I don’t imagine you do either.
But regardless of our feelings, most of us can relate to the sinking sense that things around us are piling up, moving too fast, or about to wash us away.
When I start feeling that way, my natural reflex is to hide, hunker down, run away, or avoid, as if ignorance and distance will alleviate the strain.
Isaiah the Prophet, however, knows that strategy doesn’t work in a world governed by a sovereign God. And so in sweeping and stunning Scriptures full of judgment and hope, he gives us a word from heaven about handling the often overwhelming mess on earth.
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(WEEKLY COMMUNITY GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE)
Title: Overwhelmed // Scripture: Isaiah 8:6-26:19
ARRIVAL / SOCIAL TIME 15-20 minutes Spend the first 15 minutes or so of your time together catching up and socializing with one another. Also find time to catch up together on how the assignments from last week turned out.
SERMON REVIEW 5-10 minutes
Have you ever felt overwhelmed? When is the last time you were flooded, engulfed, or deluged by forces beyond your control? What is it that we need to hear in these moments? This week as we continue our series through the Book of Isaiah, we see Israel in the midst of trouble. They are neck-deep in their reality and they don’t even know it, choosing instead to live in denial of their current situation. They are living unaware of the waters in which they swim. Isaiah chapters 9-24 are filled with oracles of the judgment of God against every empire based upon their own pompous pride. Every empire crumbles in the wake of God’s judgment. But judgment is not God’s ultimate posture toward humanity. During the judgment, the song of the humble and the song of the grateful remains as God swallows up all death and destruction in his reign. And in its place a great heavenly banquet is established.
THE MAIN THOUGHT keep this in mind as you facilitate discussion.
Every empire built on pompous human pride will crumble, but the song of the humble and the grateful remains.
SEE IT – Questions 10-15 minutes
Picture (What is the story saying?): What empires have you seen crumble in your lifetime? (Think world powers, companies or even religious institutions.) How did people in those empires react when the empire crumbled? What common realities were part of each empire crumbling? What is the difference between a house built on a rock or a house built on the sand when the flood comes according to Matthew 7:24-27? (Read Matthew 7:24-27 together.)
Mirror (Where am I in the story?): How can you live humbly and grateful during the flood? How can you anchor your life today in the coming restoration and redemption of God? How does the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus speak to every reality of our lives? What might it look like to anticipate that resurrection today?
Window (How does the story change how I see those around me?): What are the greatest fears right now in your family, community, neighborhood, workplace, etc.? What would it look like for you to demonstrate quiet confidence in God in those environments of crisis or unknown fears?
BE IT – Practice Which of these areas is God speaking to you about this week?
Change UP // Worship 5 minutes
Replay the song “It is Well” that we sang on Sunday as a response to Jon’s message with your group. Set the environment for your group to hear the song by inviting them into a posture of worship. Have your group name a few of their troubles to God, and then invite them to open their hands as a posture of surrender while the song is being played. After your group listens to the song, encourage individuals to speak out their emotions and reflections from this exercise.
Change IN // Word 15 minutes
Invite your group to read out passages of Scripture that have encouraged them amid desperate moments of their lives. Encourage each person to pick one passage of Scripture to read to the group as a statement of belief in the coming restoration of God. As a leader you may want to write down a few passages to pass out to the group to read for those in who may be struggling to come up with a passage on their own.
Change OUT // Wonder 10 minutes
As Christians, we believe that the resurrection of Jesus points us to the reality that God is present, restoring and renewing all things. This is the defining miracle, or wonder, of all human history. In just a few weeks we will be celebrating this ultimate reality together on Easter morning. So, take some time this week to think through who you might invite to join us in this celebration. Use the next few weeks to find ways of inviting people to our Easter services.
CLOSING PRAYER 5 minutes
Take a few minutes to gather any prayer requests and pray for each other to SEE IT and BE IT this week.