Sunday, July 13, 2014

July 20, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Blaspheming the Spirit or Walking by the Spirit



Matthew 28:18-20 – 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.”

Blaspheming the Spirit or Walking by the Spirit

Matthew 12:22-37 – New International Version (NIV)
22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Who was brought to Jesus (verse 22)?

Who did the people who saw the healing think that Jesus might be (verse 23)?

Who did the Pharisees say that Jesus was (verse 24)?

In your opinion, can a kingdom divided against itself stand (verse 26)?

In your opinion, were the Pharisees’ people driving out any demons (verse 27)?

What has come if Jesus is driving out demons by the Spirit of God (verse 28)?

Why would you have to tie up a strong may to carry off his possessions (verse 29)?

What does Jesus say about that those who aren't with Him (verse 30)?

In your opinion, how is blasphemy against the Spirit different from “every kind of sin and slander” that causes it to be not forgivable (verse 31)?

When will those who speak a word against the Holy Spirit be not forgiven (verse 32)?

How are good and bad trees recognized (verse 33)?

What does the mouth speak (verse 34)?

Where does a good man bring good things from (verse 35)?

When will everyone have to account for every empty work (verse 36)?

How will words determine our fate (verse 37)?
In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 12:22-37 show us about the Great Commission?

2 Kings 1:1-8 New International Version (NIV)
“After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”
But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”
“A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’”
The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?”
They replied, “He had a garment of hair and had a leather belt around his waist.”
The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”
What happened to Israel after King Ahab died (verse 1)?
Who did King Ahaziah send messengers to after he injured himself (verse 2)?
Who did an angel of the Lord send to meet the messengers (verse 3)?
What question was he to ask them (verse 3)?
What prophecy is to be given to the messengers concerning King Ahaziah (verse 4)?
In your opinion, why did King Ahaziah ask “Why have you come back” (verse 5)?
What question did the King ask the messengers (verse 7)?
How did the messengers answer (verse 8)?
Who did the King identify the man as (verse 8)?
In your opinion, how does King Ahaziah’s action in 2 Kings 1:1-8 help us understand what Jesus said about blaspheming the Spirit in Matthew 12:22-37?
In your opinion, what does this passage from 2 Kings show us about the Great Commission?

Galatians 5:16-25 – New International Version (NIV)
16 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
What will not be gratified is we walk by the Spirit (verse 16)?
How are the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh related (verse 17)?
In your opinion, why would the person led by the Spirit not be under the law (verse 18)?
What word is used to describe the acts of the flesh (verse 19)?
Who will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (verse 21)?
What is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (verses 22 and 23)?
In your opinion, why is there no law against them?
Who has crucified “the flesh with its passions and desires” (verse 24)?
If we “live by the Spirit” who should we keep in step with (verse 25)?
In your opinion, how do verses 19, 20 and 21 in this passage from Galatians 5:16-25 help us to understand the actions of King Ahaziah in 2 Kings 1-8?
In your opinion, how does the discussion of the acts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-25 help us understand the statement that “a tree is recognized by its fruit” from Matthew 12:22-37?
In your opinion, what does this passage from Galatians show us about the Great Commission?
   
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 – New International Version (NIV)
“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
What does Paul not feel like he needs to write to the Thessalonians about (verse 1)?
Why does he feel that way (verse 2)?
When will destruction come upon people (verse 3)?
Why should the day not surprise the Thessalonian Christians (verse 4)?
In your opinion, what is the difference between children of the day and belonging to the night (verse 5)?
How should the children of the day be (verse 6)?
Since we belong to the day, what should we put on (verse 8)?
What did God appoint us to receive (verse 9)?
How are we to relate to each other (verse 10)?
In your opinion, how does our understanding increase if we consider the discussion about children of the light versus belonging to the night in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 and the fruits of the Spirit and the fruits of the flesh in Galatians 5:16-25 together?
In your opinion, what does the contrast between the children of the day and belonging to the darkness in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 help us understand the actions of King Ahaziah and the message of God through Elijah to him in 2 Kings 1:1-8?
In your opinion, how does the statement that “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” from 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 comfort us when we consider the blasphemy against the Spirit statement that “anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” in Matthew 12:15-21?
In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Thessalonians show us about the Great Commission?


Next, back to Matthew 12:38 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

No comments:

Post a Comment