November 4, 2018 – Wisdom from Ecclesiastes and the Sermon on the Mount – Built for Action

Built for Action

Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 - New International Version (NIV)      

⁸ “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
    “Everything is meaningless!”

⁹ Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. ¹² Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

¹³ Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.
¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every hidden thing,
    whether it is good or evil.

What does the Teacher say is “meaningless” (verse 8)?

Who did the the Teacher impart knowledge to (verse 9)?

What did the Teacher search for (verse 10)?

In your opinion, how are the words of the wise “like goads” (verse 11)?

What does the Teacher say to “be warned” about (verse 12)?

What is the Teacher’s “conclusion of the matter” (verse 13)?

What will God do with every deed and every hidden thing (verse 14)?

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

Matthew 7:24-29 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹ because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Who is “like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (verse 24)?

Why did the house not fall even though “the rain come down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house” (verse 25)?

Who is “like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (verse 26)?

What happened to the foolish man’s house when “the rain come down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house” (verse 27)?

How did the crowds feel about Jesus teaching (verse 28)?

How did Jesus teach (verse 29)?

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

In your opinion, how do the Teacher’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 and the parable of Jesus recorded in Matthew 7:24-29 agree?

James 2:14-24 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

Who does James ask the question “can such faith save them” (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what changes if you say to someone “go in peace; keep warm and well fed” (verses 15 and 16)?

What is faith “if it is not accompanied by action” (verse 17)?

In your opinion, what is the difference between someone who says “you have faith; I have deeds” and James who says “I will show you my faith by my deeds” (verse 18)?

What do demons believe that causes them to shudder (verse 19)?

When was Abraham considered righteous (verse 20)?

What worked together to make Abraham’s faith complete (verse 22)?

When was it credited to Abraham “as righteousness” (verse 23)?

What must be added to faith so that someone is considered righteous (verse 24)?

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

In your opinion, how are the deeds the Teacher says God will bring into judgment in Ecclesiates 12:8-14 and the deeds James encourages in James 2:14-24 different?

In your opinion, how are James’s  description of the one with faith and without deeds and the one with faith and deeds in James 2:14-24 similar to Jesus descriptions of the wise man and the foolish man in Matthew 7:24-29?

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 – New International Version (NIV)

² We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ³ We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

When does Paul thank God for the Thessalonians (verse 2)?

What does Paul remember about the Thessalonians (verse 3)?

Who has God chosen (verse 4)?

How did the gospel come to the Thessolians (verse 5)?

In your opinion, how could the Thessalonian Christians have been able to welcome the message with joy when they were “in the midst of severe suffering” (verse 6)?

What did the Thessalonian Christians become (verse 7)?

What “rang out” from the Thessalonian Christians (verse 8)?

What did the Thessalonian Christians turn from idols to do (verse 9)?

Who rescues us from the coming wrath (verse 10)?

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

In your opinion, how is the Teacher’s statement that “God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” opposed by Paul’s message in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10?

In your opinion, how does 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 show us that Thessalonian Christians were wise and built their faith upon the rock as Jesus describes in Matthew 7:24-29?

In your opinion, how is the faith of Abraham that James described in James 2:14-24 similar to the faith of the Thessalonian Christians that Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Ecclesiastes, Matthew, James and 1 Thessalonians teach us about the difference between actions that are meaningless and actions that prove our faith?

In your opinion, how can our actions show God’s love?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)