October 12, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Compassion and Love

Matthew 28:18-20 – 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.”

Compassion and Love

Matthew 15:29-39 – New International Version (NIV)

²⁹ “Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. ³⁰ Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. ³¹ The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.

³² Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”

³³ His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”

³⁴ “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

³⁵ He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ³⁸ The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.”

What did Jesus do on the mountainside (verse 29)?

Who did the great crowds bring to Jesus (verse 30)?

Why were the people amazed (verse 31)?

Who did the people praise (verse 31)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus have compassion for the people (verse 32)?

How did the disciples respond to Jesus’s compassion (verse 33)?

What practical question did Jesus ask (verse 34)?

What did Jesus instruct the crowd to do (verse 35)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus not break the bread and the fish until after He had given thanks (verse 36)?

How much did the people eat (verse 37)?

What was left over when the people were fed (verse 37)?

How many ate (verse 38)?

What did Jesus do after He sent the crowd away (verse 39)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 15:29-39 show us about the Great Commission?

Hosea 2:13-23 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ “I will punish her for the days
    she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
    and went after her lovers,
    but me she forgot,”
declares the Lord.

¹⁴ “Therefore I am now going to allure her;
    I will lead her into the wilderness
    and speak tenderly to her.
¹⁵ There I will give her back her vineyards,
    and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth,
    as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

¹⁶ “In that day,” declares the Lord,
    “you will call me ‘my husband’;
    you will no longer call me ‘my master.’
¹⁷ I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;
    no longer will their names be invoked.
¹⁸ In that day I will make a covenant for them
    with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
    and the creatures that move along the ground.
Bow and sword and battle
    I will abolish from the land,
    so that all may lie down in safety.
¹⁹ I will betroth you to me forever;
    I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
    in love and compassion.
²⁰ I will betroth you in faithfulness,
    and you will acknowledge the Lord.

²¹ “In that day I will respond,”
    declares the Lord—
“I will respond to the skies,
    and they will respond to the earth;
²² and the earth will respond to the grain,
    the new wine and the olive oil,
    and they will respond to Jezreel.
²³ I will plant her for myself in the land;
    I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

What did Israel do that she will be punished for (verse 13)?

Where will the Lord lead Israel and allure her and “speak tenderly to her” (verse 14)?

How will Israel respond to the Lord (verse 15)?

In your opinion, why will Israel call the Lord “my husband” instead of “my master” (verse 16)?

Whose names will be removed from Israel’s lips (verse 17)?

What will be abolished from the land (verse 18)?

How long will the betrothal last (verse 19)?

What will Israel be betrothed in (verse 19)?

How will Israel respond to the betrothal (verse 20)?

In your opinion, what is the day on which the Lord will respond (verse 21)?

Who will the Lord plant (verse 23)?

What will the Lord show to the “one I called ‘Not my loved one’” (verse 23)?

How will those who were called “Not my people” that the Lord now says to “You are my people” respond to God (verse 23)?

In your opinion, how is the compassion that the Lord shows to the people of Israel in Hosea 2:13-23 similar to the compassion felt by Jesus for the people of Matthew 15:29-39?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Hosea show us about the Great Commission?

James 2:14-26 – 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.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

What is James asking about “faith” for someone who “has no deeds” (verse 14)?

How does the “brother or sister” without clothes and daily food benefit from the statement “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed” (verses 15 and 16)?

In your opinion, why is faith without works dead (verse 17)?

How does James expect to show his faith (verse 18)?

Who does James say believes in one God “and shudder” (verse 19)?

When was Abraham considered righteous (verse 21)?

What made Abraham’s faith complete (verse 22)?

What was Abraham called (verse 23)?

In your opinion, why does James say “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (verse 24)?

Who was considered righteous for giving lodging to the spies and sending them off in a different direction (verse 25)?

What is the body without the spirit (verse 26)?

What is faith without deeds (verse 26)?

In your opinion, how are the people of James 2:14-26 who claim faith but do not have deeds like the Israel of Hosea 2:13-23 who went after other lovers and forgot about God?

In your opinion, would Jesus, who had compassion on those people who had been without food for several days in Matthew 15:29-39, also have compassion of those who recognize that their faith is dead in response to James 2:14-26?

