#TheGreatestBook. Adult Studies. Rediscovering God s Word

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "#TheGreatestBook. Adult Studies. Rediscovering God s Word"

Jasper Lawson
5 years ago
Views:

1 #TheGreatestBook Adult Studies Rediscovering God s Word

2 Being Involved with Jesus as Participants in His Mission by Mark Naylor Text: Matthew 5:1-16 Key Question: What does it mean to follow Jesus, to be called to be participants with Him in His mission? Study method: LeadersFor is a ministry of Fellowship International that trains leaders in a number of countries how to engage God's Word and teach others to do the same in a way that leads to discipleship and transformed lives. The primary tool used is Socratic discussion which guides participants so that they help each other examine the biblical text in a deep and impacting way. This study will give the participants a taste of the methodology as you consider together both the meaning and the relevance of the first section of the Sermon on the Mount. Material for this study has been adapted from the LeadersFor curriculum Centered in Christ. This study is designed to be completed in minutes. Even though the discussion will not be complete within that time, be sure to move on to the next section. The smaller groups for discussion will allow more people to express how they are engaging the passage. The following provides the instructions for the facilitator of the study. I. Focus on the passage Matthew 5:1-16 (10-15 minutes) Have people divide into groups of no more than six people and (1) read out loud the following questions WITHOUT answering them at this point, (2) read the passage together and, only then (3) use the questions to discuss the passage. They will not be able to cover all the questions in the time allotted, but the following sections will continue the discussion and development of their understanding. 1. What portion of the sermon is particularly impacting for you personally? Why? 2. What teaching do you find difficult to understand or that may not seem relevant? 3. Which part is the most important for those to whom you are ministering? Why? 4. Which part is the most difficult to put into practice? Why? What portion is the most comforting? Which part is the most disturbing? 6. If a member of your community who has never read the Sermon on the Mount asked you, What is the message of this sermon? based on this passage, how would you answer? 7. If you had the opportunity, what questions would you like to ask Jesus about this passage? II. Background Information The meaning of the passage (15-20 minutes) The following commentary provides background information so that the participants may better understand what Jesus was saying to His audience. This section is NOT about application but of comprehending the message within its original context. Please use what is written here to provide a

