New Wine Sermon Study Guide for February 20, 2011
Matthew 9:14-17 "And it came to pass...that Jesus of Nazareth passed by," Luke 18:35-37. What a statement! Jesus, the Son of God, the Immanuel, the God who is with us, passed by! And when He passes by He can totally change our life as He changed the blind man's life in this account. Jesus healed and radically changed this very fortunate man so much so that he began following Jesus and praising God, Luke 18:43. Jesus changed many lives and He still does today as He "passes by." Jesus dramatically changed the life of Nicodemus, a man of prominence, and he became a follower. Jesus passed by and changed the lives of Peter, James and John and the other apostles. Along life's way He changed the woman at the well (she had had five husbands), and the woman taken in adultery, and a nobleman's sick son and even a short man named Zacchaeus, Luke 19:1 10. Jesus said the Son of man is come to "seek and to save that which was lost," Luke 19:10. And, if we too are following Jesus we will bring Him into contact with many other lives that He can pass by and change. Jesus changes every life for the better! His promise was to give us "Life more abundantly," John 10:10. Jesus healed the sick and even raised the dead, John 11:25-44. But more than this, Jesus can and will forgive our SINS, Matt. 1:21. Has Jesus of Nazareth "passed by" your life? Has He changed your life? - Ivy Conner
In the next sermon in a series of four, we look at one of the rich and vivid metaphors or illustrations of Jesus. Read the passage from Matthew 9 and answer/discuss these questions: 1. Scan through Matthew 6-7. Point out the numerous simple illustrations that Jesus uses to describe Kingdom concepts. He uses words like: salt, light, basket, hand, eye, hair, treasures, thieves, moths, etc. (There about 70 of these in the Gospels.) Why do you think Jesus used such simple word pictures? Read carefully Mark 4:10-12 for a clue to the answer. 2. There are the three similes or metaphors in Matt 9:14-17. Paraphrase each of these using your own words? Do they make sense to you? Would a wedding guest fast? Will a new patch tear away from an old cloth? Would new wine burst an old wine skins? What is Jesus saying about Himself? 3. Read the passage on the left. Tell your own story of a changed life? Share your own “passing by” story? 4. Notice all the miracles and feats of power that Jesus performs in the previous three chapters. Read Mark 15:39 and John 20:28. How are these two declarations proven by these miracles? What else proves the truth of Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God? Read Matt 15:15-16; John 5:18; John 10:33; Mark 14:61-64. 5. Does the Resurrection prove that He is the Son of God? What does Paul say about the importance of the Resurrection? (1 Corinthians 15:14-17) 6. Why is Jesus standing against old traditions of fasting? Is He against fasting? (see Matt 6:16) What is He saying about old customs and old traditions and His new presence? Has this been personally true? 7. What does the Renew for Our Future campaign emphasize that is important to you? Youth/children’s ministry, church planting, or debt elimination? What is most close to your own personal heart and interests?