DELIGHTING in the LORD

Transcription

1 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 1: Humility Welcomes Matthew 18: A Humble King Gives Instructions To His Church We live in a world that measures success and greatness by getting ahead, climbing the corporate ladder, having wealth and many possessions and displaying that for all to see. It is a society marked by and large by aggression, self-promotion, and looking out for yourself. When it comes to relationships with other people, often it is who you know and how those people can help you. And when we are at the center, everyone else is on the fringe. The world s climb to the top, often steps on others to get there. Warren Wiersbe said this, By nature, all of us are rebels who want to be celebrities instead of servants. It takes a great deal of teaching for us to learn the lessons of humility. Is this a world you have bought into? Jesus offers so much more. He offers eternal life. He offers peace, love, grace, joy, forgiveness, strength and more. At the heart of it all is humility. It is a word not often used in our culture and among the unbelieving world, but a word precious to God s heart. A word essential in His kingdom. A word that cannot remain a word, but must be put into action in each of our lives permeating our choice, our goals and our relationships. In this chapter of Matthew, we are going to God s heart regarding humility. We begin as the disciples learn to grasp this very piece of God s nature. May humility no longer be a word associated with weakness, but associated with greatness! R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Matthew 18:1-35 Today s Scripture Focus: Matthew 18:1-5: Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. In verse 1, what question do the disciples ask Jesus? 2. Read this same account in Mark and Luke. What was happening that led to the disciples asking this question? Where was the disciples focus? Where should it have been? (Matthew 18:5 will also help you with this answer) Matthew Chapter 18 Day 1

2 3. Luke records a beautiful truth regarding Jesus Christ. What is that truth as we see it in Luke 9:47. How does this speak to your heart today? 4. In verse 2 & 3, we see Jesus call a child to come to Himself, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and then use the child as a powerful example. He certainly could have used Himself as an example, but He didn t. How does Jesus use this child as an example to answer the disciples question? How does this point to the nature of Jesus? 5. Look up the word convert in a dictionary and write the definition. This would have rocked the disciples thinking in that moment. There probably was a collision between what they had been taught for so many years and now, something new to grasp. Children were regarded in that day more as property than as individuals. Society said that children were to be seen and not heard. It has been said that in Jewish society, a child was a person of no importance and was subject to the authority of his elders. A child was a responsibility and by no means someone to esteem, but yet, Jesus calls this child to Himself and brings him into the inner circle of His beloved disciples taking them deeper to His heart. a. What was Jesus saying to His disciples by using the word convert in His response? Note: NIV uses the word change. What did the disciples need to do with their thinking? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 1

3 6. According to verse 4, how is greatness in God s Kingdom measured? 7. Look up the word humble in the dictionary and write the definition. 8. Why is humility essential for God s children? What is the opposite of humility? How does this stunt a believers growth? 9. Look closely at verse 5. How are you to receive other people, especially children? Who then are we ultimately receiving? Summarize what this means. A ACTING on God s Word We just learned the value and importance that Jesus places on humility. It isn t just something needed to be great in God s kingdom, but essential to even enter God s eternal kingdom. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, if My people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. How do you humble yourself before God daily? How do you humble yourself before others? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 1

4 Before today s lesson, how did you view humility? How has God changed your thinking through what you learned today in God s Word? Who is God calling you to receive with humility today? D in God s Word Psalm 149:4 says, For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. The Lord takes pleasure in You as His precious child. Praise God that as we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, not only does He lift us up, but He makes us beautiful and gives us His precious gift of life eternal. Close in Prayer NOTES Matthew Chapter 18 Day 1

5 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 2: Humility Examines Matthew 18: A Humble King Gives Instructions To His Church Yesterday we looked at receiving or welcoming a child of God, today we are looking at causing that child of God to sin. Jesus doesn t mince words regarding this offense. Oh girls, when we offend God s children and cause them to stumble or sin, we are offending God! Once again, the humble heart is necessary in dealing both with offenses in us as well as those who bring offenses against us. How much better it is to examine ourselves before God and allow Him to cut to our hearts and remove the sin. We only have a few verses to cover today, but these verses are packed with truths that our hearts need to hear regarding relationships. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Matthew 18:1-35 Today s Scripture Focus: Matthew 18:6-9 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. We move from receiving God s children in verse 5 to causing them to sin in verse 6. What does it mean to offend or cause someone to sin? How do we do this? Give an example. a. A millstone was a large stone used to grind grain. They often weighed well over 100lbs. With this in mind, what point was Jesus making in verse 6? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 2

6 b. When you see the word Woe in God s Word, we are to sit up and take notice! In verses 6-7, what is Jesus saying to the world? What is He saying to believers? We see two woes in verse 7. The first woe is a cry of pity for a world in danger of offenses. The second woe is a warning to the one who brings or introduces evil to others. D. Guzik 2. When we offend a child of God s in anyway, or cause them to stumble in sin, who are we actually offending? How does this understanding cause you to examine your role in the relationships that God has brought you into? 3. Read verses 7-9, when we bring about an offense either to ourselves or others, as a believer or unbeliever, we are G before God. 4. In verses 8 & 9, Jesus is not talking in literal terms. What is Jesus saying regarding offenses in these verses and our response? 5. In verse 9 we see a major contrast by the use of two words. What is the contrast? What is the point being made? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 2

