More study guide. We re thrilled you re taking the step to explore Jesus Sermon. It starts with a promise of blessing.

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2 Lesson 1 = Welcome to the Sermon on the Mount and the MORE series. We will be your tour guide. First, a couple things right out of the gate. Some of your Grace Groups meet weekly great! Our suggestion is to do one lesson each gathering. Other Grace Groups meet twice a month great! Our suggestion is to do two lessons each gathering. Also, no need to waste paper if you don t want to or need to. Each Grace Group Leader could pass this Study Guide around and have members take turns reading from it. Or if you want to, you can print off one for every member. Also, feel free to this PDF or share the link for this PDF. However, know this: rest easy; it s not a race, Jesus is the focus, the Holy Spirit is the teacher, there is more content than you can cover, the goal is transformation, not completion of the study guide go at a pace that works with your group in a manner that loves God and people. As far as Sunday Morning goes, here is our schedule: 09/04/2011 Introduction 09/11/2011 Attitudes Matthew 5: /18/2011 Relationships Matthew 5: /25/2011 Devotions Matthew 6: /02/2011 Investments Matthew 6:19-34 On Sunday morning, we re not even going to finish the entire Sermon (we only preach through chapter 6 {not chapter 7}). That s OK. Our goal is your continued growth in Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:28-29). Our continued growth is our own responsibility. We don t eat literal food once a week and we shouldn t eat spiritual food once a week either (Jn. 4:32). We can t rely on one sermon a week to get us through life. But rest easy, we ll provide additional study materials like this guide on Matthew 7 ( Enough history, let s get started: We re thrilled you re taking the step to explore Jesus Sermon. It starts with a promise of blessing. How cool is that? We could all use some more blessings in our lives don t you think? Only these blessings are bigger and better than you can even imagine (Ephesians 3:20). These blessings are different than what you might see on TV or hear on the radio. 1

3 Take a look at the MORE logo. What are your impressions? Do you think it reflects the type of blessings the world pursues? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with your group. Now take a look at the Sermon. You might not be used to reading it all in one sitting. But how can we interact with the Sermon if we don t know what it says, right? So we want you to do something risky. We want you to read Matthew 5, 6, and 7. Scary we know. But here s the truth. Most of us don t read. Maybe we should say that we don t really read. Instead we let our minds drift in and out with the world inside our heads. We let the thoughts of MORE.MORE money, MORE fame, MORE time, MORE sex, MORE house, MORE kids, MORE stuff, MORE MORE..MORE.. come creeping into our brains even when Jesus is sharing a Sermon that could free our hearts and give us MORE of what we really need. So, please take a chunk of time to pray right now. You can pray alone or in your group (you ll find out really soon that this study guide is completely conversational and completely suggestive). We can t make you do anything. And we don t want to make you do anything. We can only invite you into a redemptive and healing process for your heart, for your soul, for your mind. We can only invite you to go deeper with Jesus Christ. He wants you to be free. He wants you to be alive. He wants you to be engaged.even more than you think you want. 2

4 So if you re ready, we invite you to pray for God s work in your heart through this MORE series. (Invitation to Pray You can put on instrumental music, pray alone, pray as a group, journal thoughts, sit, stand, kneel, etc. Mainly connect with the Father.) So how did that feel? Familiar? Foreign? Now it s time to read the Sermon. We d like to challenge you to do something: Take turns when you read through Matthew 5, 6, 7. Read it slowly. Have a pen or pencil in your hand. This is the bulk of your lesson tonight so you don t need to rush. When you come to a verse or truth in the sermon that you need to simply APPLY in your life then write a little A in your Bible. When you come to a verse or truth in the sermon that requires a CHANGE in the way you think, write a little C in your Bible. When you come to a verse or truth in the sermon that you d like to TRANSFER to someone else, write a little T in your Bible. (Of course, make sure you are living it in your own life first before you transfer it to someone else.) See the pattern? When we read the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus wants it to change us. He wants us to grow. He wants us to A-C-T. Have fun and go slowly. If this is as far as you get in the entire series, if it takes you all 4 weeks to get through, then Kudos to you. There is nothing wrong with going slowly and letting the Word sink into your soul and change you. (Invitation to Read the Sermon Go Slowly and A-C-T) That s it. Now take some time to share in your group what you need to Apply, Change, and Transfer and why. In the right time, please close in prayer in a way that is appropriate to your group and its needs. 3

