Sunday, March 26th, 2017
Matthew 6:16-7:12
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is set early in the Ministry of Jesus as it picks up after he has been baptized by John the Baptist in chapter 3 of and gathered his first disciples in chapter 4. It is the longest piece of teaching from Jesus in the New Testament, and occupies chapters 5, 6 and 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. Here we see Jesus teach on the fundamental elements of His ethics and His kingdom. The Sermon has been one of the most widely read and quoted elements of the of any of the 4 gospel accounts.
Our hope and prayer this Lent season is that through the study and meditation of this text our hearts together would be refreshed and transformed by the Spirit of God as we join with Him in the renewal of our city.
As you read and study together, make sure to work hard at hearing from everyone that has gathered together. Pray for one another and be accountable to applying the word of God to your lives.
General Questions:
- What would be your initial response to Jesus telling you, “you cannot serve both God and money” and “to not worry about your life, or what you will eat or drink”? What is Jesus’ response to those feelings?
For Further Discussion:.
- In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus provides us with three statements regarding the aspirations of our hearts. In essence, Jesus is telling us that our security can not be in God and money. How have you struggled with this? Has God shown up somewhere in life to help alleviate the desire to find your security in money?
- It is only proper that Jesus’ statements in the next section, 6:25-34, revolve around anxiety, worry, and stress related to our physical needs. Essentially, He states that anxiety and stress distract us from living a peaceful, serene life with God at the center. How have anxiety, worry, and stress been a factor in dragging your thoughts and focus away from God? What are some ways your community group can help you with this in the upcoming week?
- Jesus’ statement not to judge has often been taken out of context. Often people use this verse to justify their behavior, but this is an improper use of this verse. How do Jesus’ statements in verses 2-5 help clarify His statement in 7:1?