a. According to v. 41, who are the weeds?5. What does “pulling out” mean? Does it conflict with church discipline? (And what is the aim of church discipline?)
b. Which of the two reasons give you the patience to bear with them?
c. Might there be other reason(s) that cause you to be patient as well?
“In Mormonism, Jesus is a creation, the product of relations between god and his goddess wife who used to be people from another world (McConkie, Bruce, Mormon Doctrine, p. 192, 321, 516, 589). Jesus is the literal spirit brother of the devil and of you and I (McConkie, p. 192, 589). Also, in Mormon theology, God has a body of flesh and bones (Doctrine & Covenants 130:22) as does his wife and together they produce spirit offspring in heaven who inhabit human bodies on earth.”You can go to the CARM’s website to get a helpful comparison chart between the Mormon’s Jesus and the Biblical Jesus.
“We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.”It is clear that they do not believe in salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not to mention the Jesus Christ they believe in is a very different Savior than ours.
“Nov. 3. I spent this day in secret fasting and prayer, from morning till night. Early in the morning, I had some assistance in prayer. Afterwards I read the story of Elijah the prophet. My soul was much moved, observing the faith, zeal, and power of that Holy man; and how he wrestled with God in prayer. I then cried with Elisha, ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?!’ I longed for more faith! My soul breathed after God, and pleaded with him, that a double portion of that spirit, which was given to Elijah, might rest on me, and I saw God is the same that he was in the days of Elijah. I was enabled to wrestle with God by prayer, in a more affectionate, humble, and importunate manner, than I have for many months past. Nothing seemed too hard for God to perform; nothing too great for me to hope for from him. I had for many months lost all hopes of doing any special service for God in the world; it appeared impossible, that one so vile should be thus employed for God. But at this time God was pleased to revive this hope. Afterwards I read the third chapter of Exodus, and on to the twentieth, and saw more of the glory and majesty of God discovered in those chapters, than ever I had seen before; frequently, in the meantime, falling on my knees, and crying to God for the faith of Moses, and for a manifestation of the Divine glory. My soul was ardent in prayer, and I was enabled to wrestle for myself, for my friends, and for the church. I felt more desire to see the power of God in the conversion of souls, than I have done for a long season. Blessed be God for this season of fasting and prayer. May his goodness always abide with me, and draw my soul to him.”An impacting ministry: As short as his life was, his time in ministry was even shorter and apparently his ministry yielded very little fruit in his time; but known through published diaries, his life impacted innumerable Christians, pastors and missionaries. He has indeed become a tree on whose branches many birds came to perch on. (Matt. 13:32)
a. Why is the Kingdom likened to what is “hidden”?2. The Pearl:
b. Why is it likened to “treasure”? What is the Kingdom like to you?
c. How special is the man in the parable?
d. Putting yourself in the shoes of the man in the parable, would you sell “all” to buy the field? (Under what conditions might you do it?)
e. How does the parable relate the Kingdom of God to you?
a. What is so special about this merchant?3. In what ways are the above parables an accurate depiction of your conversion? In what ways are they not?
b. If you were him, under what conditions would you sell “everything” to buy the pearl?
c. How does the parable relate the Kingdom of God to you?
a. What might be the difference in emphasis?5. “Scribes” in v.52 now refers to the disciples who have been trained and have come to understand the Kingdom (Lenski, Matthew, 550):
b. What might be similar in emphasis?
a. What do they now have?6. What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
b. What does Jesus call both the new and the old?
c. Are you striving to be the expert or the owner of God’s words today?
Refrain
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today
1
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
2
I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name
3
He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead
- He is Elijah (see Mal. 4:5)2. John’s mission was to pave the way for the Messiah (Isa. 40:3ff), but his mission appeared to have been cut short by his confrontation of a gentile queen, the wicked Herodias. Was it worth it? What do you think?
- He is like one of the prophets long ago (by then the Jews had not seen a prophet for over 300 years).
- John the Baptist (Herod’s speculation)
a. An abrupt stop to the routine (to withdraw)Although I have no idea how Jesus dealt with the death of John before the Father, it was certainly a time of sorrow, of apparent triumph of evil, the end of an important era (a close to John’s mission to prepare His way — he had served his purpose in the Kingdom), and a reminder of His own death. As was Jesus’ habit, He sensed the need to deal with it before the Father.
b. A resolve to be away from the crowd (by boat)
c. Leaving even the closest company behind (privately without His dear disciples), and
d. A time only between Him and the Father (a solitary place)