Suffering and
Rejoicing
Jeremiah 25:27-33 –
New International Version (NIV)
27 “Then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk and
vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword I will send among you.’ 28 But
if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink, tell them, ‘This is
what the Lord Almighty says: You
must drink it! 29 See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the
city that bears my Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go
unpunished, for I am calling down a sword on all who live on the earth,
declares the Lord Almighty.’
30 “Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:
“‘The
Lord will roar from on high;
he will thunder from his holy dwelling
and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
shout against all who live on the earth.
31 The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the Lord will bring charges against the nations;
he will bring judgment on all mankind
and put the wicked to the sword,’”
declares the Lord.
he will thunder from his holy dwelling
and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
shout against all who live on the earth.
31 The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the Lord will bring charges against the nations;
he will bring judgment on all mankind
and put the wicked to the sword,’”
declares the Lord.
32 This is what the Lord
Almighty says:
“Look!
Disaster is spreading
from nation to nation;
a mighty storm is rising
from the ends of the earth.”
from nation to nation;
a mighty storm is rising
from the ends of the earth.”
33 At that time those slain by the Lord will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the
other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like dung
lying on the ground.
Who tells them to “drink, get drunk and vomit” (verse 27)?
What is Jeremiah
to do ‘if they refuse to take the cup
from your hand and drink” (verse 28)?
Where is the Lord “beginning to bring disaster” (verse 29)?
Who is the Lord
Almighty calling down a sword on (verse 29)?
In your opinion,
why will the Lord “roar mightily against
his land” (verse 30)?
Who will the Lord
shout against (verse 30)?
What will the Lord
bring on all mankind (verse 31)?
Where is “a mighty storm rising” (verse 32)?
Where will “those slain by the Lord” be (verse 33)?
How will the slain
be “lying on the ground” (verse 33)?
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
Matthew 5:1-12 - New
International Version (NIV)
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside
and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to
teach them.
He
said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice
and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
What did Jesus do
when He saw the crowds (verse 1)?
What did Jesus begin to do (verse 2)?
Whose is “the kingdom of heaven” (verse 3)?
How will those who
mourn be blessed (verse 4)?
Who will “inherit the earth” (verse 5)?
In your opinion,
what does it mean to “hunger and thirst
for righteousness” (verse 6)?
How will the
merciful be blessed (verse 7)?
Who will see God (verse 8)?
What will be the
blessing of the peacemakers (verse 9)?
In your opinion,
why are those who are persecuted because of righteousness to have the kingdom
of heaven (verse 10)?
What are people
who are insulted, persecuted and have evil lies told about them because of
Jesus (verse 11)?
Why should we “rejoice and be glad” when we are
persecuted for Jesus (verse 12)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how are the people who
Jesus says are blessed in Matthew 5:1-12 different from the “mankind” that the Lord is bringing
judgment on in Jeremiah 25:27-33?
Ephesians 2:1-10 -
New International Version (NIV)
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and
sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of
this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at
work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among
them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its
desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But
because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made
us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace
you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and
seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in
order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his
grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no
one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
What was the condition of those Paul
was writing in to Ephesus (verse 1)?
Whose ways did the people in Ephesus
follow (verse 2)?
Who is at work “in those who are disobedient” (verse 2)?
What did they a gratify (verse 3)?
In your opinion, why were they “by nature deserving wrath” (verse 3)?
What is God rich in (verse 4)?
When were we made “alive in Christ” (verse 5)?
Where did God seat us (verse 6)?
When is God going to show “the incomparable riches of his grace”
(verse 7)?
In your opinion, what does it mean that
faith “is not from yourselves, it is the
gift of God” (verse 8)?
Why can no one boast (verse 9)?
What are we who are “God’s handiwork” created in Christ Jesus to do (verse 10)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, what does Paul’s
discussion about grace and faith in Ephesians 2:1-10 help us to understand
about those who Jesus says are blessed in Matthew 5:1-12?
In your opinion, how is the richness of
God’s mercy, shown by His making “us
alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” as Paul states
in Ephesians 2:1-10 become even more magnificent when we consider the totality
of the destruction that Jeremiah saw in Jeremiah 25:27-33?
1 Peter 4:12-19 –
New International Version (NIV)
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that
has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of
Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If
you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit
of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should
not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a
meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be
ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is
time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what
will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
“If
it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should
commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
What does Peter say we should not be surprised by (verse 12)?
Why should we rejoice (verse 13)?
When will we be overjoyed (verse 13)?
In your opinion, why are we blessed when
we are “insulted because of the name of
Christ” (verse 14)?
What should we not suffer as (verse 15)?
How should respond if we suffer as a
Christian (verse 16)?
What will begin with “God’s household” (verse 17)?
In your opinion, what will become of the
ungodly and the sinner (verses 18)?
What should those who suffer according to
God’s will do (verse 19)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, why
does Paul, who in Ephesians 2:1-10 makes it clear that we are saved by grace
through faith which is a gift of God, say we are created in “Christ Jesus to do good works” and
Peter, who in 1 Peter 4:12-19 makes it clear that if we “suffer according to God’s will” that we should not only commit
ourselves to God but also “continue to do
good”?
In your opinion, what does comparing the
blessings that are promised by Jesus if we are insulted, persecuted and have
people say false things about us because of Jesus in Matthew 5:1-12 and the
blessings promised by Peter in 1 Peter 4:12-19 when we are insulted “because of the name of Christ” help us
to understand about those blessings?
In your opinion, what
is the difference between the suffering in Jeremiah 25:27-33 when the prophet
is called to say “drink, get
drunk and vomit, and fall to rise no more because of the sword I will send
among you”
and the suffering as a Christian in 1 Peter 4:12-19?
In your opinion, what do these passages,
from Jeremiah, Matthew, Ephesians and 1 Peter show us about ourselves today?
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