In your opinion, what does this passage from James show us about the Great Commission?    

1 John 3:16-24 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”

How do we know what love is (verse 16)?

What should we do (verse 16)?

In your opinion, what does John mean by asking “how can the love of God be in that person” (verse 17)?

What kind of love are we to avoid (verse 18)?

How are we to love (verse 18)?

In your opinion, how is it comforting “if our hearts condemn us” to know that God is greater than our hearts (verse 20)?

What do we have if “our hearts do not condemn us” (verse 21)?

What is God’s command (verse 23)?

How do we know that God lives in us (verse 24)?

In your opinion, how does John’s discussion about loving “with actions and in truth” in 1 John 2:16-24 reinforce James’s statement about faith without works being dead in James 2:14-26?

In your opinion, how is the love demonstrated by God to a wandering Israel in Hosea 2:13-26 similar to the love demonstrated by Jesus when He “laid down his life for us” in 1 John 3:16-26?

In your opinion, how is the love that we are commanded to have “with actions and in truth” in 1 John 2:16-24 a reflection of the compassion that Jesus demonstrates in Matthew 15:29-39?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 John show us about the Great Commission?

Next, back to Matthew 16:1 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

October 5, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – From Dogs to Brothers

  

Matthew 28:18-20 – 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.”

From Dogs to Brothers

Matthew 15:21-28 – New International Version (NIV)

²¹ “Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.”

Where did Jesus withdraw to (verse 21)?

Who came to Jesus (verse 22)?

What was wrong with the daughter (verse 22)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus “not answer a word” (verse 23)?

What did the disciples urge Jesus to do (verse 23)?

Who was Jesus sent for (verse 24)?

How did the woman respond to Jesus (verse 25)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus say “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs” (verse 26)?

Did the woman contradict Jesus (verse 27)?

How did the woman change Jesus’ statement about bread (verse 27)?

What does Jesus say about the woman (verse 28)?

When was her daughter healed (verse 28)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 15:21-28 show us about the Great Commission?

Joshua 9:1-26 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)— ² they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

³ However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴ they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. ⁵ They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. ⁶ Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”

⁷ The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”

⁸ “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua.

But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

⁹ They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.”’ ¹² This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. ¹³ And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”

¹⁴ The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. ¹⁵ Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

¹⁶ Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. ¹⁷ So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. ¹⁸ But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.

The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, ¹⁹ but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” ²¹ They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.

²² Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? ²³ You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴ They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. ²⁵ We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

²⁶ So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.”

What did all the kings west of Jordan do (verse 2)?

Why did the people of Gibeon resort to a ruse (verse 3)?

How did they accomplish their ruse (verses 4 & 5)?

What did they request of Joshua (verse 6)?

In your opinion, why did the Israelites suspect something was wrong (verse 7)?

How did the people from Gibeon convince the Israelites (verses 9 through 13)?

What mistake did the Israelites make (verse 14)?

What did Joshua and the leaders of the assembly do (verse 15)?

How long did it take the Israelites to realize that they had been deceived (verse 16)?

What did the Israelites not do (verse 18)?

Why did the leaders let the Gibeonites live (verse 20)?

In your opinion, why were the people of Gibeon to be the woodcutters and water carriers (verse 21)?

What question did Joshua ask (verse 22)?

How did the Gibeonites answer (verse 24)?

What, in addition to the assembly, were the Gibeonites to carry water and wood for (verse 27)?

In your opinion, how are the people of Gibeon in Joshua 9:1-26 similar to the woman of Matthew 15:21-28?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Joshua show us about the Great Commission?

Romans 15:7-13 – New International Version (NIV)

⁷ “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ⁸ For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed ⁹ and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

¹⁰ Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

¹¹ And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”

¹² And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

How are we to accept one another (verse 7)?

Why did Christ become a servant for the Jews (verse 8)?

What did Christ becoming a servant of the Jews do for the promises made to the patriarchs (verse 8)?

In your opinion, how does Christ becoming a servant of the Jews give Gentiles the ability to “glorify God for his mercy” (verses 8 and 9)?

What is written that is to happen among the Gentiles (verse 9)?

Who is to rejoice with God’s people (verse 10)?

Who is to “extol” the Lord (verse 11)?

