WALT39

Q4. What does the call to the Great Banquet sound like when we extend the invitation to those around us? In what sense are we the servants told to "compel them to come in"? In what sense are we those who have been called to the feast in the Kingdom of God? What does the call to the Great Banquet sound like when we extend the invitation to those around us? When we extend the invitation to the people around us, we should be enthusiastic to tell about our relationship with Jesus and the fullness and joy that we have in trusting Jesus. In what sense are we the servants told to "compel them to come in"? We must tell people that Jesus will return and in order that we can participate with His return, we must be ready for Him. Each person must come to Jesus and accept Him. Jesus tells us that we must tell the world around us and also demonstrate that we are one of Jesus' lambs. In what sense are we those who have been called to the feast in the Kingdom of God? We have taken the steps to know Jesus and allow Him to come into our lives. We are still learning about Him and have faith in Him. We have had to take the initiative to ask, seek and knock as described in Matthew 7:7. When we have entered into Jesus' life, we are a joyful people and therefore we are waiting for that invitation to the Great Banquet with our Lord and Savior.

Q3. (Luke 9:57-61) Why was Jesus so harsh with those who made excuses when called to follow him? Why is the call so urgent? Why do our excuses seem so trivial when offered to Jesus? Luke 9:57-61 - 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." 58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." 59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." 61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."" Why was Jesus so harsh with those who made excuses when called to follow him? Jesus wanted total commitment from all who follows and He does not want excuses. Jesus wants us to trust Him. Why is the call so urgent? We must tell and demonstrate to the people around us about Jesus. Jesus will be returning and He will be inviting us to His banquet and we must be ready to accept and enter. Why do our excuses seem so trivial when offered to Jesus? He is our Lord and Saviour who died for our sins. What excuse can we have which would be more important than what He did for us and the world.

Q2. (Luke 14:15-24) In what way is the Parable of the Great Banquet about grace? In what way is it about judgment? In what way is it about evangelism? To what End Time event does the great banquet point? Luke 14:15-24 - 15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." 16 Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18 "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' 19 "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' 20 "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' 21 "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' 22 "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' 23 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'" In what way is the Parable of the Great Banquet about grace? Jesus has made the invitation. Only Jesus gives us grace. It can not be earned and in Verse 17, it is stated that "At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'" In what way is it about judgment? Excuses were made and God will judge those who did not response and they will have to account for their actions. In what way is it about evangelism? The servants were told to go out and tell them to come in as described in verse 23, ""Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full." This was evangelizing. To what End Time event does the great banquet point? When Jesus returns and we will be part of the Great Banquet if we are ready.

Q1. (Luke 14:15-24) In the Parable of the Great Banquet, who do the original guests represent? Who do the later invited guests represent? What does it mean to "compel them to come in" (KJV)? How might this sense of urgency apply today? Luke 14:15-24 - 15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." 16 Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18 "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' 19 "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' 20 "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' 21 "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' 22 "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' 23 "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'" In the Parable of the Great Banquet, who do the original guests represent? Who do the later invited guests represent? What does it mean to "compel them to come in" (KJV)? How might this sense of urgency apply today? In the Parable of the Great Banquet, who do the original guests represent? His own people, the Jewish establishment. Who do the later invited guests represent? The common people who would also include the Gentiles. What does it mean to "compel them to come in" (KJV)? Compel is defined not to only need to be force, but to have a powerful and irresistible message for people. The people needed to come in and learn the Good News and God knew that these people needed that message right at that moment. How might this sense of urgency apply today? We have learned that we all must be ready. We need to knock and enter when invited.

Q4. How do you think Jesus will hold you personally accountable on Judgment Day for using your "talents"? If you begin to be more faithful from now on, how do you think that may affect his accounting on that Day? As I am thinking about this question and answer, I guess I can answer it with possibilities, human reasoning, what ifs, but really it comes down to the fact that I do not know the answer. Only God can answer that question because only He can judge me. The only thing I can do is to pray to God and do the things that He directs me. At the end, it will be by the grace of God and not by my works.

