Hey everyone! Here is the lesson from this past week if you were unable to be with us. Don't forget that along with studying the lesson from ABF you can also listen to Pastor John's sermon online if you miss it! Hope you all have had a great week so far.
Rolling Stone
Parables of Jesus: The Two Sons & The Talents
11/25/2012
Parables of Jesus: The Two Sons & The Talents
11/25/2012
The Two Sons - Matthew 21:28-32
Background info: This was Jesus’ final week before the cross. The Pharisees were a group of religious people that were constantly questioning His authority and challenging Christ with the law. They were religious on the outside, but their hearts were prideful and far from Him. Read Matthew 21:23-27. Why didn’t Jesus answer their question? What would have happened if Jesus said his authority came from God? What would have happened if Jesus said his authority came from men?
1. What are the points of reference?The Father
The Two Sons
The Two Sons
2. Who was the audience (21:45)? The Pharisees and religious leaders
3. What is the meaning to each potential audience?The meaning was that they were not repenting of their own self-righteousness and believing that Jesus was the Son of God. God’s will for them was to repent of their sins in their heart, not just in an outward display, but a repentance of the heart. God is not interested in what we say or do on the outside. He wants to be our greatest affection/heart’s desire. The tax collectors and the prostitutes were truly repenting in their hearts, which was what the Father wanted. The Pharisees were saying they wanted to obey God, but were being disobedient in their failure to repent and turn to Him.
Reference to John the Baptist. Read Matthew 3:7-10. God’s desire was not that they would be saved and obtain their righteousness from the law. His desire was that they would bear fruit “in keeping with repentance.”
Reference to John the Baptist. Read Matthew 3:7-10. God’s desire was not that they would be saved and obtain their righteousness from the law. His desire was that they would bear fruit “in keeping with repentance.”
4. How can we tell this parable in our own words?
5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom in this parable? The Gospel is clearly portrayed in this parable as Jesus talks about the will of the Father. His will is that we would repent and turn to Him for salvation. He does not expect us to “clean up” or “get it together” before we come to Him. He will save us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Don’t just “talk the talk,” but truly turn to Jesus in your hearts.
The Kingdom will be full of people that love Jesus and trust in the Lord for salvation. Not full of prideful, religious people who look good on the outside.
6. How do these ideas apply to our lives and/or marriages?We need to understand that our righteousness comes from God as a gift. It is not something we earn or work for on our own merit. It is a gift from God. We need to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Remember that there is nothing good inside of you. You are totally depraved. The only thing good in us is Christ. Even good things we do, without Christ, are meant for our own glory and self-righteousness, which is sin. God deserves all the glory for anything and everything we do. He alone is good and deserving of praise. Repent often.
This applies in our marriages as well. Own what you can own, and even more. Repent of the things that need to be repented of, and allow Christ to transform your heart. Don’t try to “work it out” on your own. Allow Christ to rule your hearts and He will transform you into the Godly husband and wife He wills you to be. And when you fall short, repent.
5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom in this parable? The Gospel is clearly portrayed in this parable as Jesus talks about the will of the Father. His will is that we would repent and turn to Him for salvation. He does not expect us to “clean up” or “get it together” before we come to Him. He will save us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Don’t just “talk the talk,” but truly turn to Jesus in your hearts.
The Kingdom will be full of people that love Jesus and trust in the Lord for salvation. Not full of prideful, religious people who look good on the outside.
6. How do these ideas apply to our lives and/or marriages?We need to understand that our righteousness comes from God as a gift. It is not something we earn or work for on our own merit. It is a gift from God. We need to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Remember that there is nothing good inside of you. You are totally depraved. The only thing good in us is Christ. Even good things we do, without Christ, are meant for our own glory and self-righteousness, which is sin. God deserves all the glory for anything and everything we do. He alone is good and deserving of praise. Repent often.
This applies in our marriages as well. Own what you can own, and even more. Repent of the things that need to be repented of, and allow Christ to transform your heart. Don’t try to “work it out” on your own. Allow Christ to rule your hearts and He will transform you into the Godly husband and wife He wills you to be. And when you fall short, repent.
The Talents - Matthew 25: 14-30
Background: Read the subtitles in Ch. 22-23. Read Matthew 24:26-51. Jesus tells a parable about the ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13, which is about the kingdom of heaven. Ch.25:14 beings with “Again, it will be like…” which means that this parable is about the kingdom of heaven, specifically with relation to remaining watchful.
1. What are the points of reference?Man going on a journey
The Servants
The Master’s property (talents)
The Servants
The Master’s property (talents)
2. Who was the audience (Ch24:3)?Jesus’ disciples
3. What is the meaning to each potential audience?It’s not what the Master has given, but what the servants do with what has been given that counts.
They have been entrusted with the Master’s property. The will of God is that they would use what they have been given to bear fruit and to be good stewards of what they’ve been given.
Keep the focus on the response of the master when he returns. Do not be lazy or self-serving or ignore the will of the Master.
They have been entrusted with the Master’s property. The will of God is that they would use what they have been given to bear fruit and to be good stewards of what they’ve been given.
Keep the focus on the response of the master when he returns. Do not be lazy or self-serving or ignore the will of the Master.
4. How can we tell this parable in our own words?
5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom in this parable? This parable is about the kingdom of God. The whole purpose of the parable is to illustrate the importance of stewarding well what God has entrusted to us as His servants. We are not to be lazy and squander what God has entrusted us with, or allow those things to terminate on us. We need to put our gifts, time, money, and talents to work in order to bear fruit for the kingdom of God.
This parable has eternal significance. The response of the Master to the first two servants who dealt faithfully with what they had been given were entrusted with even more in the Kingdom of God. The servant who was lazy and squandered what the master had given him was left with nothing and was cast into an eternity separated from the presence of the Lord.
5. How can we see the gospel/kingdom in this parable? This parable is about the kingdom of God. The whole purpose of the parable is to illustrate the importance of stewarding well what God has entrusted to us as His servants. We are not to be lazy and squander what God has entrusted us with, or allow those things to terminate on us. We need to put our gifts, time, money, and talents to work in order to bear fruit for the kingdom of God.
This parable has eternal significance. The response of the Master to the first two servants who dealt faithfully with what they had been given were entrusted with even more in the Kingdom of God. The servant who was lazy and squandered what the master had given him was left with nothing and was cast into an eternity separated from the presence of the Lord.
6. How do these ideas apply to our lives and/or marriages?This idea is transformational! Everything we own, our money, time, talents, gifts, spouses, children; all of these things have been given to us and entrusted to us by the Lord. We are called to steward them well!
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