The Sermon on the Mount: Fulfilling the Law Pt. 1
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.
Begin by Practicing the Lord’s Supper Together (5 minutes)
Begin your time by partaking of the bread and the cup together. Have each person bring their own Communion elements or provide elements for the group. To facilitate your time, you can ask a member of your Community 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 continuing:
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
CHECK-IN (10 MINUTES)
As we focus on this series, we want to continue to create space for checking in on each other but doing so in a shorter amount of time. Take a few minutes to do a whole-person check-in (emotional, spiritual, physical) with your Community, creating space for each person to answer the question below:
What are three words you would use to describe this last week?
If the need arises, spend a few minutes praying for one another, asking God to meet needs and help each person carry what feels heavy right now.
overview
The last few weeks, we learned about how Jesus presented the character of the Kingdom he was bringing. They are commonly called the Beatitudes. The next week, we learned that this character is intended to impact the world through his kingdom people being “salt” (a preservative) and “light” (truth, confrontation, and hope) to the world. Sometimes, people will reject and persecute this group of people, and other times, they would see the beauty of Jesus through how he has changed these people and believe. In the coming weeks, including this week, we learned and will learn how Jesus intended his people to be “salt” and “light” by, in a surprising way, Jesus referencing the Law and how it would come to life in those who were Jesus’ followers. That is why WE MUST EMBRACE THAT WE ARE GOD’S PLAN TO IMPACT THE WORLD.
Questions
Todd talked about Jesus’ endorsement of the Old Testament clear down to the smallest markings. In other words, Jesus affirmed that the Old Testament is critical for his followers to understand. As a group, discuss your knowledge of the Old Testament. Remind the group how important it is to know and understand it.
One of the key ideas is that Jesus fulfilled the law. He was the One to whom the entire Old Testament was pointing. As a group, discuss some of the ways in which Jesus fulfilled the law. For example, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice, so sacrifices are no longer needed (see Heb 10). Jesus became the Temple, so the Temple was no longer needed (see Jn 2:18-22).
“Righteousness” was one of the words with which Todd talked. One truth is that those who come to Christ by faith have been made righteous by the death and resurrection of Jesus (Rom 3:22-25; 4:24-25). Another truth is that our righteousness from Christ then allows us to practice righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit, who has given us a new heart and desires (Jer 31:33; Ezk 36:27; 1 Jn 3:1-10). Or, regarding Matthew 5, we can now live the character of Jesus’ kingdom (vv 3-12), being “salt” and “light” (vv 13-14). As a group, discuss the difficulties and joys of living this way in the various facets of life.
Missionary Practice For The Week Ahead: BLESS (10 Minutes)
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 for 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 (10 Minutes)
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.