October 19, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – From Signs to Sanctification

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.”

From Signs to Sanctification

Matthew 16:1-4 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

² He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.”

Why did the Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus (verse 1)?

What did they ask Jesus for (verse 1)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus reply by talking about forecasting the weather (verses 2 and 3)?

What does it mean for tomorrow’s weather if this evening’s sky is red (verse 2)?

What does it mean for today’s weather if this morning’s sky is red and overcast (verse 3)?

Who looks for a sign (verse 4)?

In your opinion, what does Jesus mean by “the sign of Jonah” (verse 4)?

In your opinion, why were all those who came to Jesus at the end of chapter 15 healed and fed, but the Pharisees and Sadducees that come to Jesus at the beginning of chapter 16 are met with a very critical response?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 16:1-4 show us about the Great Commission?

1 Kings 18:20-40 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ “So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. ²¹ Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

²² Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. ²³ Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ²⁴ Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

²⁵ Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” ²⁶ So they took the bull given them and prepared it.

Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. ²⁹ Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

³⁰ Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Your name shall be Israel.” ³² With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. ³³ He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, “Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood.”

³⁴ “Do it again,” he said, and they did it again.

“Do it a third time,” he ordered, and they did it the third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

³⁶ At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

⁴⁰ Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.”

Who did Ahab call to Mount Carmel (verse 20)?

What question did Elijah ask the people (verse 21)?

How many prophets of Baal were there in opposition to Elijah (verse 22)?

In your opinion, why is the challenge a fair challenge to Baal, a god of thunderstorms (verses 23 and 24)?

How will the winner of this contest be determined (verse 24)?

What additional advantage did Elijah give to the prophets of Baal (verse 25)?

When did the prophets of Baal begin calling to Baal (verse 26)?

In your opinion, why did Elijah begin to taunt the prophets of Baal at noon (verse 27)?

How did the prophets of Baal increase their intensity in the afternoon (verse 28)?

When did the prophets of Baal end their frantic activity (verse 29)?

In your opinion, why did Elijah begin by repairing the alter of the Lord, which had been torn down (verse 30)?

How many stones did Elijah use (verse 31)?

What did Elijah do when the alter was repaired (verse 32)?

When the wood and the bull were on the alter what did Elijah order (verse 33)?

How many times did he order it done (verse 34)?

How did Elijah know it was time to stop (verse 35)?

In your opinion, why did Elijah begin to pray “at the time of sacrifice” (verse 36)?

What did Elijah pray for (verse 36)?

How does Elijah want the people of Israel to respond (verse 37)?

What happened in response to Elijah’s prayer (verse 38)?

How did the people of Israel respond (verse 39)?

What happened to the prophets of Baal (verse 40)?

In your opinion, were the Pharisees and Sadducees of Matthew 16:1-4 requesting that Jesus do something like Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:20-40?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Kings show us about the Great Commission?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, ² not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. ³ Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

What is this passage concerning (verse 1)?

How are the readers to react to teaching that asserts the day of the Lord has already come (verse 2)?

What must happen before the day of the Lord comes (verse 3)?

Who will the man of lawlessness oppose (verse 4)?

In your opinion, why does Paul say “Don’t you remember” (verse 5)?

When will the man of lawlessness be revealed (verse 6)?

What is already at work (verse 7)?

How will the Lord Jesus overthrow the lawless one (verse 8)?

How will the Lord Jesus destroy the lawless one (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what does it mean that “the coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works” (verse 9)?

What will the man of lawlessness use (verse 9)?

Who is deceived by the “ways that wickedness deceives” (verse 10)?

Why do they perish (verse 10)?

What does God send them (verse 11)?

What have those who have not believed the truth delighted in (verse 12)?

In your opinion, how are the signs that the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 different from the fire of the Lord that fell and burned up the sacrifice in 1 Kings 18:20-40?

In your opinion, how would the Pharisees and Sadducees of Matthew 16:1-4 respond to the signs of the man of lawlessness described in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12?

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

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

² To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Who is writing (verse 1)?

Who is he writing to (verse 2)?

What blessing does he ask for (verse 3)?

Why does he thank God (verse 4)?

In your opinion, how are those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus “enriched in every way” (verse 5)?

What does this confirm (verse 6)?

Who do we “eagerly wait for” (verse 7)?

How will God keep us “to the end” (verse 8)?

Who called us into fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord (verse 9)?

In your opinion, how are “those sanctified in Christ Jesus” in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 differ from “those who are perishing” in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12?

In your opinion, how are those who are “called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 similar to Elijah as he stood up in confrontation with 450 prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:20-40?

In your opinion, how are those who “eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 different from the Pharisees and Sadducees who are requesting a sign from heaven of Matthew 16:1-4?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Corinthians show us about the Great Commission?

Next, back to Matthew 16:5 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)