Q3. When we are successful, to whom does the fruit of our labors belong? In what sense are we independent entrepreneurs? In what sense are we stewards of the gifts and "talents" given us? How does the attitude of a self-made person differ from the attitude of a steward? When we are successful, to whom does the fruit of our labors belong? God In what sense are we independent entrepreneurs? The definition of entrepreneur is "one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise". God is the owner or the entrepreneur and we are the ones that uses what the gifts and the talents that He has given us. In what sense are we stewards of the gifts and "talents" given us? We just are stewards of what God gives us. We leave them here, He will judge us if we were good stewards. We should leave our fruits better than when we were given them by Him. How does the attitude of a self-made person differ from the attitude of a steward? The attitude of the steward is that the person knows who that God has provided the gifts and talents as the self-made person will think that they did it by themselves with no help from God.

I read each day Max Lucado

Q2. (Matthew 25:15, 21, 23) What are the factors that make up a person's "ability to carry out something"? What percentage of this is raw talent, in your opinion? Why are some who succeed not necessarily the most talented? What factors are keeping you from carrying out what God has entrusted you to do? Matthew 25:15, 21, 23 - 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' What are the factors that make up a person's "ability to carry out something"? I think that one must trust in God and use the gifts that He has entrusted in us. From there, one must have a willingness to follow what God has put in front of them. What percentage of this is raw talent, in your opinion? God has given us the ability and we must use it accordingly and therefore it is 100% from God. Why are some who succeed not necessarily the most talented? We do not know where this power comes from and we try to do it by ourselves. Once we realize this, we will success even though we may not think we have this talent. As I mentioned in the first question, I was neither a people person nor a chit-chat person, but when I retired I knew I had to do something different, and God placed me in a position where I had to do both. I am doing something totally different from accounting in an office, but God wanted me to do accounting as a profession. What factors are keeping you from carrying out what God has entrusted you to do? I still want to do it my way and not His way. I am still learning that I must trust in God. I am doing better at it, but my human nature gets in the way.

Q1. (Matthew 25:14-30) What do you think the "talents" represent? If you were to take an inventory of your "talents," what would they be? What spiritual gifts have you been given? What abilities do you have? What Bible knowledge do you have? Where has God placed you in your community? In society? In your profession or industry? In what sense do these "belong" to God rather than to you? What do you think the "talents" represent? I have thought as Pastor Ralph expressed that "talents" mean more than money, but represents the spiritual gifts and abilities that God has given to us. If you were to take an inventory of your "talents," what would they be? God has given me financial talents that I used in my employment. He also blessed me with the desire to know God and His Son. I believe that I have had compassion for my fellow person and willing to use my talents for both work, church and community. What spiritual gifts have you been given? Leadership, service, teaching, administration, faith, knowledge What abilities do you have? Financial administration for local church as Treasurer,etc.; Service by visiting in a hospital, helping people in my community & leading services in both my local church and a nursing home; Teaching at different times in both small groups and church school; Knowledge by learning new things for my local church such as webmaster as well as participating in Adult studies. What Bible knowledge do you have? I have a reasonable knowledge of the Bible, but I need to continue my studies in order to increase my faith and understanding of Scripture. This study and others by Pastor Ralph have helped in my faith journey. It is an ongoing process. Where has God placed you in your community? In society? In your profession or industry? I am retired accountant and now God has placed me in a totally different environment. I now volunteer in interacting with people in hospitals, driving people to medical appointments, meals on wheels, preaching at a nursing home, etc. He took me from an office and put me into dealing with people. In what sense do these "belong" to God rather than to you? All belong to God. He has given me all of them to use on my earthly pilgrimage.

Q4. (Luke 13:18-20) According to these parables in this lesson, in what ways is the Kingdom small? In what ways does the Kingdom grow? In what ways is the Kingdom door narrow? In what way is the Kingdom banquet, on the one hand, large and diverse, and on the other, selective? Luke 13:18-20 - 18 Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches." 20 Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? According to these parables in this lesson, in what ways is the Kingdom small? Only believers can enter. In what ways does the Kingdom grow? By people following and truly believing in Christ. One can not be a wishy washy believer. In what ways is the Kingdom door narrow? One has to be able to meet the requirements and when one does, then one will fit through the door. In what way is the Kingdom banquet, on the one hand, large and diverse, and on the other, selective? All are welcome, from the east, west, south and north, but the bottom line is you have to believe in Jesus.

