was it in the PAST?
The church was not always disconnected
from the issues of poverty and injustice.

The church has in fact had an exemplary
record in the past of being light in this
dark world. History teaches us that many
cultural changes were actually birthed in
the church e.g. abolition of slavery,
prison reform, establishment of hospitals
and schools for the poor, the fight against
child labour and numerous human rights
and social justice issues.

Sydney Ahlstrom
(American historian, Yale University)
(a) The Puritans (16-18th century)
They pursued purity and believed that
the world could be constrained and
reformed in accordance with God's
revealed will.
(b) The Revivalists
They demanded holiness and socially
relevant Christian commitment
as a follow-up to conversion.
Note:
Many victories for the poor and suffering
throughout history have been won through
the actions of totally devoted Christ's
followers.

ii. How is it in the PRESENT?
In comparison to the past, the church's
current silence and inactivity is a new
phenomenon. This is ironic because we
have more information at our fingertips than
at any other time in history, yet we struggle
to take action on either a local or global
scale.
Do you agree that the church today is
silent and inactive on issues that they
regarded as important and passionate about
in the past?

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iii. Ecclesiastes 12:13
Now all has been heard; here is the
conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep
his commandments, for this is the duty of
all mankind.

Comment on the verse above?

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iv. Watch the video More Than Stats.
Share your reactions..
Do you feel uncomfortable to see the
true state of the world?
Do you feel the weight of personal
responsibility?

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A PRIMER ON THE ISSUES

i. Many Christians live with scales or faulty
lenses covering our eyes and preventing us
from seeing the world through the eyes of
Jesus.

Read about Paul's encounter with Jesus
in Acts 9:1-19 on how the scales fell from
his eyes and he then saw the light and gain
a new perspective about life and the world.

ii. God wants to take you to a place you have
never been. God will lead you through
unfamiliar roads until you become familiar
with them and eventually call it home.

LETTING GO

i. God has brought us together for such
a time as this to change the world for what
might be the last time.

ii. God is calling us to "let go of the table "
and serve Him with faith-filled abandon.

Stop being satisfied merely attending
Sunday services and other activities.
They are not meant to be ends unto
themselves. All these are to empower
you for greater opportunities before you.

TAKING IT FURTHER (I)

i. What does God want of us?

God wants us to be so attuned to the
suffering and pain of those around us that
we respond to those needs without thinking.

Giving to the needs of others, personally
involving ourselves in the hopelessness
of others, and diving into the misery of
others in the name of Christ will become our
second nature.

ii. Read John 13:1-17
Jesus Washes His Disciples Feet

What part of the story stands out to you?
..
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How does Jesus model a life of service and
sacrifice in this passage?



How does this passage relate to our
responsibility to others (including the poor
and oppressed)?

How will we be blessed if we do these things
(v. 17)?

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Why do you think the church has become
silent and inactive in regard to the poor,
oppressed, and needy?

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What parts of the current church culture are
pleasing to Jesus and which do you think He
is unhappy with?

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Pray specifically that God would begin to
burden you and your group this week with
the state of the world.
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TAKING IT FURTHER (II)

Romans 12 (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in
view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Godthis is
your true and proper worship. Do not conform to
the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what Gods will ishis
good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ
For by the grace given me I say to every one of
you: Do not think of yourself more highly than
you ought, but rather think of yourself with
sober judgment, in accordance with the faith
God has distributed to each of you. For just as
each of us has one body with many members,
and these members do not all have the same
function, so in Christ we, though many, form
one body, and each member belongs to all the
others. We have different gifts, according to the
grace given to each of us. If your gift is
prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with
your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is
teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then
give encouragement; if it is giving, then give
generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently;
if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to
what is good. Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual
fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope,
patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lords people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn
with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one
another. Do not be proud, but be willing to
associate with people of low position. Do not be
conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of
everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends
on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not
take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room
for Gods wrath, for it is written: It is mine to
avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.
On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to
drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals
on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good.


KEY LESSONS

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PRAYER JOURNAL
Write a prayer to God expressing your thoughts,
desire, struggles and devotion to Him.

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Notes prepared by William Yeong for Care Group
meetings based on Todd Phillips's
GET UNCOMFORTABLE. Lifeway Press. (2013)