September 22, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are those Who Mourn

September 22, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are those Who Mourn

The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - 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.”

Blessed Are those Who Mourn

•       Matthew 5:4

Who is blessed?

How will they be blessed?

In your opinion, why is comforting an appropriate blessing for those who mourn?

Ezra 9:1-6

Who came to Ezra?

What were the people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, not doing?

How are they mingling the holy race with the peoples around them?

Who led the way to the mingling?

What was Ezra’s response?

In your opinion, why did he respond in this way?

Who gathered together with Ezra?

In your opinion, why would Ezra wait until the evening sacrifice before he did anything?

At the time of the evening sacrifice, what did Ezra do?

What In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:4?

         James 4:1-10

What causes fights and quarrels?

Why don’t we get what we ask for?

In your opinion, what are the right motives?

If we are friendly with the world, what does that mean to our relationship with God?

How are we to respond to God?

What initiative are we to take with the devil?

How will the devil respond?

How do we come near to God:

            As sinners?

            As double-minded?

In your opinion, what does grieving, mourning and wailing have to do with coming near to God?

How does God respond if we humble ourselves before Him?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:4?

 

     Colossians 2:1-5 (Comforted is from the Geek word “parakaleo (par-ak-al-eh’-o)” which is a complex word that is translated into the King James as: besought, beseech, exhort, comforted, comfort, desired, pray, exhorting, beseeching, comforteth, desiring, entreat, exhortation, exhorted, prayed, called, desiredst, entreated, and exhorteth.

What is Paul (the author) doing for the Colossians, the Laodiceans, and for all who have not met him personally?

Why does Paul want them to be encouraged in heart, united in love, and having the full riches of complete understanding?

In your opinion, why would the Greek word “parakaleo” be translated as “comforted” in the King James and “encouraged in heart” in the NIV?

What is hidden in Christ?

What does Paul want the treasures of wisdom and knowledge to protect us from?

What is Paul delighted to see about the Colossians?

In your opinion, how is “comforted” or “encouraged in heart” related to discipline and firm faith?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:4?

            So, what do these passages lead us to understand about the Great Commission?

So, what components of the Great Commission does this illustrate?

                              1)  Jesus

               2) All authority in heaven and on earth

               3) Go and make disciples

               4) Baptize them

               5) Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

               6) Teaching them to obey everything

               7) I am with you always

               8) All Nations

               9) Obey Commandments

Next, back to Matthew 5:5-?  -  (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 15, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

September 15, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - 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.”

Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit

Matthew 5:1-3
Who did Jesus see?

Where did Jesus go?

Who came to Jesus?

What did Jesus do?

How does each Beatitude start out?

Who are the first to be Blessed?

How are they Blessed?

Blessed is from the Greek word “makarios (mak-ar’-ee-os)” and is found 49 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament.  In the King James Version is translated as blessed 43 times, happy 5 times and happier 1 time.  The Old Testament Hebrew word that is translated as blessed and is “esher (eh’-sher)” and it is translated as blessed 27 times and happy 18 times. 

Psalm 32:1-5 (which uses "esher")

How does the Psalm begin?

Who does David, the Psalmist, say will be blessed?

How does the second verse begin?

Who does David indicate will be blessed this time?

What happened to David when he kept silent?

In your opinion, why did this happen?

What did David do to break away from the problems he had?

How did God respond?

In your opinion, does Matthew deliberately pattern the Beatitudes after the beginning of this Psalm?

In your opinion, was David’s recognition and confession of his sins what Matthew had in mind with the “poor in spirit” Beatitude?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

James 1:12-18

With what word does this passage begin?

In your opinion, could James be linking what he is about to say with Psalm 32 and the Beatitudes?

Who does James say is blessed?

What is the blessing that they are to receive?

What is the source of temptation?

What are the steps between evil desire and death?

Where does “every good and perfect gift” (NIV) come from?

Through what did God chose to give us birth?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

Isaiah 57:14-21

For who are the road to be prepared and the obstacles removed?

