Genesis Youth Group 9-21-08

Here is what we talked about last night in Genesis Youth Group!

Is God There?—Part 2: Justice

September 21^st 2008

Review from Last Week

Empiricism

God is…

What about the Size of the Universe????

How would you respond to the comment:

“We shouldn’t consider ourselves too important to God because he made us so small and surrounded us with a universe so big.”

Romans 11:33-36

How do you respond to this verse? Circle One

Comfort Uneasy Other ______________

If God exists we expect Him to be Spiritual, Smart, & Strong.

Is Justice Real??

Examples

Line Cutting & Scenario in a Coffee Shop

Is this scenario unjust? What would an empiricist say? Can only speak to emotions – not good or evil but pleasant or unpleasant.

Unpleasant feelings are “often a thermometer for something deeper going on”

“the guy in the coffee shop didn’t insult me. He said nothing about me. My feelings were not hurt. Yet something has gone WRONG.”

Is justice just a feeling? Where does this justice come from?

Martin Luther King Jr.

Feelings vs. Justice

If we say racism is wrong then we must say there is justice and injustice in this world. There must be good and evil.

Justice is usually against society, and changes society ex: Jesus, MLK jr. etc.

Justice is closer than what we can detect with our senses (outside) it is something we can detect on our inside.

So where does this SENSE of Justice come from??????

Options

A Justice Giver

We invented it- why would we expect it of others?

We Discovered it- ex: Cheating hurts others, corrupts society, and even makes us feel guilty. When we see someone else cheating we usually don’t think about how it would hurt society we just say that is wrong.

We expect those around us to live a certain way. We expect people not to take our save seats, we expect people

We expect people not to cut in line at lunch at school, we expect our friends not to gossip badly about us, we expect our girl friends or boy friends to be loyal to us and not cheat on us. We expect governments not to cause genocide and wipe out millions of people, we expect people to take care of the environment, on and on…

We expect it because we expect other people to have discovered the same justice that we have.

If there is a moral law that is pressing on everyone, then where does it come from?

Notes from Living with Questions by Dale Fincher

Thrive Youth Group 9-21-08

This week at Thrive HS youth we did a review of where we have been in the book of Hebrews this summer.

The Review can be found by Clicking Below
HEBREW SUMMARY NOTES FROM 9-21-08

Also we talked briefly about Hebrews 9:1-10 and the tabernacle. Here are the notes from that discussion...

Hebrews 9: 1-10 Explanation of Earthly Tabernacle

First Covenant – had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary

Holy Place --> Most Holy Place

Only the High Priest was allowed in Most Holy Place Only Once a Year Must Have Blood (for himself and the sins of the people)

Holy Spirit--> “the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning”

These original sacrifices could not clear the conscious of the Sinner/Offender

Simply “ceremonial washings” a covering until something better

Our New Home

Youth Group Pics 9-18

Sunday Night Youth Group September 14th!!!

Genesis MS Youth

Is God Religious?

Initial Thought… Yes No Maybe

What is your Darkness in your life?

Empiricism says that you the 5 senses is how you determine what is real

Do you think this empiricism is True to reality?

Yes No

God is
1) Not Bound by Place

2) Not Bound by Time

3) God is Spiritual

4) God is Stong & Smart

Do you feel like you have experienced God?

How?

Do you think it is possible to prove God’s existence?

What questions do you have about the existence of God?

Thrive HS Youth Group

Hebrews 8

“A New Covenant”

Review of Genesis 15:17

Genesis 14:17-20

Melchizedek is a priest in a different order,

Not a priest because of descendant but a Priest by Character. In the same way Christ is a Priest for us.

“Different Order”

Jesus’ Character 7:22-28

Lives forever, permanent priesthood, vs. 26, vs. 27 Does not need to offer sacrifices,

Chapter 8

All of Chapter 7 author is explaining the type of Priest now for the Main Point

Do you know how you know it is the MAIN POINT?

“we do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.”

What was the point of a High Priest? What was there job?

To offer gifts and sacrifices

So Jesus as a High Priest also must have something to offer.

A Sacrifice of a Different Order

Vs. 1-2 A Tabernacle Set up by God Not by Man

EXAMPLE Building Project at Orange

A Sanctuary of A DIFFERENT ORDER

Vs. 5-6

Jesus’ covenant is superior

Offers at a superior Sanctuary

Christ Serves in the True Sanctuary not a shadow of the True Sanctuary

Covenant with better promises

A prophecy of a DIFFERENT ORDER

Vs. 6- Leaves behind idea of priesthood, sanctuary and sacrifice for Mediator. History of the Bible and Covenant Lawsuit/Mediator form

vs. 8-12

Founded on Better promises Jeremiah 31:31-34

Why was a new Covenant Needed? Who was at Fault????

Who were to blame? – People

HISTORY:

Jeremiah wrote during the time of the Babylonian Exile- Exile was the result of people’s rejection of God—Fault was found with the people at this point and a promise of a NEW covenant was necessary

From Jeremiah’s Promise we see that EVERYONE from the least to the greatest falling under this new covenant would know their God directly

Vs. 12 “FOR I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

PROMISE OF RESTORATION

ASSURANCE

Hebrews Chapters 9-10 Show us that Jesus Sacrifice achieves this

The need for Priesthood, Sacrifices, and a Sanctuary are now Removed and opens up every “race and culture to draw near to God through Jesus.”

The New Covenant is “obsolete” and will soon disappear.

A Covenant of a DIFFERENT ORDER

So What?

Because of Jesus became a Perfect Priest of a Different Order and a Perfect Sacrifice of a Different Order we no longer need the Old Covenant of Sacrifice to atone for our Sins. Today we no longer see this.

Coincidence?? AD 70 end of the Sacrificial System. Jesus died in 33ish AD. Since the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 AD it has never been rebuilt nor have Sacrifices been brought back Despite the fact that most Jewish do not recognize Jesus as their savior???? How do you explain this phenomenon?

This New Covenant is now in effect and it can be seen in history!!!!!!!!!!

Because Jesus was a Priest of a Different Order we see the promise from Jeremiah coming about. Now we have access to God. He is in our Hearts and Minds!

We no longer need a sacrifice or a Priest to communicate with Him. Now we can talk to him at school or on the toilet or wherever! This is the most beautiful thing ever

We worship a living God.

Sunday Youth Group September 7th

If you missed youth group this past Sunday here are a few things we talked about...

Genesis Middle School...

Veracious Authority vs. Imperial Authority

Which Type of Authority would you be more likely to follow?

Which Type of Authority do you See God has in your Life?

How can what Holds Truth over your life Affect how you live?

Thrive High School...

We looked again at Hebrews in Chapter 7. We talked Jesus being the perfect sacrifice for our sins and how no other sacrifice before Jesus could atone for us. Sacrifices were always offered by imperfect priests from imperfect people. Ultimately we needed a perfect sacrifice to find attonement. This is found with a Priest that is "PERFECT in the order of Melchizedek"

We also looked at Genesis 15 and the Covenant that God originally "cut" with Abraham. This covenant is amazing because God (the king) not Abram (the servant) basically said if You Abram ever do not follow this covenant than let me be the one to be punished. God knew that we as humans could never follow a covenant so he put his own "life" on the line to back it up. In this light the sacrifice of Jesus is amazing!

If you missed this week you should ask some friends what you missed! It was a great topic.