Group Guide
This Week's City 7:
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
Ice-Breaker:
How excited are you that The City Church now has a permanent home?
Discussion Questions:
Have someone read Luke 20:1-19 aloud.
- In the first few verses, the leading priests were asking Jesus who gave Him the authority to do what He was doing. Like, what gives Him the right to come in and correct everything? What is it that makes Him right and everyone else wrong? Jesus' response is incredibly brilliant. In His question about John the Baptist's authority, Jesus narrows it down to two sources of authority: human and divine. If they said John's authority came from God, it would giving legitimacy to Jesus' ministry. But what was their response? Instead of turning to scripture for the answer, instead of looking to the Truth, they "talked it over among themselves." This is a BIG mistake, and it reveals their hearts. Our culture, even Christians, can do the same thing. What are some issues you have seen where Christians will consult each other, or popular opinion, rather than looking to the truth of Scripture? What are the dangers of this way of thinking?
- The religious leaders of Jesus' day were only concerned with public opinion. All they cared about was how they looked to other people. They had a real "fear of man" problem. This led them to not giving an answer. And when it comes to Jesus and truth, no answer is an answer. There is no middle ground. Are there ever times you back off of the truth in order to not ruffle someone's feathers? Do you ever not obey God because of what someone will think of you?
- Jesus then gives a parable about a vineyard. In this story, each character represents someone or something. The owner of the vineyard is God. The vineyard is the people of Israel. The tenant farmers are the pharisees and the teachers of the Law. The servants are the Old Testament leaders and prophets. The son is Jesus. This parable tells the over-arching story of the entire Bible! God entrusted spiritual leaders with the people of God, His word and the worship of God. The tenant farmers mishandled it and refused to listen to any of the servants. They acted like they owned the vineyard. Ultimately, God sends His only Son, who the farmers kill. In this story, we are all either a tenant farmer or a wicked farmer. How can you tell which one YOU are? Answer these questions... Do you think you are the owner of your life, or do you submit to your Lord? Are you more about living YOUR truth or submitting to THE truth? Do you ever invent a different Jesus that always agrees with you and is for anything that makes you happy, or do you fully embrace the Jesus of the Bible? Are you more concerned with what other people think of you or what God thinks of you? Which farmer or you?
- Clayton started his message on Sunday by talking about the large stones in front of the new building. Jesus said in Luke 20 that He was the stone that the builders rejected, but now He is the cornerstone. He is a stone that cannot be moved. And this cornerstone should be the foundation that our lives are built upon. What should this look like in our lives? How do we go about making Him our cornerstone?
- Ultimately, every one of us has to know who has the authority in our lives. A tenant knows he's a renter and not an owner. We all must say, "The AUTHOR is my AUTHORITY!" This means we have to realize our hearts are deceitful and our minds are foolish, so we choose to trust God and His Word. We have to refuse to live for man's approval. We must love God most and first. Can you say your life is truly about His glory? Do you really believe that His glory is ultimately for your good? What needs to change?
Prayer Topics:
- That we would be tenant farmers.
- That we wouldn't live for man's approval.
- That Jesus would be the cornerstone of our lives.
1 Comment
Thank you Jesus for these last two years of the Covarrubias City Group.