5 Lesson 2 = Ready for lesson 2? Jesus starts the Sermon in a very unique way. The very first Beatitude is intentional: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Contrast this with Matthew 5:20; 6:1-8, 16; 7:1-5, 15-23, Why do you think Jesus started with Matthew 5:3? Read this paragraph below. The term poor in spirit actually means spiritually bankrupt. The Greek word ptochos speaks about someone who crouches and cowers in a beggarly fashion. Jesus is saying that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who perceive themselves as spiritually desperate and bankrupt. This is because it s only when we see our need that we can invite the Spirit to form Himself within us. (Taken from Called, Kary Oberbrunner) What other thoughts do you have? Who was Jesus audience (Matthew 5:1-2; 7:28-29)? Did they recognize their need? Who were the people in Jesus time that didn t recognize their own need? Read Matthew 23 aloud (with the ACT structure again). When you come to a verse or truth that you need to simply APPLY in your life then write a little A in your Bible. When you come to a verse or truth that requires a CHANGE in the way you think write a little C in your Bible. When you come to a verse or truth that you d like to TRANSFER to someone else write a little T in your Bible. (Of course, make sure you are living it in your own life first before you transfer it to someone else.) How did Jesus feel about them? Now a tougher question; do you feel like you recognize your need for God? Remember to be honest and authentic. That s the point. 4

6 If you don t recognize your need, don t be discouraged. Instead, read this excerpt: In the beginning of the chapter we examined how relevance is possible only when we have an interconnected love relationship with God. That was the easier of the two steps. Once we have a love for God, what s the secret to growing that love? Here it is: Our love for God grows only as our need for Him grows. We ve already seen how people like the Pharisees didn t love God much because they didn t feel they needed God much. They thought they were pretty good already. Only the people who realize they need God, actually love God. Luke illustrates this in a story about Jesus, a prostitute, and a Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). A Pharisee invited Jesus over to his house for dinner. Everything was going fine until she showed up. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. The Pharisee, named Simon, knew exactly who she was. It s likely the whole town did - after all, she did have a reputation. Even though Simon was judgmental, he didn t want to blow his cover. When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him and what kind of woman she is that she is a sinner. Because He was the Son of God, Jesus knew what Simon was thinking. Jesus answered him, Simon, I have something to tell you. Simon responded, Tell me, teacher. 5

7 Two men owed money to a certain moneylender, said Jesus. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon replied, I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled. You have judged correctly, Jesus said. Then He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. Jesus said the size of our love for God is directly proportionate to the level of our need for His forgiveness. The key isn t how much we sin, but rather how much we know that we sin. The diagram below may help. Figure 9.1: Depth of Love Diagram 6

8 The secret to increasing our love for God is to increase our need for God. The problem is that most of us never sense our need for God because we hang out with other humans too much. We start comparing ourselves to others, and then we think we re pretty hot stuff. Only we re not supposed to compare ourselves to other people. That s what the Pharisees did. They convinced themselves that God was lucky to have them on their team. They put on a great performance and showed everyone else up. Pride slowly crept in, but so did ingratitude. And ingratitude sucks away our need for God and thus our love for God. Who needs God if you re already perfect? We only realize the depth of our sinfulness when we re in the presence of someone free from sin God Himself. And this is exactly what the woman in Luke s Gospel did. She got into God s presence she even knelt at His feet. When we re intimate with God we see ourselves for who we truly are, and we see Him for who He truly is. Then there s nothing we can do but throw ourselves upon His mercy. What happens next? God forgives us. And then our love for Him grows exponentially. Jesus told Simon that those who have been forgiven much love much. The prophet Isaiah knew this. For all we know, Isaiah was a pretty righteous guy after all, he was a prophet. But examine this encounter Isaiah had with God: 7

9 I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory. At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty. (Isaiah 6:1-5) Isaiah was undone when he saw God in all His glory. As Isaiah s intimacy with God increased, the realization of his sinfulness increased, which in turn caused him to have a greater need for God s forgiveness. He saw himself as a man in desperate need of God s mercy and grace. This process propelled him to have a greater love for God. When we see ourselves as self-sufficient then our love for God is small. We aren t grateful because, in our minds, there s no need for grace. On the other hand, when we acknowledge our sinfulness, which happens only as we enter God s presence, then we understand our need for Him. This is the melody line throughout the entire Bible: God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6). (This excerpt taken from The Fine Line, by Kary Oberbrunner.) What thoughts or observations do you have about yourself and/or your relationship with God after reading this excerpt? In the right time, please close in prayer in a way that s appropriate to your group and its needs. 8

