The Sermon on the Mount – Conclusion: Hearers and Doers
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
In Matthew 7:21-29, Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount by calling all of us to examine ourselves: Are we truly known by Jesus, truly citizens of God’s kingdom? There is a lot of tension in this passage, but Christian explained that Jesus has a good purpose in creating this tension: To destabilize false confidence in our salvation in order to point us to what is truly stable: a sure foundation to build our lives and our assurance of salvation upon. Jesus addresses three false sources of confidence: mere lip-service without actions (v. 21), big actions without a relationship with Jesus (v. 22-23), and hearing Jesus' words without doing them (v. 26-27). Instead, Jesus says that the true citizens of God’s kingdom are those who do God’s will (v. 21) by hearing Jesus’ words and doing them (v. 24-25). Far from teaching us that our salvation is based upon our works, Jesus is teaching us the same principle that we find throughout the New Testament: We are saved by God's grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ, but the same grace that saves us, also transforms and trains us to live like Jesus–to be hearers and doers of what he says (see Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 2:11-14; James 2:14-26; 1 John 2:4-6).
Discussion Questions
Reread vv. 24-27. We have heard a lot from Jesus as we’ve worked through the Sermon on the Mount over the past 4 months. So what are you doing with what you’ve heard? How have you sought to put Jesus’ words into practice? Are there actions that you know you need to take to obey Jesus, but you haven’t yet? Ask God for grace and faith to follow Jesus’ commands (see vv. 7-8).
In the parable of the wise & foolish builders (vv. 24-27), the same storm impacts both houses. Christian explained that, in the context, the storm most likely refers to final judgment, but he also talked about how God uses the lesser “storms” we face in this life (trials suffering, conflict) as a training ground to grow our character and prove–or improve–our faith (see James 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; Rom. 5:3-5; 2 Thess 1:3-5).
What storms are you facing right now? What are they revealing about the foundation your life is built upon? What changes do you need to make?
What storms have you faced in the past? How was God shaping your character through them, both those you handled well and those you handled poorly?
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.