3 (Being Involved with Jesus, continued) 5-8 minute explanation of some helpful background information. The Sermon on the Mount begins with a description of the values and characteristics of those who live under God's rule. As is true with much of Jesus' teaching, these values are the reverse of what the world considers important. It is not the strong, charismatic and intelligent who are praised, but those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn and those who are submissive. It is those whom the world dismisses as weak and unimportant, Jesus proclaims as happy and promises them that they will receive a reward commensurate with their evident desire. Those who mourn are comforted, those who are submissive to God, inherit all that belongs to God! But what does Jesus mean by declaring these ones as happy or blessed? The focus here is not an inner feeling of happiness, but the state of being under the rule of God; the assurance that these are the people under God's favor, even though their condition of meekness, mourning or being merciful may cause them to be despised by the world. People in Jesus' time considered those who were wealthy and powerful as the ones blessed or favored by God. Jesus says the opposite and declares that those who are truly in a good situation from God's perspective are those with the characteristics He mentions. The poor in spirit refers to those with an attitude of humble dependence on God in the face of oppression from the rich and powerful. It is not a character weakness but a positive spiritual orientation, the converse of the arrogant selfconfidence which not only rides roughshod over the interests of other people but more importantly causes a person to treat God as irrelevant. ¹ These are the ones who have reason to rejoice for the coming of God's reign, for they will be vindicated. The good news of the kingdom (Matthew 4:23) is for those who repent and that is the response natural to those who are poor in spirit. Those who mourn (v. 4), when taken according to the context of Isaiah 61:2-3, does not refer to someone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, but to those who trust God in the midst of an intolerable and difficult situation because of the world's injustices.² However, Jesus promises that under God's rule they will find comfort; there is hope in the midst of the darkness of their situation. -7- Meek (v. 5) refers to a person's posture before God, the meek are those submissive to His will in all circumstances. They are the ones who demonstrate the same attitude of total dependence on the Father found in Jesus. Rather than scheming and fighting for their rights, they wait for the Lord to act (Psalm 37:7 NLT). The inheritance does not refer to material wealth, but rather the focus is on the principle of reversal of fortunes. ³ That is, by living under God's rule in the midst of poverty, they trust that all that belongs to God is theirs and God has their best interests in mind. These three verses (vs. 3-5) reveal the heart of Jesus' teaching and give guidance concerning how the rest of the blessed or happy verses up to verse 12 should be understood. Despite material evidence to the contrary, it is those whose desire is for God and not for the benefits in this life who have God's favor on them and will be vindicated. In verse 13 when Jesus' Jewish audience heard Him say, You are the salt of the earth (v. 13), they were reminded of the calling they had as the people of God. They were God's chosen, but Jesus emphasized that this choosing was not so they would be privileged and other nations rejected. Rather Jesus meant that their relationship to God should result in a blessing to all the nations, even as prophesied to Abraham (Genesis 12:3). This status and blessing, however, came with a warning that they could lose their saltiness and be cast out if the characteristics outlined in the previous verses were not evident. Therefore, Jesus called them to let your light shine as God's people by ensuring that meekness (v. 5), hunger for righteousness (v. 6) and a merciful attitude (v. 7) are evident so others may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven (v. 16). For the remaining time, have the participants return to their groups of no more than six people and read aloud all the following questions first before discussing them. 1. What do you understand better because of the insights provided? 2. What aspect is unclear or different from what you would expect? 3. How was Jesus' message both consistent with and contrary to people's expectations at that time? 4. Give a title to this passage that reflects the heart of the message. ¹ France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 165). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co. ² Ibid. (p. 166). ³ Ibid. (p. 167).

4 (Being Involved with Jesus, continued) 5. What does Jesus' teaching reveal about the nature and will of God? 6. How does this passage speak about humanity's position before God? III. Application Context (20-25 minutes) The previous lesson focused on understanding the message of the passage within its original context as Jesus spoke to his Jewish audience. The next step is to consider what it means for the participants' context: to the participants personally, to fellow believers and to those who are not yet believers. The goal of this session is to seek appropriate applications that will be relevant and transformational. Please use what is written here to provide a 5-8 minute explanation of how this passage has been applied for other contexts. Bryant Myers states that we have to go beyond who God is and also talk about what God is doing. The question of who God is in an unjust and violent world can only be answered adequately by talking about an all-powerful and all-knowing God who is acting to save a fallen and failed world in a particular way. Thus, God is not the God who permits a genocide; rather, God is the God who is hard at work trying to prevent future ones. ⁴ This reality is seen in the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus inaugurates the new Kingdom and explains what it looks like. God continues to be at work implementing the finished work of Christ in this world as His people live out the Sermon on the Mount. We are called into a reorientation of life centered on God, the Creator of the world, rather than on the things of the world. But even though our purpose and meaning is found beyond this world, it is in this world that we understand and live out that reality. We are called to b e t r a n s f o r m e d a n d a g e n t s w h o b r i n g transformation. Jesus gives us the blueprint for this transformational way of living in the Sermon on the Mount. With Jesus leading the way through death to new life, we see what it might mean to be poor in spirit, to be meek, peacemakers, and so on. Now, already, the mourners are being comforted, the pure in heart glimpsing the living God in Jesus Himself. Now at last, as well, those who follow Jesus will be ⁴ Myers, B. (2011). Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development (p. 59). Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books. ⁵ Wright, T. (2011). Lent for Everyone: Matthew Year A (p. 154). London: SPCK. -8- persecuted because of their love for Him and the new world of justice and joy which he has opened up, which challenges the old world to its core. Now, at last, we can see the sense in the demanding new way of life which He has launched. [It] is possible to live without anger, without lust, without divorce, swearing, revenge and hatred. Most of the world doesn't know this, but Jesus knew it; and He calls us to die to all those things, and come alive to His new way of life.⁵ Building on the previous two reflections, instruct the participants to read the following discussion guidelines together before discussing them in their groups. a. Share how you personally feel convicted by Jesus' message. b. Share how the passage relates to your community of believers. Discuss how the insights of others: i. Reflect the meaning of the passage. ii. Are relevant for believers in your context. Would believers hear that the message is for them? Why or why not? iii. Would make a difference if believers applied this passage to their daily living. Where do you see the living out of this passage evident now? c. Share the aspects of the passage that would be significant to unbelievers. As you hear people's suggestions, ask: i. Is this aspect relevant and significant for those who are not yet believers? ii. How could this teaching be communicated to them? d. Discuss what you will do this week to live out Matthew 5:1-16. Mark with his wife, Karen, were missionaries in Pakistan with Fellowship International ( ). Their ministry focused on evangelism, church planting, leadership development and Bible translation. Mark continues to do Bible translation into the Sindhi language with 2 trips a year to Pakistan. The Sindhi OT was published in 2007 and he is presently working on a revision of the Muslim Sindhi NT together with the preparation of a Hindu Sindhi version. Mark serves with both Fellowship International and Northwest Baptist TWU to oversee the professional development of Fellowship missionaries and national leadership on the field. He also coaches Fellowship churches to help them function effectively in missions.