10 Lesson 3 = In this lesson, we ll look at the Sermon. Since we let the Sermon dissect us in lesson 1 (look at Hebrews 4:12-13) we ll now dissect it. Lots of smart people have said lots of statements about the Sermon. Some of the things they ve said are True and other things are False. So are you ready for a little game? With the lens of Scripture, let s evaluate whether these statements are True or False. Don t feel like you are unqualified to answer these questions. If you re a follower of Jesus, then you have the same Holy Spirit inside you (John 16: ). Don t sell yourself short. Take a shot and circle True or False for each question below. 1. True or False This Sermon cannot be taken in its plain import and be applied to Christians universally.... it has been tried in spots, but... it has always been like planting a beautiful flower in stony ground or in a dry and withering atmosphere. I. M. Haldeman, The Kingdom of God, p True or False The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed. It is the nearest thing to a manifesto that He ever uttered; for it is His own description of what He wanted His followers to be and to do. John Stott, author and pastor 3. True or False The Sermon on the Mount in its primary application gives neither the privilege nor the duty of the Church. Old Scofield Bible reference notes, p True or False the "World" of the Sermon on the Mount cannot be restricted to life in the future millennial kingdom, since it includes tax collectors, thieves, unjust officials, hypocrites, and false prophets. James Montgomery Boice, The Sermon on the Mount, pg. 9 9

11 5. True or False The Bible provides three complete and wholly independent rules for human conduct one for the past age which is known as the Mosaic Law one for the future age of the kingdom which is crystallized in the Sermon on the Mount; and one for the present age which appears in the Gospel of John, the Acts, and the Epistles of the New Testament. Lewis Sperry Chafer, founder & first president of Dallas Theological Seminary Now share with the group the rationale behind your answer. Why did you choose what you chose? Some of these questions are tough, we know, but growth happens when you take a step. So start walking By now you might want the answers, right? The answers are: 1. False 2. True 3. False 4. True 5. False The Sunday morning sermons might help explain more about the correct answers. But just to refresh your memory take a look at the slide below. Please have someone in the group explain the rationale behind the slide: 10

12 Do you get it? The Sermon on the Mount was not about a future time or future Kingdom exclusively. When Jesus came in the flesh (the first Advent) He brought a Kingdom ethic with Him. This Kingdom ethic is for the present time and it will continue (and come in its fullness) when Jesus comes back (the Second Advent). Just because we (the Church) live in a broken world, doesn t mean that we are exempt from living out the Kingdom. We, your tour guides, have a view of the Kingdom that is already / not yet. We believe the Kingdom is already here, but not yet here in its fullness. Why? We still have cancer, greed, selfishness, sin, injustice, and the like. But we also have healing, generosity, selflessness, holiness, justice, and the like. We are caught between two ethics, but the Church, the True Bride of Jesus, is called to live out this new Kingdom. Check out the chart below. Read it sloooooooowly. Get out that pen again. Write down A-C-T by the blanks. Remember our little code? When you come to a truth in the chart that you need to simply APPLY in your life then write a little A When you come to a truth in the chart that requires a CHANGE in the way you think write a little C When you come to a verse or truth that you d like to TRANSFER to someone else write a little T. (Of course, make sure you are living it in your own life first before you transfer it to someone else.) 11

13 Component Kingdom of Kingdom of Earth Heaven Core Value Karma Grace Strategy Life is about advancing my kingdom. Life is about advancing God s kingdom. Preoccupation The Outward The Inward Motivation Selfish / Evil Selfless / Good Response to World How can others benefit me? How can I benefit others? Key Question How can I use God and others to serve my kingdom? How can I love God and others to serve His kingdom? Response to God God exists to glorify me. I exist to glorify God. Concept of Things I attain possessions and they end up possessing me. God gives all things to me as a temporary trust. Concept of Poor in Faith Rich in Faith Faith Response to I must be in control. God is in control. Trials Concept of Love I only love myself. I love my neighbor as myself. Response to Law Breaking Law Abiding the Law Relationship to Others Favoritism / Partiality Equality / Impartiality Response to Judging Others Merciless Merciful Chart taken from The Fine Line, Kary Oberbrunner That s it. Now take some time to share in your group what you need to Apply, Change, and Transfer and why. Don t feel any pressure to come up with something. But is there something that God is leading you or your Grace Group to do as a result of this lesson? Is there an outcome from the Kingdom of Heaven ethic (the chart above) that He wants you to consider? In the right time, please close in prayer in a way that is appropriate to your group and its needs. 12