Who will hope in the “Root of Jesse” (verse 12)?

What is the “God of hope” to fill you with (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why is the filling with joy and peace linked to “trust in him” (verse 13)?

Who will give power to overflow with hope (verse 13)?

In your opinion, how is the mercy demonstrated by Joshua and the people of Israel to the people of Gibeon in Joshua 9:1-26 a foreshadowing of the Gentiles glorifying God for His mercy in Romans 15:7-13 and how are they different?

In your opinion, how does knowing that there were several scriptures in the Old Testament anticipating the Gentiles worshipping Jesus and hoping in the “Root of Jesse” in Romans 15:7-13 change your understanding of the interaction with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Romans show us about the Great Commission?

    

Philemon 1:1-25 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker— ² also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home:

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, ⁵ because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ⁶ I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. ⁷ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

⁸ Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹ yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— ¹⁰ that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. ¹¹ Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. ¹³ I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. ¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. ¹⁵ Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰ I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²² And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. ²⁴ And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

Who is Paul (verse 1)?

Who is Philemon (verse 1)?

What is the source of the grace and peace (verse 3)?

How is Philemon treated in Paul’s prayers (verse 4)?

In your opinion, why does Paul mention the love of Philemon for “all his holy people” (verse 5)?

What does Paul pray that the “partnership with us in the faith” will be effective in doing (verse 6)?

What does Paul prefer in his request of Philemon (verse 9)?

How does Paul describe himself (verse 9)?

How does Paul describe Onesimus (verse 10)?

In your opinion, why does Paul say that Onesimus was useless and is now useful (verse 11)?

What would Paul have liked (verse 13)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean when he talks about a favor that does not seem forced but is voluntary (verse 14)?

What reason does Paul offer for Onesimus being separated from Philemon for a while (verses 15 & 16)?

Who is Philemon to charge for any wrong that Onesimus has done (verse 18)?

What does Philemon owe Paul (verse 19)?

How do you think that Paul hopes that Philemon will “refresh my heart in Christ” (verse 20)?

How does Paul feel about what Philemon will do (verse 21)?

What additional thing does Paul ask for from Philemon (verse 22)?

How does Paul bless Philemon in his closing (verse 25)?

In your opinion, how does Paul’s letter concerning an escaped slave and his owner in Philemon personify the instruction in Romans 15:7-13 to “accept one another”?

In your opinion, how is the Old Testament relationship of the Israelites and the Gentiles in Joshua 9:1-26 personalized and updated by the relationship of the brothers in Christ; Philemon and Onesimus?

In your opinion, does the acceptance of the Canaanite woman by Jesus in Matthew 15:21-28 provide a model for Philemon to accept Onesimus in Philemon?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Philemon show us about the Great Commission?

Next, back to Matthew 15:29 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 28, 2014 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Defiled and Redeemed

Matthew 28:18-20 – 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.”

Defiled and Redeemed

Matthew 15:1-20 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ⁶ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
⁹ They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’”

¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

¹² Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

¹³ He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. ¹⁴ Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

¹⁵ Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

¹⁶ “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. ¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Who came to Jesus (verse 1)?

Why did they question the disciples actions (verse 2)?

How did Jesus respond (verse 3)?

What command did Jesus quote (verse 4)?

In your opinion, who benefited from the offering that was “devoted to God” (verse 5)?

Could something that was “devoted to God” have been given to “honor their father or mother” (verse 6)?

What did the Pharisees and teachers of the law tradition do to the word of God (verse 6)?

How did Jesus describe the Pharisees and teachers of the law (verse 7)?

In your opinion, what did Isaiah as quoted by Jesus mean when he said “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (verse 8)?

What does having hearts far from God do to the people Isaiah was talking about (verse 9)?

How are people defiled (verse 11)?

In your opinion, why were the Pharisees offended (verse 12)?

What is the destiny of those not planted by the Father (verse 13)?

Where will the blind guides lead the blind (verse 14)?

Who ask for the parable to be explained (verse 15)?

In your opinion, why would Jesus ask “Are you still so dull” (verse 16)?

Why does something that enters at the mouth not defile the body (verse 17)?

Where do the things that defile come from (verse 18)?

What comes from the heart (verse 19)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 15:1-20 show us about the Great Commission?

