Friday, June 10, 2016

June 19, 2016 – Teachings from the Rock – Suffering and Loving



Suffering and Loving

Psalms 34:12-18 – New International Version (NIV)
12 Whoever of you loves life
    and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

What should one who loves life and “desires to see many good days” do (verses 12 and 13)?

In your opinion, why is it important to not only “turn from evil” but to “do good” (verse 14)?

Who are the “eyes of the Lord” on (verse 15)?

How does the Lord react to “those who do evil” (verse 16)?

Who does the Lord hear when they cry out (verse 17)?

In your opinion, why is it important that the Lord is “close to the brokenhearted” (verse 18)?

Who does the Lord save (verse 18)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

John 13:31-38 - New International Version (NIV)
31 “When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”

Who is glorified when the “Son of Man is glorified” (verse 31)?
Who will God glorify “if God is glorified in him” (verse 32)?
How much longer will Jesus be with the disciples (verse 33)?
Will the disciples be able to go where Jesus goes (verse 33)?
What kind of command is “love one another” (verse 34)?
In your opinion, what does it mean to love each other “as I have loved you” (verse 34)?
How will everyone “know that you are my disciples” (verse 35)?
What did Simon Peter ask Jesus (verse 36)?
In your opinion, why did Jesus answer Peter by saying “where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later” (verse 36)?
What did Peter say he would do for Jesus (verse 37)?
How long will it take Peter to disown Jesus three times (verse 38)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, how does the instruction of Psalm 34:12-18 to “turn from evil and do good” gain richness when Jesus says in John 13:31-38 to “as I have loved you, so you must love one another”?

Romans 12:14-21 - New International Version (NIV)
14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Who does Paul say we should bless (verse 14)?
How should we respond to those who rejoice (verse 15)?
How should we respond to those who mourn (verse 15)?
In your opinion, why would being proud be an obstacle to associating with people of low position” (verse 16)?
What are we to do in the eyes of everyone (verse 17)?
In your opinion, why does Paul say “if it is possible” before he instructs us to “live at peace with everyone” (verse 18)?
What should we leave room for instead of taking revenge (verse 19)?
What does feeding a hungry enemy do to him (verse 20)?
How should we overcome evil (verse 21)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, how is the instruction of Jesus in John 13:31-38 to “as I have loved you, so you must love one another” given specifics by Paul in Romans 12:14-21?
In your opinion, how is the instruction of Psalms 34:12-18 to “turn from evil and do good” expanded on by Paul when he says in Romans 12:14-21 to “do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”?

1 Peter 3:8-16 – New International Version (NIV)
“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life
    and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
    they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Who should “be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble” (verse 8)?
How should evil be repaid (verse 9)?
What should those who love life keep their tongue from (verse 10)?
In your opinion, what does it mean to “turn from evil and do good” (verse 11)?
Who are the “eyes of the Lord” on (verse 12)?
Who is the “face of the Lord” against (verse 12)?
Who is blessed (verse 14)?
Who should we revere in our hearts (verse 15)?
What should we always be prepared for (verse 15)?
In your opinion, why would answering with “gentleness and respect” help us to keep a clear conscience (verses 15 and 16)?
Why should those who speak maliciously against us “be ashamed of their slander” (verse 16)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what do Paul in Romans 12:14-24 and Peter in 1 Peter 3:8-16 agree on in how Christians should react to evil?
In your opinion, how does Peter, in 1 Peter 3:8-16, show that he heard the “new command” of Jesus in John 13:31-38 to “love one another”?

In your opinion, how does Peter, who quotes most of Psalms 34:12-18 expand of the message on turning from evil and doing good in 1 Peter 3:8-16?
In your opinion, what do these passages, from Psalms, John, Romans and 1 Peter show us about ourselves today?


Next, back to Peter 3:17 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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