Categories
5c Five

Danger and Duty

In this passage Jesus teaches his disciples principles that are entwined in the Lord’s Prayer. He discloses to them the plain truth and power of every soul which is surrendered to him, as well as the dangers and duty of our position in Christ.

Audio: coming soon


Section 117c | Four Lessons on Discipleship

Luke 17:1-10
1 He said to the disciples,1 “It is impossible2 that no occasions of stumbling3 should come, but woe to him through whom they come!4¯5 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.6 4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”7 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”8  6 The Lord said,“If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree,9 ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7 But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’ 8 and will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not. 10 Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’ ”10


Group Dialog:

  1. How well have you headed the four lessons for disciples: faithfulness, forgiveness, authority, and duty?
  2. What temptations have weakened and undone your own life and the ministries, churches, friends you’ve known? What potential do you see in them? What then can or should be done?
  3. How are you measuring up as His disciple? What changes do you need to make? Do you need certain freedom from any bondage, authority over any temptation, or reconciliation with Christ or a neighbor? What areas of your life need to be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ?
  4. How has God particularly equipped you to carry out the duty of every disciple?

Learning Objectives: Love, forgiveness, Lordship, surrender, spiritual authority, faithfulness, Christian duty.

Study Notes:

Categories
Five

You’ve Heard it Said

Week 43 | Section 54e

You've Heard it SaidGod is love, God accepts us as we are, God’s grace is sufficient to blot out all our sins, and yet in the third section of the “sermon on the mount” Jesus raises the bar on righteousness and gets to the heart of the matter – our attitude and intention. The roots of sin are of equal concern as the actions which they produce and of greater importance still is the signs of grace and truth at work in and through us.


Scriptures:

Matthew 5:21-48
21 “You have heard that it was said1¯2 to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’3 and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’4 shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.5¯6 23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly,7 while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny. 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’8 28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.9 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.10 31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’ 32 but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’11 34 but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’12 39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. 41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.
[one_half last=”no”]43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

 

 

 

 

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]Luke 6:27-30, 32-36
27 “But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.13 36 “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.[/one_half]


Group Dialog:

  1. Why does Jesus demand a righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and the Pharisees. What is the difference he desires?
  2. Which of the themes is most challenging for you?
  3. Why do people camouflage their sinfulness? How might acceptance of grace change this pattern in a person? (Acts 10:43) Why should grace change how we treat one another?
  4. What virtues does your culture value most? What perception undermines its birth, growth, and fortitude?
  5. Are faithfulness, forgiveness, purity, integrity, and love evident in your life?
  6. What is your motivation for how you live? How does the Gospel and the finished work of Christ affect your thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and relationships?

Learning Objectives: cleave to the righteousness of Christ and His finished work on the cross, be renewing your mind, abandon all forms of sin, hell, justification, integrity, holiness, forgiveness, sanctification, character. mercy, love.


Image: The bleeding heart (dicentra spectabilis), they are a lovely flower. Here are a few gardening tips.  Its a perfect image conveying the importance of the attitude and condition of our heart, not just the appearance of our outward actions and words from our lips.


Study Notes:

Categories
Three

Forgiving & Healing of a Paralytic

Week 32, Section 46

Summary: This week we step into the room where a crowd had gathered around Jesus to hear him teach. Over the past few months Jesus has gained many followers and disciples so many that on this day some very determined friends chose to tear open the room in order to place their friend at the feet of Jesus.  This is the kind of story that challenges me, making me ask, ‘what extent am I going to bring those in need to Jesus?’

Harmony Bible Radio

Matthew Mark Luke John
1 He entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city. 2 Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you. 3 Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.” 4 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5  For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’ 6  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins-” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.” 7 He arose and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. 1 When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. 2 Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. 3 Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. 4 When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. 5 Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 6 But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 9  Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ 10  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11  “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” 12 He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” 17 On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. 18 Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus. 19 Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” 22 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts? 23  Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you;’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’ 24  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (he said to the paralyzed man), “I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house.” 25 Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God. 26 Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today.” No Record Provided

** Our online text is from the World English Bible, rights to use this format are granted by Michael Johnson. If you would like to obtain a copy of Thomas & Gundry’s Harmony of the Gospels (NIV) in our exclusive letter-size, loose-leaf PDF, then please contact us via email or phone.    

Study Notes:

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Watch 2 minute clip
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EyoVqtIG5yk

Song:  Healer, Hillsong 
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EyoVqtIG5yk?rel=0