Church of The Open Door Sermons

Discipleship Questions

“Help for Hypocrites”

Luke 6:41-42

Jesus knew the power of humor to teach truth.

The “speck” is small. Those who focus on it are being nitpicky.

The “plank” is substantial. Those who miss it are blind.

The “contrast” is hilarious. Those who get it will laugh.

The “questions” are revealing. Those who use them will grow.

Jesus knew the power of questions to train disciples.

What am I paying attention to?

Don’t focus on the flaws in other’s lives; be merciful.

Focus on Jesus; learn to love like him.

Don’t ignore the sin in your life; confess

Am I aware of my blind spots?

Blind spots are visible, but really hard to see in ourselves.

Ask God to open your eyes.

Ask people to help you see what “you fail to see.”

Where is there hypocrisy in my life?

Hypocrisy is not failing to be perfect, it’s pretending to be something you’re not.

Ask God to point out hypocrisy in your life.

I’m not ready to help others see when I’m living in hypocrisy.

Have I dealt with my sin?

Seeing sin in others should cause us to ask “where is there sin in me?”

The only remedy for sin is the cross of Christ.

When we confess our sin, the blood of Jesus washes away our sin.

Look in the mirror yourself before you look for a flaw in others.

Join us as we dive deeper into the Scriptures and themes from the Sunday morning sermons at Church of the Open Door! If you have questions to add to the conversation, let us know at [email protected]!

Discipleship Questions

“Foundational Questions for Disciples”

Luke 6:39-40

Who are you following?

Blind guides lead to death.

Trustworthy guides lead to life.

Jesus

Holy Spirit

Scripture

What are you learning?

A disciple is learning the way of Jesus not facts about Jesus.

Discipleship is more apprenticeship than scholarship.

Disciples follow Jesus to learn from Jesus to become like Jesus.

Are you becoming more like Jesus?

The goal of discipleship is Christlikeness.

Christlikeness is an ongoing process not a onetime experience.

How are you training?

You don’t have to “go someplace” to learn to become like Christ, God has designed our everyday life to help train us to become more like Jesus.

The CoreH.R.I.S.T.like Characteristics are a curriculum for Christlikeness.

As we “learn to breathe,” we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s work to make us more like Jesus.

Join us as we dive deeper into the Scriptures and themes from the Sunday morning sermons at Church of the Open Door! If you have questions to add to the conversation, let us know at [email protected]!

Expanding Your Circle of Love

Why We (For)give

Luke 6:37-38

Jesus’ point: We show mercy by giving pardon and possessions.

Forgiveness: “To release or pardon” when someone has harmed or offended you.

Giving: To give up material possessions to someone else.

The common thread: Christ is calling us to let go of things we tend to hold on to.

Why should we show mercy?

Because Jesus commands it, and that should be enough.

Because wisdom commends it, and Jesus wants us to know it’s worth

Because God models it; we give because God already

Take Home Truth: Only when we understand the mercy we’ve been freely given in Christ will we be free to give it to others.

Expanding Your Circle of Love

“Measuring Up”

Luke 6:37-38

Are we measuring up to Jesus’ standard?

Am I listening? (27a)

Am I loving well? (27b-35a)

Am I resembling the Father? (35b-36) (Matt 5:44-45)

What am I doing? (31, 37-38)

Truth:

God’s glory and presence fill the whole earth and universe - except the heart of man.

We do not measure up to God’s standard.

We do not hold others to a just standard.

God knew this and sent One who did measure up. (Eph. 3:19 NIV)

Jesus’ death on the cross pours life into those who believe in Him giving forgiveness and hope and peace to the fullest measure!

What does measuring up look like?

Accept the free gift of God in Christ

Invite Him to make His home in your heart - to make you more like Jesus

Display the character of God in how you love Him & others

judging | forgiving = release

condemning | giving = surrender

We do not forgive and give to get but to let go

It’s not about what I get, it’s about what God gets: glory & praise

We need to up our measurement to God’s standard

In Christ, He has forgiven and given to the fullest measure and poured it into our laps

He expects us to forgive and give to others with this same measurement!