5 Being Involved with Jesus as Participants in His Mission Matthew 5:1-16 Key Question: What does it mean to follow Jesus; to be called to be participants with Him in His mission? Study method: LeadersFor is a ministry of Fellowship International that trains leaders in a number of countries how to engage God's Word and teach others to do the same in a way that leads to discipleship and transformed lives. This study will give you a taste of the methodology as you consider together both the meaning and the relevance of the first section of the Sermon on the Mount. I. Focus on the passage Matthew 5:1-16 In groups of no more than six people take turns to read the passage. As time allows, use the following questions to discuss the passage. Note those reflections and concerns that are similar to yours, since they may indicate particular relevance and importance for your context. 1. What portion of the sermon is particularly impacting for you personally? Why? 2. What teaching do you find difficult to understand or that may not seem relevant? 3. Which part is the most important for those to whom you are ministering? Why? 4. Which part is the most difficult to put into practice? Why? 5. What portion is the most comforting? Which part is the most disturbing? 6. If a member of your community who has never read the Sermon on the Mount asked you, What is the message of this sermon? based on this passage, how would you answer? 7. If you had the opportunity, what questions would you like to ask Jesus about this passage? II. Background Information the meaning of the passage. After hearing the background information, return to your groups of no more than six people and read aloud all the following questions first before discussing them. 1. What do you understand better because of the insights provided? 2. What aspect is unclear or different from what you would expect? 3. How was Jesus' message both consistent with and contrary to people's expectations at that time? 4. Give a title to this passage that reflects the heart of the message. 5. What does Jesus' teaching reveal about the nature and will of God? 6. How does this passage speak about humanity's position before God? III. Application the relevance of the passage to our context. In your groups read the following discussion guidelines together before discussing them. 1. Share how you personally feel convicted by Jesus' message. 2. Share how the passage relates to your community of believers. Discuss how the insights of others: a. Reflect the meaning of the passage. b. Are relevant for believers in your context. Would believers hear that the message is for them? Why or why not? c. Would make a difference if believers applied this passage to their daily living. Where do you see the living out of this passage evident now? 3. Share the aspects of the passage that would be significant to unbelievers. As you hear people's suggestions, ask: a. Is this aspect relevant and significant for those who are not yet believers? b. How could this teaching be communicated to them? 4. Discuss what you will do this week to live out Matthew 5:1-16.

Conference on World Mission and Evangelism Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship 8-13 March 2018 Arusha, Tanzania.

Conference on World Mission and Evangelism Moving in the Spirit: Called to Transforming Discipleship 8-13 March 2018 Arusha, Tanzania Bible Study 2 Transforming the World, according to Jesus Vision of