09 Oct Discussion Guide: (IN) BREAKING Week 8
Prayer
Take the first 10 minutes of your time together to listen to what God is doing in one another’s lives and pray for any specific needs people in your group may have.
Today we continue our series titled (In) Breaking. We will be working through the gospel of Matthew and learning how God desires to have His Kingdom come, and His will be done, in our lives as in Heaven. God wants to break into our hearts, our emotions, our actions, our existence so that we might know Him, and be known by Him, in ways that we will never be the same.
Discussion Questions
If you’re a Christian, what do you find most difficult about following Jesus? If you’re not a Christian, what do you find most difficult to believe about Jesus call to follow Him?
Matthew 5:13-14, Kingdom New Testament Translation
“Go in by the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction, you see, is nice and wide, and the road going there has plenty of room. Lots of people go that way. But the gate leading to life is narrow, and the road going there is a tight squeeze. Not many people find their way through.”
Why do some claim that Christianity is narrow minded?
Christianity is seen as narrow minded because of the claim that there is only one way to eternal life combined with the claim that that the Bible claims there is a right way and a wrong way to live. People don’t want to be told that they are not the ultimate judge in their own lives, or that they are not the author of their own destiny. The problem, however, is not so much the claim of scripture as much as the way some people who claim to follow Christ live out those claims.
What is different about Jesus’ claims compared to other religious teachers’ claims?
Jesus’ claim was to the repent and believe in order to gain God’s Kingdom, while every other religious teacher’s claim is that you have to perform certain works and achievements to gain eternal life. Jesus says eternal life is found in trusting in Him, not in anything we can do, it’s about love not works.
Who does Jesus include in His call to follow Him? How does that differ from other religious leaders’ calls?
Jesus extends His invitation to any and everyone. There is no discrimination in His Kingdom. Every tribe, every nation, every language. Whereas, most other religious systems are culturally specific. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, etc. are all predominantly geographically located and geared towards a certain people group.
Would you say Jesus’ call to follow Him is too narrow minded? If not, then what would you call it?
Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
“For those who feel their lives are a grave disappointment to God, it requires enormous trust and reckless, raging confidence to accept that the love of Jesus Christ knows no shadow of alteration or change. When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened,” He assumed we would grow weary, discouraged, and disheartened along the way. These words are a touching testimony to the genuine humanness of Jesus. He had no romantic notion of the cost of discipleship. He knew that following Him was as unsentimental as duty, as demanding as love.”
What does it mean to be a disciple of someone?
To be a disciple means to follow in another’s footsteps, to uphold to his/her teachings and seek to model their behavior.
With that in mind, what should a disciple of Jesus live like?
Why don’t all people who claim to follow Jesus live that way?
Is it possible to live that way and not be a true follower of Jesus? If so, how?
How can we know if we are truly following Jesus then?
John 3:3-7, Kingdom New Testament Translation
”Let me tell you the solemn truth,” replied Jesus. “Unless someone has been born from above, they won’t be able to see God’s kingdom.”
“How can someone possibly be born,” asked Nicodemus, “when they’re old? You’re not telling me they can go back a second time into their mother’s womb and be born, are you?”
“I’m telling you the solemn truth,” replied Jesus. “Unless someone is born from water and spirit, they can’t enter God’s kingdom. Flesh is born from flesh, but spirit is born from spirit. Don’t be surprised that I said to you, You must be born from above.”
How does one become a follower of Christ?
If you’re a Christian, how/when did God’s grace find you?
Closing Thought
Steve Timmis, Everyday Church
”It is not simply that ordinary Christians live good lives that enable them to invite friends to evangelistic events. Our lives are the evangelistic events. Our life together is the apologetic. There is a place for meetings at which the gospel is clearly proclaimed, but let us affirm and celebrate ordinary Christians living ordinary life in Christ’s name.”
How can we, as a Gospel Community, model the narrow way and true fruit of the Gospel in a way that shows love and not self righteousness or hypocrisy?