14 Lesson 4 = This is our last lesson. We are going to take a look at the Beatitudes and then the Our Father prayer. So let s get started. Compare and contrast Jesus values with the counter values. Review the chart below. When you come to a truth in the chart that you need to simply APPLY in your life then write a little A When you come to a truth in the chart that requires a CHANGE in the way you think write a little C When you come to a verse or truth that you d like to TRANSFER to someone else write a little T (Of course, make sure you are living it in your own life first before you transfer it to someone else.) Jesus Values BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO... (v. 3) are poor in spirit (v. 4) mourn (v. 5) are meek (v. 6) hunger for righteousness (v. 7) are merciful (v. 8) are pure in heart (v. 9) are peacemakers (v. 10) are persecuted because of righteousness The Beatitudes: Matthew 5:3 10 Counter Values BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE... self-confident competent self-reliant pleasure-seeking hedonistic the beautiful people Proud powerful important Satisfied well adjusted practical self-righteous able to take care of themselves adult sophisticated broad-minded Competitive aggressive Adaptable popular don t rock the boat Chart taken from Richards, Larry; Richards, Lawrence O.: The Teacher's Commentary. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1987, S

15 Share with your group what you need to Apply, Change, and Transfer and why. Which counter values do you struggle with the most? Which one(s) jumped off the page and why? Now we ll move into a section on prayer. Before we get started, we d like you to share your thoughts about prayer. Are you content with your prayer life? Does prayer come easy? What are some words you d use to describe your view of prayer? Take a look at this excerpt below: In his book In Ordinary Time, Robert C. Bondi challenges, We have to be willing to be stubborn and persistent with God. In fact, we ll have to be exactly like the widow with the unjust judge, and Jacob wrestling the angel for a blessing. Jacob wasn t timid, even in his dealings with God. He had a never-say-die approach. Too often we talk to God like, If it s not too much trouble or I know you re really busy but There have been times when I ve been so desperate for an answer, a sign, or a request, that I ve told God that I m not getting up off my knees until He speaks! Some might see this as disrespect, but I don t think it is. There is a concept related to prayer that very few disciples know about. It s called importunity. Webster defines importunity as troublesomely urgent or overly persistent in request or demand. Importunity is the perfect word to describe the widow in Luke 18. The Bible says that Jesus taught this parable in order to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart. Importunity is a concept Jesus is getting at and the posture we should try to emulate within our prayer lives. Prayer is a major key to being formed spiritually and spiritual formation is a necessary component of authentic discipleship. Without it, we ll fail to be followers of Jesus with our being and it will be much more difficult for Him to use us. Spiritual formation helps move one s ministry maturation process beyond a focus on skills and knowledge to a being base. Until the Lord has shaped the vessel, it will not serve His purpose. (This excerpt taken from Called, by Kary Oberbrunner) What are some of your observations that might have bubbled to the surface when reading the excerpt above? Please share with your group. Now read Matthew 6:9-13 Pay attention to verse 10. Please reread it. What is significant about that verse in light of our focus on the Kingdom from previous lessons? 14

16 Why do you think Jesus told us to pray: your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now reread the complete Our Father again. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. What is Jesus telling you that you need MORE of? Please share with your Grace Group using specific examples. That s it. Our lesson is now complete. However, our learning is not. This is only the beginning. Hearing the Sermon is one thing. Living it is another. Please share with your group how your life will be different moving forward. How will your life reflect MORE of what Jesus wants for you? Please take a moment to pass this survey out to your group. We want to get better and improve. Our next integrated Grace Group study is set for January. We are already working on it right now. We will take your comments to heart and adjust accordingly. Please fill out the form and turn it in to your Grace Group Leader. He or she will turn it in to us. Blessings, and may you have more of Jesus in your life. Your Leaders at Grace Church 15

17 More More study survey guide 1. Please rate the group experience on a scale from 1 10 with 10 being most helpful to your development Please explain why you rated the experience as you have in #1: 3. What was the most significant lesson you learned while in the group? Please be specific. 16

18 More survey 4. What would you like to see more or less of? For example: a certain topic expanded on, a new topic, more discussion, suggestions for handouts, other? 5. If you feel that you have received value from this group, would you be willing to share your excitement in a testimonial? YES NO If Yes, please share your testimonial below: 17