October 6, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

October 6, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

October 6, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

•       Matthew 5:6

Who is blessed?

How will they be blessed?

In your opinion, what will they be filled with?

Psalm 42

Why would a deer pant for streams of water?

In your opinion, why would a soul pant for God in that way?

In your opinion, is it appropriate for a soul to thirst for God?

What is the question that people are asking the psalmist?

In your opinion, what does it say about the psalmist that this question would be ask of him?

How does remembering the house of God and shouts of joy and praise and a festive throng make the psalmist seem even more forlorn?

In your opinion, how does putting hope in God and anticipating praising God begin to move the psalmist from being forlorn?

In your opinion, what does “deep calls to deep” (NIV) mean?

What does verse 8 say that the psalmist recognizes is happening, even while feeling forlorn?

Even though bad things are happening in verses 9 and 10, where does the psalmist end up?

What In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:6?

     Isaiah 55:1-9

Who is supposed to come?

In your opinion, what is meant by buying wine and milk without money and without cost?

What are the hungry and thirsty to do to eat what is good and delight in the richest of fare?

What are the hungry and thirsty to do to live and have an everlasting covenant?

Who does verse 6 indicate that the hungry and thirsty should seek and call on?

In your opinion, what do the wicked and unrighteous of verse 7 have in common with the hungry and thirsty?

What do the wicked and unrighteous have to do to receive God’s mercy and pardon?

In your opinion, why does God have Isaiah contrast and compare His Thoughts and our thoughts?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:6?

     Titus 3:3-8

Titus is written to further the faith of God’s elect, but what does verse 3 indicate that God’s elect had in common?

How, or in what way, did God our Savior appear to us to save us?

Did our righteous acts contribute to our salvation?

What attribute of our Savior allowed our salvation?

In your opinion, why does Paul stress the washing of “rebirth and renewal” (NIV) by the Holy Spirit?

How is the Holy Spirit poured out on us?

Through what are we justified (made right with God)?

For what are we justified?

In your opinion, why are those who trusted in God to devote themselves to doing what is good?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:6?

            So, what do these passages lead us to understand about the Great Commission?

So, what components of the Great Commission does this illustrate?

                              1) Jesus

               2) All authority in heaven and on earth

               3) Go and make disciples

               4) Baptize them

               5) Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

               6) Teaching them to obey everything

               7) I am with you always

               8) All Nations

               9) Obey Commandments

Next, back to Matthew 5:7 - (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 29, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are the Meek

September 29, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are the Meek

The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Blessed Are the Meek

•       Matthew 5:5

Who is blessed?

How will they be blessed?

In your opinion, why is inheriting the earth an appropriate blessing for the meek?

Psalm 37:1-11

Why should we “not fret because of those who do evil or be envious of those who do wrong” (NIV)?

What are we to do “in the Lord” (NIV)?

If we “take delight in the Lord” (NIV) what will he give us?

If we commit our “way to the Lord; trust in him” (NIV) what will he do?

In your opinion, why is vindication mentioned in this promise?

In verse 7, what is contrasted with “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (NIV)?

In verse 8, what does fretting lead to?

In your opinion, what does verse 9 teach us about Matthew 5:5?

When will the wicked be no more?

What is the contrast found in verse 10 for the meek in verse 11?

What In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:5?

         1 Peter 3:8-12

1 Peter is written to God’s elect and what does verse 8 indicate that God’s elect are to do?

How would the strong of the world respond to evil?

How would the weak of the world respond to evil?

How does Peter instruct God’s elect to respond to evil?

In your opinion, why would Peter link this response to inheriting a blessing?

What is the negative or “Do Not” instruction of verse 10?

What is the positive or “Do” instruction of verse 11?

In your opinion, are the righteous of verse 12 those who comply with the instructions of verse 10 or verse 11?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:5?

     Revelation 21:1-8

What has happened to heaven and earth?

Who comes down from heaven?

What is the change that is described in verse 3?

What does verse 4 indicate that the change means?

Who says, “I am making everything new!” (NIV)?

In your opinion, what is the value of the “water without cost” (NIV) in verse 6?

What will the victorious inherit?

Who are the ones who aren’t victorious?

What will happen to them?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:5?

            So, what do these passages lead us to understand about the Great Commission?

So, what components of the Great Commission does this illustrate?

                              1) Jesus

               2) All authority in heaven and on earth

               3) Go and make disciples

               4) Baptize them

               5) Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

               6) Teaching them to obey everything

               7) I am with you always

               8) All Nations

               9) Obey Commandments

Next, back to Matthew 5:6 - (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 22, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are those Who Mourn

September 22, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are those Who Mourn

The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Blessed Are those Who Mourn

•       Matthew 5:4

Who is blessed?

How will they be blessed?

In your opinion, why is comforting an appropriate blessing for those who mourn?

Ezra 9:1-6

Who came to Ezra?

What were the people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, not doing?