Measuring up is a heart issue - allow God in to make your heart truly His home so His presence will fill the universe and you

Core CHRISTlike Characteristics: Relates with Other-Centered Love, Spirit-Led Servant

 

LifeGroup Questions: Applying the Teaching to Our Life

Begin Life Group with prayer - invite the Holy Spirit to speak and move among you.

Ice breaker: Whether it was a job you worked or school or other moments in life, describe a time that you felt you didn’t measure up to the task or challenge in front of you.

Looking back over this series, what area do you feel you’ve grown in when responding to Jesus’ challenge to listen, love, resemble the Father and do good to others?

Thinking of that person who you struggle to forgive, or the one you don’t wish to give anything to, how can you take a step towards the love and generosity Jesus is talking about here?

How does the Hindu/Buddhist term “karma” compare and differ to what Jesus is teaching in this section?

Read Jesus’ story of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Apply Jesus’ instruction in this passage to the story - how does the story help elaborate on Jesus’ point? How can we live differently because of this?

End your time in prayer over these things. Encourage and strengthen each other as you pray especially in the growth we all need to be Spirit-led lovers who forgive and give abundantly for God’s glory!

Expanding Your Circle of Love

“Once you get it, you’ll give it”

Luke 6:37b-38

NOTES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lifegroup questions:

Do you believe there are things that are unforgivable? Explain.

Read Matt. 18:21-35. Who is speaking? According to this can I lose my salvation if I don’t forgive someone?

How do I know when I’ve truly forgiven someone?

Jesus commands his followers to be givers. Would you say you come to church to primarily give or receive? Explain.

Some ways to be generous with our lives included giving our time, attention, thoughts, words, and influence. Who has been a shining example of some of these to you?

What is a failure, wound or burden you received in life that Jesus has transformed as a gift to be given to help others?

According to Luke 6:38, what WILL change if we are dedicated to giving our lives more than receiving? How might this change our church?

Will you commit to forgiving always and giving your life extravagantly? What needs to change today?

 

Christ-like characteristic: Relates with other centered love.

Expanding Your Circle of Love

How do we put mercy into action?

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Luke 6:37-38

 

 

We are called to put mercy into action by FORGIVING.

In order to forgive, we need to LET GO.

 

 

 

We are called to put mercy into action by GIVING.

In order to give, we need to LET GO.

 

 

 

We are called to put mercy into action because it’s WORTH IT!

We live out mercy when we are generous with our FORGIVENESS and POSSESSIONS.

LifeGroup Questions:  Applying the Teaching to Our Life

1.) What stood out from the message?

2.) In what ways are you thankful for God’s mercy in your life?

3.) Have you ever struggled to forgive? How did you work through it?

4.) Has anyone ever forgiven you? Can you share the story?

5.) How has someone else’s generosity blessed you?

6.) Why is giving important?

7.) In what ways do you struggle with generosity?

8.) How does a Gospel focus help us show mercy?

9.) What would our families, churches, and communities look like if we began to truly live out mercy in our lives?

Expanding Your Circle of Love

“How to Judge Well”

Luke 6:37a,b; John 7:24

Jesus commands us to judge AND not to judge; which one is it?

We should judge because Jesus told us to judge.

We should judge because God made us to judge.

Assessing information

Forming and expressing an opinion

Distinguishing between choices

Exercising discernment

We should judge how Jesus told us to judge.

With righteous judgment

Correctly

Driven by love

By evaluating fruit

Being led by the Spirit

We should not judge when we are being judgmental.

Judging by mere appearances

Judging hastily

Judging prematurely

We should not judge when we are being unmerciful.

Exhibiting a critical spirit

Listening selectively

Ignoring our own faults.

We should not judge when we are being condemning.

Judging that is prohibited is judging that is condemning.

Sowing seeds of judgmentalism will reap a harvest of judgment.

We shouldn’t love to judge others, but we should judge others with love.

"The Man on the Middle Cross" by Alistair Begg

Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say by Preston Sprinkle

The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield

Join us as we dive deeper into the Scriptures and themes from the Sunday morning sermons at Church of the Open Door! If you have questions to add to the conversation, let us know at [email protected]!