Who Gets to Say?
- What single thing in the Sermon on the Mount has stood out to you most? What change in your life do you most want to make in light of the Jesus’ words in the sermon?
- Look up the following references to “authority” in Matthew’s Gospel and make some notes about the insight they give you regarding the role of authority and the ministry of Jesus. (pay attention to the surrounding context of each)
- Mt. 8:9 –
- Mt. 9:6 –
- Mt. 10:1 –
- Mt. 21:23-27 –
- Mt. 28:19 –
- What grants someone authority? Why did you choose the characteristics or items that you did?
- How in the Sermon on the Mount does Jesus demonstrate that He has the “legitimate position” to have authority even though He never explicitly claims His deity throughout his talk? (You might start with Mt. 5:11-12 just to get rolling)
- Take your answer to question #1 and write out an action plan for how you will make the change that you want to make.
- Change to be made
- Steps to be taken
- Who will hold me accountable?
- Pray for one another to move forward in this particular area of life. Also pray that each would respond to Jesus by bringing their lives more under His authority.
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The Kingdom Question: Where Will You Root Your Life?
Matthew 7:24-27
- This text contains the last words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. In your own words relate them to the Sermon on the Mount as whole.
- What is a disciple? Is there a difference between being a Christian and a disciple of Christ? Respond to this statement by Dallas Willard:
“I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would live my life if he were I. I am not necessarily learning to do everything he did, but I am learning how to do everything I do in the manner that he did all that he did.”
Think about one particular area or role in your life. Imagine how Jesus would act in it. How does what you imagine differ from how you act in that same area or role? - Read Luke 9:23-27. Explain vs. 26. Why is there such an emphasis on Jesus’ words? You might also look at Matthew 24:35 and John 12:47-50.
- Think about how a foundation relates to a house. What parallels can you draw to Jesus words as a foundation for building your life? Share a story of how building your life on something different led you down a wrong path. Share a story of how building on Jesus’ words enhanced your life.
- Read Luke 14:25-33. Summarize the main thrust of the text in your own words. What do you glean from the two illustrations in 28-33? What specifically will it cost you to build a tower with your life?
- Pray for one another to take seriously that there are only two alternatives for what you will build your life on and pray that each of you in the group will put Jesus words into practice.
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The Narrowness of the Kingdom Way (Part 2): The Non-Marks of a Disciple
Matthew 7:21-23
- How is this week’s text different from last week’s? If you were to summarize this text in a sentence what would you say?
- What is the Gospel? Do you think the church in America accurately communicates the Gospel? What about the Gospel do you think the church represents accurately? How do you think the American church fails at giving an accurate picture of the Gospel? When you share the Gospel with someone, what are you inviting them to?
- What are the marks of a true believer? What are marks we often mistake for true marks? Why do you think that we are prone to establish our own template for what a Christian is or isn’t?
- Read Matthew 13:24-30. What is the point of the parable? Explain what it means to say that “the kingdom of heaven is like” this parable. Who are represented in the parable by:
- the wheat –
- the weeds –
- the enemy –
- the sower -
- Read 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. How does Satan masquerade as an angel of light today? How do you determine whether you are observing a satanic counterfeit of the real thing?
- Read 1 John 2:3-6. Summarize this text in your own words. What are the implications of this text for our understanding of what it means to have a genuine interactive relationship with God?
- Pray for each other to obey Christ and show yourselves to be true believers.
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The Narrowness of the Kingdom Way (Part 1): The Marks of a Non-Disciple
Matthew 7:13-20
- As he is winding down the sermon, why do you think Jesus shares what he does in this text at this point in the discourse?
- When you think about the “kingdom way” being narrow, what things come to mind? What makes it narrow?
- What is the difference between a false teacher and someone who has wrong doctrine? Another way to ask this question is: Assuming that you have some false doctrinal beliefs, why are you not a false teacher?
- Read 2 Peter 2:1-22. How are false teachers described by Peter? What types of things do they do? Do you notice any parallels to any contemporary individuals or groups that we should be aware of and steer clear of?
- Read Jeremiah 23:15-18. What are these false prophets guilty of? Are there any modern day parallels that you can think of?
- Four ways of recognizing false teaching were mentioned. Is there anything that you would add to these? Why is it important to interpret the Bible in the context of community? Have you ever had your interpretation or understanding corrected because you checked it with the community? Tell about it.
- Why is it important to have a hierarchy of theology? What doctrines do you think would be on the top level? What are some lower level theological issues that we lift up higher than we ought?
- Pray for protection for our church, your family and your own spiritual life from false teachers. Pray for specific people to choose the “narrow” way.
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Let Your Theology Lead You
I sense the need to briefly remind those of us who believe in the sovereign care of a good, kind and righteous God to not lose sight of our theology as we labor both in and out of the public square. I have engaged lately in ideological issues that matter in the public square. We should not shrink from this, but we must carry our theology with us into the fray. A lot of what I am hearing these days stems more from fear and anxiety than from concern measured by a healthy confidence that the earth remains the footstool of the Great King. At least 297 times in the Bible God is referred to as “Sovereign Lord”. I think we should take notice especially when this idea is emphasized to such a degree in the text of Scripture. Our Father is the Lord of the markets, Lord of the Senate, Lord of the House, Lord of the White House and the Lord of our nation and any other for that matter. The acknowledgment or lack thereof on the part of others does not diminish His sovereign reign, it only diminishes the blessing and relationship those nations may benefit from.
Chicken Little was not a Christian and Christians need not be Chicken Littles. If the sky falls it will not fall apart from God’s will (Mt. 10:29). And if it falls we should not be among those who let the sky, the market or any other falling objects dictate their joy. A true believer acts as if God’s sovereignty is true. Right now many believers are acting as if the world, government and money are arbitrary, they are not. We are not left to the whims of anyone but to the conscientious care of Christ, “the author of our life”, “the bishop of our souls”. Instead of wringing your hands today, raise them in praise of his might and mercy, stimulate the economy by drinking a good latte, lift your leaders in prayer and rest in Jesus care for you.
A Glorious Father in a Great Kingdom
- To be sure it is cemented in your mind, write down how 7:7-12 fits in its context in the sermon.
- Read James 4:1-12. How does it parallel this sermon’s text? What was the central problem that James is dealing with in this text (especially the early part)?
- What do you think forms the basis of manipulation? Why do you think we are prone to manipulate people rather than trust God?
- How do you feel when you are manipulated by others? How do you manipulate others? Can you remember a time when you consciously chose to talk to God rather than yield to the temptation to manipulate? Share about it.
- What is the point of prayer? Why should you pray? Why would at least some of God’s gifts to you be dependent on you asking?
- Look up the following verses:
- Genesis 6:5; Ps. 51:5; Ephesians 2:3; Romans 5:12: what do these verses tell you about man’s condition?
- Genesis 1:26-28; 9:6; Psalm 8:4-5: what do these verses tell you about man’s nature?
- What are the implications of these two doctrines coexisting in human beings?
- Pray for each other to look to God and trust His workings in the world rather than manipulation.
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