The Gospel of Matthew: The Kingdom of God Has Come Upon You (Matt. 12:22-37)
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
This Sunday, Christian taught us from Matthew 12:22-37, where Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ accusation that he was casting out demons by “Beelzebul, the prince of demons”(or Satan, v. 24). Jesus responded by first pointing out the absurdity of their accusation, but then he challenged them to consider the implications if the Spirit of God truly was empowering him: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (v. 28). Jesus described his mission as comparable to someone who binds a strong man in order to plunder his house (v. 29). In other words, Jesus came to defeat Satan and rescue people from his oppressive rule. While the Pharisees may have thought that Jesus was their main enemy, they are not his. Instead, the true enemy that Jesus had come to defeat was Satan himself (Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8). But, by opposing Jesus and attributing the Spirit’s power to Satan, the Pharisees have exposed the reality of their own hearts (v. 34): They have rejected the only one through whom sins can be forgiven (Eph. 1:7), and therefore no chance for forgiveness remains for them (vv. 31-32).
Discussion Questions
Jesus’ victory over Satan is one of the central themes of the biblical story, but in our context, many Christians tend to emphasize the idea of personal forgiveness of sins (which is true!) and not pay as much attention to this theme. Why do you think that is? How familiar are you with this aspect of Jesus’ mission?
Christian mentioned that people in our society often approach the topic of Satan, evil spirits, or spiritual beings in general in one of three ways: skepticism (or disbelief), fixation (focusing on it too much), or fear. Do any of these describe the way you’ve approached this topic?
In contrast to these approaches, Christian encouraged us to approach this topic with “confidence in our King.” He shared several NT passages that highlight Jesus’ “already/not yet” victory over Satan. Take some time to read these passages and discuss them together (or split up into groups of 2-3 people, with each group reading 1-2 passages and sharing what they learn with the group): John 12:31-33; 14:30-31; Col. 1:13-14; 2:13-15; Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 2:1–7; 6:10-13; James 4:6-8; Rev. 20:10, 15.
Finally, if you want to know about this important theme of the biblical story, consider reading the “Created Spiritual Beings” section of Cornerstone’s doctrinal statement. You can find it here: https://www.cornerstonesimi.com/doctrine-of-created-spiritual-beings.
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.