Week 7 - Mutual Honor

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

   16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.”

   24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.     27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”

John 5:16-27

   26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me.

John 12:26

What does this passage have to say about honor?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) Jesus has recently performed a healing on the Sabbath (John 5:9-10).  Why does Jesus explain his relationship to God the Father (v. 17)?  What is the crowd’s reaction to this (v. 18)?  Do the Jews honor Jesus?  (Do they recognize who He is?)

2) How does Jesus honor God (v. 19)?  How does God choose to honor Jesus (v. 20)?  What does this indicate about the relationship between the Father and the Son?  Is one greater than the other — more worthy of honor (v. 23)?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

3) What honor does the Father give to the Son, in verses 21 and 22? How does entrusting someone with the most important work bestow honor upon him?  What do you recognize about someone, when you trust them with that kind of responsibility?

4) What is true about those who choose not to honor Christ (v. 23)?  Can someone rightly claim to “believe in God”, but not acknowledge Christ as Lord and admit his need for Him?  What does verse 24 promise to those who honor Christ (recognize who He is)?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

5) John 5:27 identifies Christ by what name?  Why is it important that Jesus is both the Son of God (fully God) but also the Son of Man (fully human)?  What essential act was Jesus capable of doing, because He was a man?  How does that enable us to receive the promise of verse 24?

6) John 12:26 extends an amazing promise.  God is worthy of all honor, but He chooses also to honor whom?  Does this promise apply to you?  Should you, as an athlete, care about being honored by God?  What benefit might this promise have for your team?  Is God’s blessing necessarily poured out in victories and recognition?  What does it mean for God to make your work successful?

FRIDAY — Discuss sport applications of honor, and pray together.

· Ask your athletes to briefly reflect on what they’ve learned about honor this week, and to repeat some of those things.  (Remind them of some of the Biblical truths about honor you’ve discussed, if necessary.)

· Ask your team, “Based on what we learned about honor this week...What does an honorable athlete do?”  Do not settle for vague answers; challenge your athletes to go beyond general qualities of an honorable athlete, and to determine what those qualities look like in action.

· Add the results to your team’s list of descriptions of the “honorable athlete”, and be sure the list is displayed somewhere that is constantly visible, as a reminder to the team.

· Pray together as a team.  Encourage your athletes to pray for your team’s growth in regard to the discipline of honor — especially in relation to some of the issues and challenges that you discussed together this week.  Challenge them to also ask for forgiveness, when applicable.  Give time for athletes to request prayer (regarding honor or anything else), and pray together.