Isaiah 29:13-16 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ The Lord says:

“These people come near to me with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
    is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
¹⁴ Therefore once more I will astound these people
    with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
    the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
¹⁵ Woe to those who go to great depths
    to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
    “Who sees us? Who will know?”
¹⁶ You turn things upside down,
    as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,
    “You did not make me”?
Can the pot say to the potter,
    “You know nothing”?

How do the people (of Jerusalem) come to the Lord (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why is there a contrast between what the lips say and where the heart is (verse 13)?

What is their worship of God based on (verse 13)?

How will the Lord astound the people (verse 14)?

What will happen to the “wisdom of the wise” and the “intelligence of the intelligent” (verse 14)?

In your opinion, why is there woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans and work from the Lord (verse 15)?

How do the people turn things (verse 16)?

In your opinion, why is it wrong for the pot to say to the potter “you know nothing” (verse 16)?

In your opinion, how are the people that Isaiah is talking about in Isaiah 29:13-16 and the people that Jesus is talking to in Matthew 15:1-20 similar?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Isaiah show us about the Great Commission?

Acts 10:9-28 – New International Version (NIV)

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. ¹³ Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

¹⁴ “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

¹⁷ While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. ¹⁸ They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

²¹ Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

²² The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” ²³ Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. ²⁴ The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

²⁷ While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸ He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.”

Where did Peter go to pray (verse 9)?

What opened to let down the large sheet (verse 11)?

What was in the large sheet (verse 12)?

Who instructed Peter to “Kill and eat” (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why did Peter say “Surely not, Lord!” (verse 14)?

How was Peter answered (verse 15)?

In your opinion, why did it happen three times (verse 16)?

Who stopped at the gate while Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision (verse 17)?

Who told Peter that three men were looking for him (verse 19)?

In your opinion, why was Peter told not to hesitate to go with them (verse 20)?

Why did the men say they had come (verse 22)?

Where did Peter go (verse 24)?

Who had Cornelius called together (verse 24)?

How did Cornelius respond to Peter (verse 25)?

What did Peter tell Cornelius about himself (verse 26)?

Why was Peter’s visit to Cornelius wrong (verse 28)?

How did Peter explain that his visit with Cornelius was okay (verse 28)?

In your opinion, what is different about Cornelius and the people with him in Acts 10:9-28 that make it okay for Peter to visit them even though they are Gentiles when the people of Jerusalem in Isaiah 29:13-16 were going to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord and did their work in the darkness?

In your opinion, does Jesus saying that “eating with unwashed hands does not defile them” to Peter in Matthew 15:1-20 help Peter understand the message from heaven in Acts 10:9-28 that he “should not call anyone impure or unclean”?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Acts show us about the Great Commission?    

1 Peter 1:13-25 – New International Version (NIV)

¹³ “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

¹⁷ Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. ¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

²² Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. ²³ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.”

How should our minds be when we set our “hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (verse 13)?

What should we not conform to (verse 14)?

How should we be in all that we do (verse 15)?

Why should we be holy (verse 16)?

In your opinion, why should we live out our time “as foreigners here in reverent fear” (verse 17)?

What did not redeem us (verse 18)?

What did redeem us (verse 19)?

When was Christ chosen (verse 20)?

How do we believe in God (verse 21)?

In your opinion, why does Peter link obeying the truth with having a sincere love for each other (verse 22)?

Through what were we born of imperishable seed (verse 23)?

What happens to the grass that people are like (verse 24)?

What endures forever (verse 25)?

In your opinion, how does Peter’s message to “God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces . . .” that we read from 1 Peter 1:13-25 show his growing understanding of God’s acceptance of Gentiles that began in Acts 10:9-28 with the vision of the large sheet being lowered?

In your opinion, how are the people of Jerusalem portrayed in Isaiah 29:13-16 as those whose “hearts are far from me” a contrast to the “exiles” of 1 Peter 1:13-25 who “have sincere love for each other”?

In your opinion, does the growth of Peter from the one who Jesus asks “Are you still so dull” in Matthew 15:1-20 to the one who explains our redemption through the “precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” in 1 Peter 1:13-25 provide hope and encouragement to all of us?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Peter show us about the Great Commission?

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