Introduction: Everyone's Reality
Before looking at the Bible, let’s first look at the reality around us. Our society is made up of a number of circles. The family circle, the neighbourhood circle, the circle at school and the circle at work. We are all aware of these circles in our lives. Who is inside (uchi) the circle and who is outside (soto)? Can I be in that circle or can I stay in this circle? Have you ever had such thoughts and worries? And it’s not as though everything is fine once we get accepted inside a circle. Given the reality, some people might prefer to stay on the outside.
What about you? Is there a circle in which you feel truly at home? Is there a circle you really want to be part of? Or, on the other hand, are you in a circle you are desperate to get out of? What does the Bible have to say to us about the reality of our lives?
Lesson 1
The reality of our lives in uchi and soto
Opening Questions
- Which “circles” are you part of?
- Are you conscious of the “circles” in your life? Are you familiar with any of the “concerns” that people have in the booklet?
- Are there any circles that you feel at home in, that you want to join, or that you want to leave?
The Bible describes a place where we can truly belong on the inside, always and forever.
Have a look at the verse on the cover of the uchi/soto booklet.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
The “house of the Lord” is the place where God dwells. It’s a place of security and acceptance.
- How does the author describe the house of the Lord?
- What is attractive to you about this “inside” (uchi) place?
Jesus Christ appears on page 6 of the booklet. Elsewhere in the Bible, we’re told that Jesus is “faithful over God’s house”. He holds the key and he keeps it secure. That’s because he is the “Son” and God is his “Father”. In these Bible studies, we’ll be learning what the Bible has to say about God and Jesus.
On the night before he was crucified (executed on a cross), Jesus spoke these words to his followers, including a man named Thomas.
“1 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:1-6
- Why do you think Jesus’ followers had troubled hearts at this time?
- What does Jesus say he is going to do?
- How could Jesus’ followers know the way to the Father’s house?
- What else can we learn about the Father’s house from these verses?
Concluding questions
- How do you feel about an “inside” (uchi) place like God’s house?
- What else would you like to know about it?
Footnotes
[1] Hebrews 3:6. The reference to Jesus holding the key is from Revelation 3:7, where, in context, the “key of David” refers back to the prophecy in Isaiah 22:22, indicating Jesus’ authority to make binding decisions (including about who is in and who is out) on behalf of the king. The reference to secure dwelling under Messiah’s protection is from Jeremiah 23:6.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.