The Sermon on the Mount: Fulfilling the Law Pt. 4 – Retaliation & Love for Enemies
Community Guide
The Community Guide below is based on Sunday’s teaching for our current series: The Gospel of Matthew, "Apprenticing with Jesus." As your whole Community gathers (online or in-person), use the Community Guide below to give shape to your time together.
Communion
Begin your time by taking the Lord’s Supper together. To facilitate your time, you can ask a group member to come ready with a short prayer or scripture reading or read the passage we’ve provided below. After reading (aloud), spend a moment in silence before taking the elements:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” – Matthew 26:26-30
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. – 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Sermon Overview
As chapter 5 comes to a close, Jesus lands two of the most powerful statements of his sermon. The first is not to “resist the one who is evil” (5:39), and the second is “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (v 44). Why? Because that is what sons and daughters “of your Father who is in heaven” (v 45) look like. They possess this quality because that is what their “Father who is in heaven” looks like (v 48). And that is the greatest reward we could ever receive.
Questions
As a group, discuss the implications of verses 38-42. In what ways might we try to explain away this call of God? In what ways might we misunderstand this section? Discuss the times we are to “resist the one who is evil”? Helpful Tip…It may be useful to think about the life of Christ or Daniel to frame your discussion (and on question #2).
As a group, discuss the implications of verses 43-47. How does following this call of God result in us being different from the world in which we live? Why did Jesus add that we are to “pray for those who persecute” us (v 44; think “flourishing” for our enemies)?
Todd spent the last few minutes of the message talking about the target and reward of this calling: “...so that you may be sons [and daughters] of your Father who is in heaven”. The goal or reward is NOT that those who are evil will become less evil or that those who persecute us will stop doing so. We can’t control what others do or don’t do. However, we can embrace that we are given the privilege to represent our Father and will begin to look more and more like our Father (see Todd’s discussion of verse 48). As a group, discuss the importance of keeping this goal of our transformation at the forefront and not the change in others.
Missionary Practice For The Week Ahead: BLESS
If you do at least one of these practices every day, you will not only become more like Jesus, but you will help others find Jesus too! In your time together as a community, ask the questions, “Who did you BLESS this week? This time of sharing will keep the Great Commission at the forefront of who we are called to be as followers of Jesus. It will also provide the opportunity to celebrate and encourage one another on the journey.
ᐅ B.L.E.S.S.
(B)egin with Prayer:
Pray for the people in your life and the places that you’re in.
People: Who do you live, work and play with that is far from God? Pray that God would create spiritual curiosity in them, and then spend time with them.
Places:
Where does pain exist here? Pray for healing.
Who makes the decisions here? Pray for integrity.
Who throws parties here? Pray for community.
Where are the pennies spent here? Pray for provision.
(L)isten:
Listen to and discover the needs of others and the places where God is at work.
Before you can help others find Jesus, you need to listen to them first - their hopes, pains, challenges, and dreams. In your interactions with others today, take the posture of a learner. Lay down assumptions and practice being present in conversations.
(E)at:
Share meals, drink coffee, and spend time with people in your life that don’t yet know Jesus.
Who can you eat with (or have coffee with) that is far from God? A co-worker over lunch? A neighbor during the day? A friend or family member over the weekend?
Is there a place that you regularly visit (coffee shop, gym, etc.)? Ask God to grant you opportunities to eat with people.
(S)erve:
Who can you serve this week? Who do you know that has a practical need? Ask them how you can help.
Before jumping into serving, have you taken the time to pray for, listen to and eat with these people? Doing these things first helps you discover the way that you really need to serve them.
(S)tory:
Share the story of Jesus and what He is doing in your life with others.
Start by sharing how God has blessed you and made a difference in your life.
Share your story in such a way that demonstrates that Jesus is also at work in their life.
Don’t feel like you have to tell your life story at once. Think “bite-size” stories.
Prayer
Spend a few minutes praying for God’s grace over each other, that we might become a people who make Jesus our Lord, and that there might be a sweeping renewal of the Holy Spirit in our city. Ask that God would stir up within us a desire to be with him in prayer and to serve him, one another, and our neighbor in love.