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(click on a study, copy and paste it---and it's yours)Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (5) Jesus Is Serious. Are we?
Review Matthew 5:1-16 (NIrV p. 1034)
- What types of people are “salty” people?
- What does it mean to be “salty?”
Review Matthew 5:21-48
- Is it easy to be a member of Jesus’ salty community?
- Why?
- Why not?
- What do you think is the hardest thing that Jesus expects of us?
A. Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus urges us choose the path that leads to life.
- Why would the choice to live as a member of Jesus’ salty people be like going through a “narrow gate?”
- What might you have to set aside in order to go through that gate? (That is, What difference would it in your life make if you became a follower of Jesus?)
- Why does Jesus say that this road is (that is, remains) narrow (vs 14)?
- What is the “large gate” and what is life like on the “wide road?”
- Why do many people choose it?
- Where does this road lead?
B. Matthew 7:15-23 Jesus warns us about false religious leaders
- What do prophets do?
- What does Jesus mean by saying that false religious leaders are wolves pretending to be sheep?
- How can we tell that they are wolves?
- What will they say and do according to verse 22?
- And what will Jesus say to them (vs. 23)?
- What do you think is more important to Jesus: people who can do spectacular things and say impressive things, or people who love God and love even their enemies?
- What is more important, for us to say “I know Jesus” or for Jesus to say “I know you?”
- According to Jesus, who will enter the kingdom of God (vs. 21)?
C. Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus’ concludes his sermon with words of challenge and promise.
- Jesus “paints” a picture of people building houses. What do those houses refer to?
- The first person builds her house on what?
- What does that mean?
- The second person builds her house on what?
- What does that mean?
- What do the winds and the rains refer to?
- >What happens to the two houses?
- What is the rock that the strong house is built on (vs. 24)?
- What are you and I building our houses on?