7 6. Read Matthew 15: What is the source of our offenses? How does this tie into humility and pride and all we learned in these verses? A ACTING on God s Word We know that offenses will come in relationships. Some relationships are riddled with them, and others, the offenses come and go, hopefully with healing and reconciliation. Pride is often at the center of these offenses. What does pride say regarding another person? How does pride often cause offenses? Where there is pride, spiritual surgery is necessary! The pride must be cut out and replaced with humility. The truly humble person does not cause another person to stumble in sin. The humble person builds other people up and doesn t tear them down. The humble person is always examining themselves before God, and ready to say, I m sorry. Think of the last time you were offended by someone. Describe the time. When offended, we often look critically at the person who offended us. Did you look first at your part in the offense and examine your reaction? What did you learn today that may help to bring forth healing and reconciliation when future offenses come? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 2

8 Anything that causes you or another person to stumble into sin, must be removed. What causes you to stumble into sin? What then, is God asking you to remove? D in God s Word Memorize Philippians 2:3 this week. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Close in Prayer NOTES Matthew Chapter 18 Day 2

9 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 3: Humility Loves Matthew 18: A Humble King Gives Instructions To His Church Ephesians 3:17-19 says, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Oh sisters, that is my prayer for you today as you begin this day s study in God s Word. I pray when you close the pages of God s Word, you will know deep in your soul how much you are loved by your great and awesome Shepherd, Jesus Christ. No matter who you are, or what you ve done, Jesus loves you! But we aren t to just soak all that love up for ourselves, we are to love others as Christ first loved us. Jesus gives us a command to obey in today s lesson regarding humility and love, but goes further to demonstrate this love to us. Allow God s Word to refresh your heart today and flow over you like fresh rain. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Matthew 18:1-35 Today s Scripture Focus: Matthew 18:10-14 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. What command is given in verse 10? Why? 2. Read Hebrews 1:14. How does that help you to understand the role of these angels in verse 10 of Matthew? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 3

10 3. Read Luke s account of the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:1-7. Look closely at the Matthew King Who different? Was And Is To Come words. How17: is thethe account in Matthew 4. How does verse 11 minister to your heart? What did Jesus mean by using the word, lost? 5. Read verses What does this story demonstrate regarding the value Jesus places on individuals, especially children? a. What does this story demonstrate regarding our care over those in the Christian community? b. How about our care and love for sinners? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 3

11 6. Read 1 Timothy 2:4. What is the heart of Jesus regarding every person? A ACTING on God s Word Read Psalm 23 and mark down every truth you learn about Jesus love and care for you as your Shepherd. If the will of God the Father is that not one person should die outside of salvation through Jesus Christ, and we are Christ s Ambassadors, what then is our responsibility to the lost and dying world? How are you living up to that today and loving the sinners as Christ did, desiring them to be saved? D in God s Word Praise God that His love for us is individual, patient, seeking, rejoicing and protecting. Close in Prayer giving thanks Matthew Chapter 18 Day 3

12 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 4: Humility Seeks Reconciliation Matthew 18: A Humble King Gives Instructions To His Church These next verses address the way differences are to be settled in the church between believers. Unfortunately, we don t always practice humility and honesty in relationships and as a result, people get hurt. Where there is sin present, there will always be a damaging influence. If that sin is not dealt with properly, that sin has the potential to permeate the whole church. May we learn today the process and Godly prescription for handling sin and wrongdoings when they occur. May we truly learn to live humbly and at peace with one another. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Matthew 18:1-35 Today s Scripture Focus: Matthew 18:15-20 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. What is Jesus teaching His disciples in verses 15-20? 2. Define reconciliation. 3. As a believer, what is our responsibility according to James 5:19-20? Let s look closely at the process you are to follow when a brother or sister in the Lord wrongs you in anyway or is walking in sin. Let us remember that sometimes the sin is deliberate, but there are other times, the wrongdoing is done unconsciously. Either way, God gives us clear instructions. Matthew Chapter 18 Day 4

13 4. According to verse 15, what is the first thing you should do when someone sins against you or offends you? 5. According to verse 16, what is the next step to be taken if the first one is unsuccessful? 6. According to verse 17, what is the final step in restoring a brother or sister in the Lord when a wrong has been done? What happens if they are unwilling to reconcile or admit any wrongdoing? a. What is needed by the offender in order for this process to be successful? Look at the wording at the beginning of verse 17. Remember what you learned in Matthew 16 regarding the authority that Jesus gave to Peter. Along with Peter, the apostles now have been given the authority to carry out on earth what was initiated in heaven and set forth in God s Word. Binding refers to those things not permitted and loosing refers to those things which are permitted. If you look back at verse 17, you ll see the word church is mentioned for the second time in Matthew. Remember the word of God is always the final authority. 7. With this understanding, who do you think verse 18 is referring to? What authority is Jesus giving to them? How does this tie into reconciliation between believers? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 4

