December
7, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Old Order and New
Creations
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.”
Matthew 17:24-27 –
New International Version (NIV)
24 “After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the
collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your
teacher pay the temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” he replied.
When
Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think,
Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and
taxes—from their own children or from others?”
26 “From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But
so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take
the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin.
Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
Where
did Jesus and his disciples arrive at (verse 24)?
What
kind of tax collector came to Peter (verse
24)?
In
your opinion, why did Jesus ask Peter “From
whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes-from their own children
or from others” (verse 25)?
How did Peter answer that question (verse
26)?
How was Peter to come up with the
funds to pay the tax (verse 27)?
Whose taxes was Peter to pay (verse
27)?
In your opinion, what does this passage
from Matthew 17:24-27 show us about the Great Commission?
Daniel 3:1-30 - New
International Version (NIV)
1 “King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits
high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of
Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors,
advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial
officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So
the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and
all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of
every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon
as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all
kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King
Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and
worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn,
flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples
of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar
had set up.
8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the
Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live
forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who
hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of
music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that
whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But
there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of
Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your
Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have
set up.”
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and
Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that
you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now
when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all
kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made,
very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a
blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King
Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If
we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us
from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But
even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve
your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated
seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the
strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and
throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing
their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into
the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and
the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly
tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and
asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the
fire?”
They
replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire,
unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing
furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High
God, come out! Come here!”
So
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the
satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw
that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads
singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They
trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their
lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore
I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the
God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be
turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the
province of Babylon.”
What did King
Nebuchadnezzar make (verse 1)?
Who did he summon (verse 2)?
How were people to react to the “sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre,
harp, pipe and all kinds of music” (verse 5)?
Who was to be thrown into the blazing
furnace (verse 6)?
In your opinion, why did the astrologers
denounce the Jews (verse 8)?
How did Nebuchadnezzar react (verse 13)?
In your opinion, why did Nebuchadnezzar
ask “Then what god will be able to rescue
your from my hand” (verse 15)?
Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego feel
the need to defend themselves (verse 16)?
Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego think
that God could rescue them (verse 17)?
Would Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have
worshipped the image of gold even if God did not save them (verse 18)?
In your opinion, why did King
Nebuchadnezzar’s attitude change (verse 19)?
What happened to the soldiers who threw
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the furnace (verse 22)?
How many people did King Nebuchadnezzar
see in the furnace (verse 25)?
What did King Nebuchadnezzar shout into
the furnace (verse 26)?
Was there any sign that the fire had affected
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (verse 27)?
Who did King Nebuchadnezzar praise (verse
28)?
Why did King Nebuchadnezzar issue a decree
that no one could “say anything against the
God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” (verse 29)?
What did King Nebuchadnezzar do to
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (verse 30)?
In your opinion, why would Jesus, who said
“so that we may not cause offense” in
Matthew 17:24-27 have agreed with the stand that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
took in Daniel 3:1-30 that offended King Nebuchadnezzar?
In your opinion, what does this passage
from Daniel show us about the Great Commission?
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
– New
International Version (NIV)
11 “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to
persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to
your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to
you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you
can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the
heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for
God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For
Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and
therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was
raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.
Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is
here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself
through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins
against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We
are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal
through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God
made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.”
Why did Paul say
he tried to persuade others (verse 11)?
Who was Paul trying to give the
Corinthians the ability to answer (verse 12)?
What compelled Paul (verse 14)?
In your opinion, why should those who live;
live for “him who died for them and was
raised again” (verse 15)?
How did Paul once regard Jesus (verse 16)?
What has come “if anyone is in Christ” (verse 17)?
What did God “who reconciled us to himself through Christ” give us (verse 18)?
What did God not count (verse 19)?
In your opinion, why did Paul say we are “Christ’s ambassadors” (verse 20)?
Why did God make “him who had no sin to be sin for us” (verse 22)?
In your opinion, how did Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego who took a stand against worshipping the image in Daniel 3:1-30
work as an ambassador to Christ to reconcile the world to God as Paul discussed
in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21?
In your opinion, how does Jesus, who began
to reveal himself when refused to create an offense and paid the temple tax
through Peter and the fish in Matthew 17:24-27 become more completely revealed to
us as the one who removes offenses by Paul who says that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21?
In your opinion, what does this passage
from 2 Corinthians show us about the Great Commission?
Revelation 21:1-7 – New International Version (NIV)
1 “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I
saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now
among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe
every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying
or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making
everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are
trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from
the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious
will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”
What did John see (verse 1)?
Who was “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God”
as (verse 2)?
Where is God’s dwelling place (verse 3)?
What will God do (verse 4)?
In your opinion, why has “the old order of things” passed away (verse
4)?
Who said “I am making everything new” (verse 5)?
What will the thirsty receive “without cost” (verse 6)?
Who will the victorious be to God (verse 7)?
In your opinion, what is the difference
between the “new creation” that Paul
was talking about in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 and “a new heaven and a new earth” that John talks about in Revelation
21:1-7?
In your opinion, how does the discernment
and stance that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrate in Daniel 3:1-30
help us understand what is will be to be “victorious”
and “inherit all this” in Revelation
21:1-7?
In your opinion, how does knowing that Jesus
was looking forward to the time that “God’s
dwelling place is now among the people” in Revelation 21:1-17 help us understand
why He seemed to feel it was unnecessary, except for the offense it would
create, to pay a tax for the temple maintenance in Matthew 17:24-27?
In your opinion, what does this passage
from Revelation show us about the Great Commission?
Next, back to Matthew 18:1 –
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