Community Group Sermon Questions
The Upside Down Reality of Meekness – Matthew 5:5 – Blue Bible Page # 958
Connecting with each other QUESTIONS (Belonging):
1. Pastor Jim introduced the message with the story of the Amish in Nickel Mines, PA forgiving the gunman and his family that shot and killed a number of innocent school girls. He then talked about how when Hollywood made a movie about it they created a fictional character who couldn’t forgive and doubted her faith. Why do you think they had such a hard time simply telling the true story?
2. Why does our culture seem to value self-assertion (me first in all things) over self-renunciation (God and others first)?
Connecting with the Bible QUESTIONS (Discipleship):
· Read Psalm 37 (This Psalm is the background for Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:5.)
1. What do the people assume is true about evil people?
2. What does God say is true about evil people?
3. What is God calling His people to do?
4. What do God’s people receive as a result of following Him?
· Read Matthew 5:5
5. What does it mean to be meek?
6. Why is this a value Jesus wants to lift up?
7. What does the inheritance of the meek really look like?
Connecting with our world QUESTIONS (Care)
· Application
1. How is Jesus’ upside-down meekness so foreign to our culture?
2. How foreign is it to most Christians? How about you personally?
3. Pastor Jim said that the world’s biggest objection to meekness is: Being meek means being weak and the weak get killed. He went on to say that because of this our world lifts up mottos like:
· “Nice guys finish last.”
· “Never let them see you sweat!”
· “Might makes right.”
Do you agree or disagree? How about the three different mottos? Explain your answer.
4. Pastor Jim said, “Jesus was the meekest person ever and he was anything but weak.” If we are to be like Jesus, how can we be meek and strong at the same time?
5. How can we live meekly under God’s power and not our own self-assertive power?
6. How can we really sacrifice ourselves in order to build a different Kingdom and not ours?
7. How can our response to our enemies be meek like our King?
8. How would a meek posture like Jesus affect our marriage, family, workplace, friendships or even interactions with strangers?
· Impacting our world
1. How can our group do more to challenge each other to pursue the meekness and gentleness of Christ?
2. Who do we know outside our group that needs to see the meekness and gentleness of Christ through us?
Closing Prayer:
Key Prayer Concerns Facing Our Church
1. That the Holy Spirit’s power would be unleashed in our worship services, in our Community Groups and in every facet of our ministry together. I believe we will see people convicted of sin and called to repentance. I believe we will see a spiritual hunger and thirst to know God and for His righteousness to be demonstrated in our lives.
2. That God would give us as a church a love for people far from God in ways we have never possessed before along with a “whatever it takes” attitude to serve them. People will then step out of comfort zones to serve and they will sacrifice their agendas and preferences for the needs of others. They will also practice hospitality to the stranger in all-encompassing ways until those strangers become friends.
3. That God would give us opportunities to invest in the lives of family, friends and even total strangers for the sake of the Gospel. We will have a deep desire to be used by God to demonstrate and proclaim Jesus. We will engage in conversations that honor God and point people to Him. We will see God use us to invite people into spiritual conversations and even church events that might lead them to Christ.
4. That God would stretch our faith and provide for us in spiritual power to protect and bless current and future leaders so they can lead us to take radical risks to stretch ourselves for the mission our Church has to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We need God’s power to protect all of us, but especially our leaders, from spiritual attack and to give us the wisdom and discernment to lead well with absolute obedience to God.
5. That we will receive God’s favor to provide needed resources to carry out the mission He has called us to. That means praying specifically for the sale of the Burke building, but also for needed resources to carry on and expand the future ministry God has for us.