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The book club is currently reading “The On-High Calling (volume 2)” by Theodore Austin-Sparks. Our next meeting is scheduled below via zoom, please reserve your time and pre-study the chapter.
What: Chapter 5 Download the book:
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Discussion Questions for Chapter 5
The Glory of God in Resurrection
1. Why did God have to set aside Old Israel and bring out the New Israel? Line 3-12
2. Why did God plan and arrange that Lazarus had to die? Line 18-26
3. Why did Jesus not to heal Lazarus immediately when Jesus learned that Lazarus was very sick about to die and waited another 4 days until he truly died? Line 27-44
4. Line 54: “That is a mark of Lord Jesus.” What does a mark mean? Do you have the similar mark on you? Line 45-54
5. How is the death of Lazarus connected to the old Israel? Line 55-60
6. Why did Jesus insist to go back to Judea area even Jewish people in Judea attempted to stone Jesus? (Line 65-83)
7. How did Bro. Sparks summarize Romans chapter 9-12 in relation to the death and resurrection of Lazarus? (Line 84-93)
8. Why does the Cross of Jesus Christ not cure the old man? Line 96-105
9. Since God does not cure our old man, how can we be changed into likeness of Christ? Line 112-136
Line 137-151:
10. What was Apostle Paul’s “successful secret” to bring the Gospel to Europe and built many churches there?
11. What is core value of Lazarus’ death and resurrection?
12. How can we apply the principle of the death and resurrection of Lazarus to our daily life?
Discussion Questions for Chapter 4
(xiii) The Shepherd of Israel
Please read John 10 prior to discussion
1. Who is the sheep and who is the shepherd? (p.30)
2. Did God forsake Israel? Why? Was he unfaithful to the covenant? Jer 31:3 (p.31)
3. How have we gone astray? (p.32)
4. What is the hard heart? (p.32-33)
5. What does “He leads the nucleus of His new flock” mean? (bottom p.33-34)
6. What is the OT principle? (p.34)
7. What are two marks of the sheep? (p.35-37)
8. What is the bond between the sheep and the shepherd? (p.38)
9. What area do you need to submit to Christ?
Discussion Questions for Chapter 3
Read line 3-20
- What is the background of the earthly Israel John 8 & 9 are talking about?
- What is the one marvelous truth which embraces all these things which Bro. Sparks is talking about? What does it have to do with the old and new Israel?
Read line 21-46
- Who is the new Israel? How will the thought of God be realized in Jesus?
- As a Christian or as a companion of Christ, how should we bear the name of Christ?
Read line 47-65
- In what way did God intend to use Israel? How did they fail?
Read 66-95
- How did Jesus take up the thought of God that was intended to be realized in Israel?
- John 8:36 states that “If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” How can we realize this?
Read 96-139
- What are the companions of Christ supposed to be like?
- What is the characteristic of the beginning of a true companion of Jesus Christ?
Read 140-185
- According to Bro. Sparks, what is the purpose of the wiles of the devil? How will the devil rob you of the light that you have?
- What is the significance of the Day of Pentecost in receiving spiritual light?
- How can we be a companions of Jesus with respect to having spiritual light?
Discussion Questions for Chapter 2
Review:
| The Story | Jewish Background | The Spiritual Background |
| (1) The Foundation of All – the Lamb of God | Passover lamb; sacrifices of lambs | Jesus, THE Lamb of God; the Lord’s Table |
| (2) The Closed and the Opened Heaven | Closed heaven – no way to enter into the presence of God | Open heaven – by the blood of Jesus; Jesus is the way. |
| (3) The Marriage Failure and Resurrection | Marriage covenant Passover; Israel violated terms of the covenant of marriage with Jehovah | The salvation of the marriage relationship between God and His people is in Jesus only. |
| (4) The Temple of God – Temporal and Spiritual | Temple in Jerusalem represented everything | Jesus the temple of the new dispensation; In Christ men will come into touch with God for worship |
| (5) The True Seed of Abraham | Natural seed of Abraham (flesh) | Born again sons of God (Spirit) |
(6) The Serpent, the Curse: Jesus Lifted Up
Read lines 1-40
1. What’s the story of John 3:14-15?
2. What’s the Jewish background? (and how does this compare to the Jews in Christ’s day?)
3. What is the Spiritual background? (How is the manna a type of Christ? What does the serpent represent? And how does the serpent lifted up in the wilderness save the Israelites then? How does Christ on the cross save us?)
4. What is our response?
(7) The Opened Way to the Springing Well
Read lines 41-61
5. What’s the story of John 4:1-42?
6. What’s the Jewish background?
7. What is the Spiritual background?
8. What is our response?
(8) The Word of Life and the Law of Death
Read lines 62-89
9. What’s the story of John 4:46-54? (Why did Jesus not go to Capernaum to heal the nobleman’s son?)
10. What is the Jewish background?
11. What is the Spiritual background?
12. What is our response?
(9) The Release from the Bondage to Self
Read lines 90-126
13. What’s the story of John 5:1-9?
14. What’s the Jewish background?
15. What is the Spiritual background?
16. What is our response? (What’s the secret to the release from the bondage to self?)
(10) The Miracle and the Mystery of Heavenly Sustenance
Read lines 127-148
17. What’s the story of John 6?
18. What’s the Jewish background?
19. What is the Spiritual background?
20. What is our response?
(11) All Sacrifices and Offerings Fulfilled
Read lines 150-187
21. What’s the story of John 7:1,2,14,37-39?
22. What’s the Jewish background?
23. What is the Spiritual background?
24. What is our response?
Discussion Questions for Chapter 1. The Foundation of All – the Lamb of God, etc.
Read lines 1-16
1. What is the all-governing truth in our dispensation as to what God is concerned with?
2. How did God repeat the laws of the old Israel in a spiritual way to form New Israel? Line 6
3. What are two things Brother Sparks who mentions in the Gospel according to John? Which one was brought to the front? Line 13-15
Read lines 17-33
4. What are the similarities between John Gospel and the Letter to the Hebrews?
5. Why do these two books have the similarities?
Read lines 34-57
6. Why was the whole Jewish system built around the Passover lamb? Line 38
7. Why is the Lamb of God also the foundation of whole Christian life? Line 46
8. If you go to the different congregations or different denominations of Christian assemblies, but you might find one thing the same which would be __________________. Line 50-53
Read lines 58-80
9. Why was the one characteristic of the Old testament Jewish system a closed Heaven? Line 68
Read lines 81-93
10. How was the Heaven opened in new dispensation? What is the result when the heaven was opened? Line 81-93
Read lines 94-121
11. What was the Jewish background behind the wedding of Cana?
12. What is the significance of Jesus turning water into wine?
13. When Israel failed God’s purpose, what was reaction of God? Line 120-121
Read lines 122-152
14. Why did Jesus say to Jewish people “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” in John 2:19?
Read lines 153-176
15. Why did Paul say not all who are descended from Abraham are Israelites? (Rom. 9:6-8)