14 What do the following verses teach us regarding reconciliation? Galatians 6:1-4 Ephesians 4:15 Hebrews 12:14 Psalm 34:14 8. In verse 19, we see the power of P in reconciliation. 9. What promises do you see from Jesus in verses 19 & 20? A ACTING on God s Word When a brother or sister in the Lord offends you or hurts you in some way, how do you respond? Do you approach them in love and tell them how you were hurt or do you talk to others about what that person did or said to you? What often results when we humbly approach a sister in love? What often results in that relationship when we talk to others about the problem instead? We learned today God s clear process for reconciling matters within the church. What did you learn today that you can apply to current relationships when offenses happen? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 4

15 Girls, this is serious business. We know that disagreements will happen within the church and godly relationships. There will be times that our sinful nature and hearts will cause harm to someone we love. But God gives us the answers for how to reconcile with those who hurt and offend us. May we make a commitment today to follow God s perfect plan for reconciliation knowing that above all we are to love our neighbor more than ourselves. D in God s Word Lord, thank you for not only telling us how to to live peaceably with all people, but demonstrating that love toward us. How it pleases your heart when we live at peace with one another. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. What an awesome responsibility we have. What an awesome God we serve! Close in Prayer NOTES Matthew Chapter 18 Day 4

16 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 5: Humility Forgives Even The Unforgivable Matthew 18: A Humble King Gives Instructions To His Church As Jesus was nailed to the cross among two robbers, the first words He uttered were, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. Jesus came to give His life that we might be forgiven. Forgiveness is at the very heart of our Father and is the main point of today s message. A recent Gall-up poll found that 94% of people think forgiveness is important, but only 48% practice it. Where are you with these two questions. Do you believe forgiveness is important? Do you practice it? Since this is so close to God s heart, He has much to teach us regarding forgiveness. May you ask God to open your heart today to His Truths and all He wants to teach you through today s lesson in Matthew. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Matthew 18:1-35 Today s Scripture Focus: Matthew 18:21-35 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. What question did Peter ask Jesus in verse 21? How many times was he willing to forgive and what do you think was Peter s intent in asking this question of Jesus? Keep in mind that the Jewish tradition limited forgiveness to three times. If someone wronged a Jew, and asked for forgiveness, they were given 3 opportunities to be forgiven. If asked for, forgiveness had to be granted by the 3rd request. 2. In verse 22, Jesus responds to Peter. What did He say and what was being implied? 3. Define forgive. Matthew Chapter 18 Day 5

17 Jesus proceeds to teach Peter through a parable. Keep in mind as you are reading that ten thousand talents was a huge debt. The value of the gold in the temple was eight talents so this debt was even more than that. Commentators have put the modern day value somewhere between $12 million and $1 billion. 4. Read verses and summarize the point Jesus was making regarding forgiveness and our godly responsibility. a. How do we see the master responding? List adjectives to describe him. 5. In verse 28, what does the servant who was forgiven of his enormous debt do once he was forgiven? A denarius was a Roman silver coin worth about 16 cents. A hundred denarii is equal to a laborer s daily wages. The amount was about $ Summarize what happened in verses What adjectives would you use to describe the servant who went out and demanded repayment from his fellow servant? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 5

18 8. In verse 34, the master turned the unforgiving servant over to torturers until he could pay the debt back. Would he ever be able to pay the debt back on his own? How does unforgiveness in our own heart compare to being tortured? Bitterness is like drinking poison and thinking it will kill the other person 9. Look up the following verses and write what they teach regarding forgiveness. Ephesians 4:31-32 James 2:13 Psalm 86:5 Jeremiah 31:34 Matthew 6: John 1:9 10. In verse 35, Jesus makes a specific point regarding forgiveness. Is forgiveness an act only or something deeper? What does Jesus require? Matthew Chapter 18 Day 5

19 A ACTING on God s Word From what you learned today, how is it possible for us to forgive the unforgivable? Forgiveness is a choice with major effects and consequences. As we read in Jeremiah 31, Jesus is our example. He chooses to forget our sins and forgive us. How is this a model for you to follow? Instead of focusing on the offenses done to us, what/who should we be focusing on? Is there someone in your life who you have not forgiven? Be honest, how is this going for you? Why haven t you forgiven them? Do you believe that God is big enough to help you forgive this person? Why or why not? We can t forgive on our own. We need God s grace. He gives His grace daily that we might also be gracious to others. What steps do you need to take right now to forgive. Precious sister, where there is forgiveness, there is healing. Take your pain to the Lord now and ask Him to enable you to extend forgiveness. Matthew Chapter 18 Day 5

20 D in God s Word Lord, thank you for forgiving me, the unforgivable, for all of my sins. May I take Your yoke upon me and learn from You, for you are gentle and humble. In You alone, Lord, I find rest for my soul. Close in Prayer thanking God for His example and forgiveness. Ask Him to help you to offer the same forgiveness that you have received from Him. NOTES Matthew Chapter 18 Day 5