Saturday, May 31, 2025

June 15, 2025 – A Study of Matthew – What are We Building

What are We Building

Ezekiel 13:8-16 – New International Version (NIV)

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LordMy hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.

10 “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord15 So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’

Why is the Sovereign Lord against the false prophets of Israel (verse 8)?

Who will the Lord’s hand be against (verse 9)?

What kind of wall do the false prophets build (verse 10)?

What do they cover the wall with (verse 10)?

Who is Ezekiel to tell that the wall “is going to fall” (verse 11)?

What will people ask “when the wall collapses” (verse 12)?

What will the Sovereign Lord unleash (verse 13)?

When will the false prophets “know that I am the Lord” (verse 14)?

What will be poured out “against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash” (verse 15)?

Who “saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace” (verse 16)?

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

In your opinion, what is revealed about the people in this passage by what they built?

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 rain, streams and wind not cause the house to fall (verse 25)?

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

What happened to the house built on sand when “the rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against” it (verse 27)?

How did the crowds react to Jesus as He finished the Sermon on the Mount (verse 28)?

How did Jesus teach (verse 29)?

Who did Jesus not teach like (verse 29)?

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

In your opinion, what is revealed about the people in this passage by what they built?

In your opinion, what do the false prophets of Ezekiel 13:8-16 and the foolish man in Matthew 7:24-29 have in common?

Acts 4:1-12 - New International Version (NIV)

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
    which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Who did “the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees” come up to while they were speaking to the people (verse 1)?

Why were they “greatly disturbed” (verse 2)?

What did they do to Peter and John (verse 3)?

How many men believed (verse 4)?

Where did “the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law” meet (verse 5)?

Who else was at the meeting (verse 6)?

What question did they ask Peter and John (verse 7)?

How was Peter filled (verse 8)?

What were they being “called to account” for (verse 9)?

How did Peter say “this man stands before you healed” (verse 10)?

What is Jesus (verse 11)?

Who is salvation found in (verse 12)?

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

In your opinion, what is revealed about the people in this passage by what they built?

In your opinion, where does the whitewashed wall of Ezekiel 13:8-16 show up in Acts 4:1-12?

In your opinion, where in Acts 4:1-12 do you see examples of building on the sand and building on the rock that Jesus talked about in Matthew 7:24-29?

1 Peter 2:4-10 - New International Version (NIV)

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Who is “rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him” (verse 4)?

What are those “like living stones” being built into (verse 5)?

Who “will never be put to shame” (verse 6)?

What has “become the cornerstone” to those who do not believe (verse 7)?

What does the stone do to those who do not believe (verse 8)?

Who is to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (verse 9)?

What are “you” (verse 10)?

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

In your opinion, what is revealed about the people in this passage by what they built?

In your opinion, why would the false prophets who built the whitewashed wall of Ezekiel 13:8-16 stumble over the cornerstone of 1 Peter 2:4-10?

In your opinion, what does 1 Peter 2:4-10 teach us about the rock that the wise man in Matthew 7:24-29 was building on?

In your opinion, how does 1 Peter 2:4-10 expand on his response to the “rulers and elders of the people” in Acts 4:1-12?

In your opinion, what do these Scriptures from Ezekiel, Matthew, Acts, and 1 Peter teach us about how to determine what is whitewashed wall and what is built on the cornerstone of Jesus?

In your opinion, how can we wisely build a rock solid “house” today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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