Hello This is a Test

Group Guide

March 27th, 2022
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Ice-Breaker 

Since we've been studying the Scripture, verse by verse, have you noticed a difference in your walk with the Lord? What has been your biggest takeaway so far? What has surprised you? 

This Week's City 7

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.

(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-26, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

Discussion Questions

Have someone ready Luke 6:20-26 aloud.
  1. In chapter 6, Luke records Jesus' famous sermon, "The Sermon on the Plain", or as Matthew titles it, "The Sermon on the Mount." He gives 4 blessings (the Beatitudes) followed by 4 corresponding woes. The first two Brandon talked about on Sunday were to the poor and the rich (vs. 20 and 24). Jesus ISN'T saying that your salvation has anything to do with the amount of money you have. He is saying that we should be among those who understand that they are spiritually bankrupt and can't do anything on their own to find favor with God. On the other hand, WOE to those who think they can earn their standing with God through good deeds. Which category do you typically drift into when it comes to how you view your standing with God?

  2. Next we talked about blessed are the hungry and woe to the full. Matthew phrases it, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." This one is related to the first. Blessed are those who have an intense, deep longing for acceptance from God. They crave righteousness in their own lives. But WOE to those who are satisfied. These are the people that imagine that they have everything they need and lack nothing. This one is easy for those of us in the western world to mess up. What is it about our culture and lifestyles that might make it difficult to stay spiritually hungry?

  3. Blessed are those who weep now, and woe to those who laugh now. This one is all about repentance. Blessed are those who realize they are poor and hungry, and therefore they are broken and overwhelmed with grief. This is the emotional breakdown that should follow recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy and lack of righteousness. And WOE to those who laugh now, for you will mourn. Jesus tells us that on the day of judgment there will be many who think they're good with God and have just been fooling themselves. He is saying, "Woe to those who laugh even though their lives are on fire!" They are heading for destruction and yet they are blind to it. When was the last time you were truly broken over your sin? Are you ever tempted to put on the mask and just pretend everything is ok even when things are a mess? Why is that?

  4. Finally, Jesus spoke of those who are rejected because of him and those who everyone loves and accepts. The world is hostile to Jesus followers. Jesus was saying that true followers would be hated because of who they followed, while those living for themselves and the approval of others are exposed as frauds. Have you ever been rejected or lost friends over your decision to follow Jesus or do things God's way? Do you live out your faith in a way that is apparent to everyone around you?

  5. Brandon closed his message suggesting that this sermon of Jesus could be taken literally as well. For almost all of church history, being a Christian DID mean that you were poor, hungry, full of sorrow, and hated. America is the anomaly here, the blip on the radar. For the Christian, suffering should be expected. We, on the other hand, have taken that warning and completely gotten it backwards. We have ascribed to the prosperity gospel that says that Jesus wants to bless us and give us stuff if we'll just be obedient to him, while in other parts of the world obedience IS the very thing that causes believers to suffer. SHAME ON US! Our country is moving in a direction that could very will lead to our suffering, as culture grows more and more hostile to God and further away from his ways. Spend some time talking through the questions Brandon left us with on Sunday... (1) If being a Christian meant suffering, would you still be one? (And would you let your kids be one?) (2) Are you building the kind of faith now that will sustain you through suffering? (3) If not, what do you need to stop doing, start doing or change?

Prayer Topics 

  • That we would realize that, without Jesus, we are spiritually poor and hungry.
  • That our hearts would break over our sin and and lack of righteousness.
  • That we would live our faith for all to see.
  • That we would be ready and willing to suffer for the sake of following Jesus.

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