Who says that He lives “in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit” (NIV)?

What is He going to do for the spirit of the lowly?

What is He going to do for the heart of the contrite?

What is He not going to do to the lowly and contrite forever?

What enraged Him about the people?

Even though He was enraged and saw their ways, what will He do for the lowly and contrite?

How are the wicked described?

In your opinion, what is the difference between those who will be healed and the wicked, for whom “There is no peace” (NIV)?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

Galatians 4:8-9

What were the Galatians like before?

What are the Galatians to whom this letter is addressed turning back to?

Who does Paul ask if the Galatians want to be “enslaved by” (NIV) all over again?

The Greek word translated as “poor” in Matthew 5:3 is “ptochos (pto-khos’) and is translated here are “beggarly” in the King James Version and “miserable” in the NIV.

In your opinion, what is the connection between or the contrast of the poor who are blessed in Matthew 5:3 and the miserable in Galatians 4:9?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 5:1-3?

So, what do these passages lead us to understand about the Great Commission?

So, what components of the Great Commission does this illustrate?

               1)  Jesus

               2) All authority in heaven and on earth

               3) Go and make disciples

               4) Baptize them

               5) Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

               6) Teaching them to obey everything

               7) I am with you always

               8) All Nations

               9) Obey Commandments

Next, back to Matthew 5:4-?  -  (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 8, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew - Jesus Calls His First Disciples

September 8, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Jesus Calls His First Disciples

September 8, 2013 - The Great Commission - A Study of Matthew – Jesus Calls His First Disciples

The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew

Matthew 28 - 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.”

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

•       Matthew 4:18-25

Where did Jesus walk?

Who did He see?

What were they doing?

What did Jesus invite them to do?

In your opinion, is the invitation more effective because it was in terms that they were comfortable with?

In your opinion, does Jesus invite us in the same way?

How did Simon and Andrew respond to the invitation of Jesus?

What were James and John doing when Jesus saw them?

In your opinion, does Jesus see us at work?

When Jesus called James and John what did they do?

What three things did Jesus do throughout Galilee:

1)

2)

3)

In your opinion, why did news about Jesus spread all over Syria?

What did Jesus do for the people who were brought to him?

Where were the large crowds who followed Jesus from?

Isaiah 6:1-13

Who did Isaiah see?

What was He like?

What were the seraphim saying?

When the seraphim spoke what happened?

How did Isaiah respond to what he saw?

In your opinion, what caused him to respond in this way?

What did the seraphim do with the live coal taken from the alter?

What was the effect of the coal on Isaiah?

Whose voice did Isaiah hear?

What was the question that Isaiah heard?

How did Isaiah respond?

What message was Isaiah to give?

In your opinion, why would God give Isaiah a message of failure for the people?

How long is Isaiah to give this message?

In your opinion, what does the promise of the “holy seed will be the stump” (NIV) mean?

In your opinion, does God call people today?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 4:18-22?

         Romans 12:1-13

What has God shared with us that causes Paul to encourage the offering of our bodies to God?

How are our bodies to be offered?

What are we not to be conformed to?

How should we be transformed?

If we are transformed, what are we to be able to do?

In your opinion, what does it mean to “approve” (NIV) God’s will?

How are we to think of ourselves?

What do the many form in Christ?

What determines our different gifts?

In your opinion, what is the common thing that Paul says about how we should react to the gifts?

What must love be?

How are we to be devoted to one another?

What are our zeal and spiritual fervor to cause us to do?

How are we to hope?

How are we to deal with affliction?

How are we to pray?

In your opinion, what does it mean to “Practice hospitality” (NIV)?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about Matthew 4:18-22?

            So, what do these passages lead us to understand about the Great Commission?

So, what components of the Great Commission does this illustrate?

                              1)  Jesus

               2) All authority in heaven and on earth

               3) Go and make disciples

               4) Baptize them

               5) Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

               6) Teaching them to obey everything

               7) I am with you always

               8) All Nations

               9) Obey Commandments

Next, back to Matthew 5:1-?  -  (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)