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(click on a study, copy and paste it---and it's yours)Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (4) Jesus’ Salty Community
Review Matthew 5:1-16 (NIrV p 1034)
- What types of people are “salty” people?
- What does it mean to be “salty?”
Matthew 6:19—7:27: Staying salty (2)
A. Matthew 6:19-24: Looking for security
19Do not put away riches for yourselves on earth. Moths and rust can destroy them. Thieves can break in and steal them. 20Instead, put away riches for yourselves in
heaven. There, moths and rust do not destroy them. There, thieves do not break in and steal them. 21Your heart will be where your riches are.
- Why do we “put away our riches?”
- If you were rich in Jesus’ day, you bought beautiful clothing to show everyone how rich you were. And since there were no banks, you would often buried your coins in the ground.
What do moths and rust do to these “riches?” - If Jesus were to talk about earthly riches today, what might he mention?
- Where do our cultures tell us to invest our riches?
- What riches are in heaven?
- How do we put away riches there?
- Is Jesus correct in saying “Your heart will be where your riches are?”
- Why?
- Why does our consumer society need Jesus’ “salty” people?
- What does Jesus saying “the eye is like a lamp for the body” have to do with our search for security?
- What makes our eyes good or bad?
- “You cannot serve both God and money.” Do you agree? Explain your answer.
- How would acknowledging this statement salt our lives and the lives of others?
22The eye is like a lamp for the body. Suppose your eyes are good. Then your whole body will be full of light. 23But suppose your eyes are bad. Then your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light inside you is darkness, then it is very dark!
24No one can serve two masters at the same time. He will hate one of them and love the other. Or he will be faithful to one and dislike the other. You can’t serve God and Money at the same time.
B. Matthew 6:25-34: Insecurity produces worries of all kinds
25I tell you, do not worry. Don’t worry about your life and what you will eat or drink. And don’t worry about your body and what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than eating? Aren’t there more important things for the body than clothes?
26Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are?
27Can you add even one hour to your life by worrying? 28And why do you worry about clothes? See how the wild flowers grow. They don’t work or make clothing. 29But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers. 30If that is how God dresses the wild grass, won’t he dress you even better? After all, the grass is here only today. Tomorrow it is thrown into the fire. Your faith is so small!
31So don’t worry. Don’t say, ‘What will we eat?’ Or, ‘What will we drink?’ Or, ‘What will we wear?’ 32People who are ungodly run after all of those things. Your Father who is in heaven knows that you need them.
33But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you.
34So don’t worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
- Jesus sees that we are worried about what things?
- Should we be worried about them? Why not? (Who feeds the birds—vs 26?)
- Jesus wants to detach our lives from these things so that we can attach them to what? (vs. 33)
- How would not worrying about clothes and cars and salt our lives and the lives of others?
- Does Jesus mean that we should not have a nice house or nice clothes?
C. Matthew 7:1-6 Salty attitudes
1Do not judge others. Then you will not be judged. 2You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others. 3You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend’s eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye. 4How can you say to your friend, ‘Let me take the bit of sawdust out of your eye’? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye?
5You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend’s eye.
- Is Jesus saying that we cannot judge someone or something to be right or wrong?
- Does Jesus mean that if we don’t say that another person’s sin is wrong no one (not even God?) can say that our sin is wrong?
- Is there a difference between judging and being judgmental? Explain
- What danger does Jesus see in our judging other people?
- How would not being judgmental salt our lives and the lives of others?
D. Matthew 7: 7-12: How can we be Jesus’ salty people?
7Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8Everyone who asks will receive. He who searches will find. The door will be opened to the one who knocks.
9Suppose your son asks for bread. Which of you will give him a stone? 10Or suppose he asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake? 11Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you. This is what is written in the Law and in the Prophets.
- How can we possible be do all that Jesus tells us to do? (vs. 7)
- What is Jesus’ promise when we do them?