February 16, 2014 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Judging and Beyond

February 16, 2014 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Judging and Beyond

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.”

Judging and Beyond

Matthew 7:1-12 - New International Version (NIV)

¹“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will                 be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may                     trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened               to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who                         knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

What are we not to do (verse 1)?

What is the consequence if we do what we aren’t supposed to (verse 1)?

What is the standard that will be used if we do what we aren’t supposed to (verse 2)?

In your opinion, why is this standard fair?

In your opinion, why is this standard scary and hard?

Where is the irony in the discussion about specks and planks (verse 3)?

Which will interfere with vision the most, the speck in the brother’s eye or the plank in your own eye (verse 4)?

In your opinion, why is the person with the plank described as a hypocrite (verse 5)?

What is the correct order of removal (verse 5)?

In your opinion, why does Jesus follow the statement on judging with the discussion about specks and planks?

Why aren’t we to give what is sacred to dogs and pearls to pigs (verse 6)?

In your opinion, is it significant that this follows a discussion about judging?

What will happen if we ask (verse 7)?

What will happen if we seek (verse 7)?

What will happen if we knock (verse 7)?

In your opinion, why does verse 8 repeat the promises of verse 7?

In your opinion, what is the point that the questions in verse 9 and 10 is trying to make?

How are human parents and the Heavenly Father compared in verse 11?

In your opinion, what does this comparison teach us about the way God answers prayer?

How is the Law and the Prophets summed up (verse 12)?

In your opinion, why is this summary located after a discussion about judging and prayer?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 7:1-12 show us about the Great Commission?

2 Samuel 9:1-13 - New International Version (NIV)

“David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for              Jonathan’s sake?”

² Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear                 before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

“At your service,” he replied.

³ The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show                       God’s kindness?”

Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”

⁴ “Where is he?” the king asked.

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

⁵ So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

⁶ When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to                   pay him honor.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

“At your service,” he replied.

⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of                 your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul,             and you will always eat at my table.”

⁸ Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead               dog like me?”

⁹ Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰ You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹ Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his             servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.

¹² Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household                     were servants of Mephibosheth. ¹³ And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always               ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.”

Who did King David ask about (verse 1)?

How does King David want to treat them (verse 1)?

In your opinion, why would King David want to treat them this way?

Who was summoned to appear before King David (verse 2)?

Whose name is given to King David when he asks “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” (verse3)?

What is distinctive about this person (verse 3)?

How did Mephibosheth “the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul” show honor to King David (verse 6)?

In your opinion, why would King David begin his discussion with Mephibosheth by saying “Don’t be afraid" (verse 7)?

Why did King David say that he was restoring to Mephibosheth the land that belonged to his grandfather, Saul (verse 7)?

What instructions did King David give to Ziba, Saul’s steward (verses 9 and 10)?

How did Mephibosheth eat at King David’s table (verse 11)?

Why did Mephibosheth live in Jerusalem (verse 13)?

In your opinion, how do King David’s actions illustrate Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 7 about “do to others what you would have them do to you”?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 2 Samuel teach us about Matthew 7:1-12?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 2 Samuel show us about the Great Commission?

Romans 13:8-14 – New International Version (NIV)

^8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

What debt is supposed to remain outstanding (verse 8)?

Why is that debt supposed to remain outstanding (verse 8)?

In your opinion, why would Paul say that we have a “continuing debt to love one another” (verse 8)?

In your opinion, how are the commandments “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” summed up in the command “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (verse 9)?

What does love not do (verse 10)?

What is love a fulfillment of (verse 10)?

In your opinion, how can the emotion of love be a fulfillment of the written commands of the law?

Why are we to “wake up” from our slumber (verse 11)?

What are we to put aside (verse 12)?

What are we to put on (verse 12)?

How are we to behave (verse 13)?

How are we to clothe ourselves (verse 14)

In your opinion, why does this discussion about clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ follow a discussion about love?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Romans teach us about Matthew 7:1-12?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Romans show us about the Great Commission?

Colossians 3:12-17 - New International Version (NIV)

^12” Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Who is this message for (verse 12)?

How are we (“God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved”) to clothe ourselves (verse 12)?

What specific instructions does Paul give in how to do this (verse 13)?

How is the way we are to forgive defined (verse 13)?

What is love to be “put over” (verse 14)?

In your opinion, how could love bind the virtues “all together in perfect unity” (verse 14)?

What is the message of Christ to do (verse 15)?

In your opinion, how do “psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” allow us to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom” (verse 16)?

How are we to do whatever we do “whether in word or deed” (verse 17)?

Do you think that Paul’s instruction to “do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” would help us be obedient to Jesus instruction about judging and doing to others that we read from Matthew 7?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Colossians teach us about Matthew 7:1-12?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Colossians show us about the Great Commission?

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