How are they mingling the holy race with the peoples around them?

Who led the way to the mingling?

What was Ezra’s response?

In your opinion, why did he respond in this way?

Who gathered together with Ezra?

In your opinion, why would Ezra wait until the evening sacrifice before he did anything?

At the time of the evening sacrifice, what did Ezra do?

What In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:4?

         James 4:1-10

What causes fights and quarrels?

Why don’t we get what we ask for?

In your opinion, what are the right motives?

If we are friendly with the world, what does that mean to our relationship with God?

How are we to respond to God?

What initiative are we to take with the devil?

How will the devil respond?

How do we come near to God:

            As sinners?

            As double-minded?

In your opinion, what does grieving, mourning and wailing have to do with coming near to God?

How does God respond if we humble ourselves before Him?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:4?

 

     Colossians 2:1-5 (Comforted is from the Geek word “parakaleo (par-ak-al-eh’-o)” which is a complex word that is translated into the King James as: besought, beseech, exhort, comforted, comfort, desired, pray, exhorting, beseeching, comforteth, desiring, entreat, exhortation, exhorted, prayed, called, desiredst, entreated, and exhorteth.

What is Paul (the author) doing for the Colossians, the Laodiceans, and for all who have not met him personally?

Why does Paul want them to be encouraged in heart, united in love, and having the full riches of complete understanding?

In your opinion, why would the Greek word “parakaleo” be translated as “comforted” in the King James and “encouraged in heart” in the NIV?

What is hidden in Christ?

What does Paul want the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to protect us from?

What is Paul delighted to see about the Colossians?

In your opinion, how is “comforted” or “encouraged in heart” related to discipline and firm faith?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:4?

            So, what do these passages lead us to understand about the Great Commission?

So, what components of the Great Commission does this illustrate?

                              1)  Jesus

               2) All authority in heaven and on earth

               3) Go and make disciples

               4) Baptize them

               5) Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

               6) Teaching them to obey everything

               7) I am with you always

               8) All Nations

               9) Obey Commandments

Next, back to Matthew 5:5-?  -  (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 15, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

September 15, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

Matthew 5:1-3
Who did Jesus see?

Where did Jesus go?

Who came to Jesus?

What did Jesus do?

How does each Beatitude start out?

Who are the first to be Blessed?

How are they Blessed?

Blessed is from the Greek word “makarios (mak-ar’-ee-os)” and is found 49 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament.  In the King James Version is translated as blessed 43 times, happy 5 times and happier 1 time.  The Old Testament Hebrew word that is translated as blessed and is “esher (eh’-sher)” and it is translated as blessed 27 times and happy 18 times. 

Psalm 32:1-5 (which uses "esher")

How does the Psalm begin?

Who does David, the Psalmist, say will be blessed?

How does the second verse begin?

Who does David indicate will be blessed this time?

What happened to David when he kept silent?

In your opinion, why did this happen?

What did David do to break away from the problems he had?

How did God respond?

In your opinion, does Matthew deliberately pattern the Beatitudes after the beginning of this Psalm?

In your opinion, was David’s recognition and confession of his sins what Matthew had in mind with the “poor in spirit” Beatitude?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

James 1:12-18

With what word does this passage begin?

In your opinion, could James be linking what he is about to say with Psalm 32 and the Beatitudes?

Who does James say is blessed?

What is the blessing that they are to receive?

What is the source of temptation?

What are the steps between evil desire and death?

Where does “every good and perfect gift” (NIV) come from?

Through what did God chose to give us birth?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

Isaiah 57:14-21

For who are the road to be prepared and the obstacles removed?

Who says that He lives “in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit” (NIV)?

What is He going to do for the spirit of the lowly?

What is He going to do for the heart of the contrite?

What is He not going to do to the lowly and contrite forever?

What enraged Him about the people?

Even though He was enraged and saw their ways, what will He do for the lowly and contrite?

How are the wicked described?

In your opinion, what is the difference between those who will be healed and the wicked, for whom “There is no peace” (NIV)?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

Galatians 4:8-9

What were the Galatians like before?

What are the Galatians to whom this letter is addressed turning back to?

Who does Paul ask if the Galatians want to be “enslaved by” (NIV) all over again?

The Greek word translated as “poor” in Matthew 5:3 is “ptochos (pto-khos’) and is translated here are “beggarly” in the King James Version and “miserable” in the NIV.

In your opinion, what is the connection between or the contrast of the poor who are blessed in Matthew 5:3 and the miserable in Galatians 4:9?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

So, what do these passages lead us to understand about the Great Commission?

So, what components of the Great Commission does this illustrate?

               1)  Jesus

               2) All authority in heaven and on earth

               3) Go and make disciples

               4) Baptize them

               5) Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

               6) Teaching them to obey everything

               7) I am with you always

               8) All Nations

               9) Obey Commandments

Next, back to Matthew 5:4-?  -  (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)