Q3. (Luke 13:28-30) The great "feast in the kingdom of God" has guests from all over the world. Who are they? Who will be the ones "thrown out" of the feast? Why will they be excluded? Luke 13:28-30 - 28

Q2. (Luke 13:24-27) Why do you think Jesus characterizes the entrance to the Kingdom here as "narrow"? Why will many people "try to enter and will not be able to"? Why would people delay entering until it is too late? Luke 13:24-27 - 24

Q1. (Luke 13:19-21) What is the point of the Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven? How would this be encouraging to Jesus' disciples who had expected an instant Messianic Kingdom? How might it be encouraging to people experiencing smallness or poverty in their lives? Luke 13:19-21 - 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.

Q4. (Matthew 6:12, 14-15) How could praying the Lord's Prayer become a curse upon a person? Is forgiving in order to be forgiven a kind of "righteousness by works"? Why or why not? Matthew 6:12, 14-15 - 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. How could praying the Lord's Prayer become a curse upon a person? Pastor Ralph wrote an interesting statement that if we give forgive a little and then also still hold a grudge, then we are asking God to do the same for us. I have never really thought of it in that way. He makes a perfectly correct point in that if we do that, then we are not being truthful with God and therefore we are making a terrible sin. Is forgiving in order to be forgiven a kind of "righteousness by works"? Why or why not? No. We are only saved through Jesus Christ. I think that Titus 3:4-7 explains why it is not a kind of "righteousness by works". Titus 3(NRSV)-4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Q3. (Matthew 18:34-35) Why does Jesus frighten us with his statement: "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you..."? Is he serious? Is forgiveness (1) a learned grace, or (2) a foundational principle of the Kingdom? Matthew 18:34-35 - 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart." Why does Jesus frighten us with his statement: "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you..."? I do not think that He is trying to frighten us. He is just telling us how it would be and what we should be doing. It is just like our earthly parents told what we should do or do not. If we choose the wrong path, then we would be punished. Is he serious? YES!!!! Is forgiveness (1) a learned grace, or (2) a foundational principle of the Kingdom? It has to be a foundational principle of the Kingdom. I believe that grace can only be given by God and it is something that we can not be given just because we learn about it.

Q2. (Matthew 18:23-35) In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, what is the purpose of contrasting the huge debt with the small one? If we were to put ourselves in the parable, which debt would we owe? Which debt might be owed us? Why was the king insulted by the unmerciful servant's action? Matthew 18:23-35 - 23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart." In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, what is the purpose of contrasting the huge debt with the small one? There is no difference. When one sins against God, it is a sin and we can not judge that, only God can. If we were to put ourselves in the parable, which debt would we owe? The larger one, because we can not repay it to God. God provide us the grace and He will cancel our debt. Which debt might be owed us? It would have to be the smaller because we only have to forgive our fellow human being. Why was the king insulted by the unmerciful servant's action? The unmerciful servant did not treat others as the king treated him. Really what this means is that if God will forgive us, then we must forgive our fellow human being.

Q1. (Matthew 18:21-22) Jesus says we must forgive 77 times or 490 times. Should we take these numbers literally or figuratively? If figurative, what are they figurative of? What does this teach us about God's willingness to forgive us repeatedly for the same sin? Matthew 18:21-22 - 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked,

Q4. (John 3:16) Why is this verse so famous? What does it teach us about God? What does it teach us about salvation? Since "entering eternal life" is a synonym for "entering the Kingdom of God," what does this verse teach us about our destiny? John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. When I am doing my Bible studies, I like to look at other versions of the Bible. It is very interesting the way The Message Bible interprets John 3:16. In John 3:16-18, from the Message Bible, it states, 16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. This question is answered by this version and in summary, it is famous because it simply tells us that God loved all of us and if we believe in His Son, we will have eternal life.

Q3. (John 3:5-7) What does it mean to be "born of water and the Spirit"? What do you think "water" refers to? Why have you come to this conclusion? How, then, would you paraphrase "born of water and the Spirit" to best bring out the meaning? John 3:5-7 - 5 Jesus answered,

Q2. (John 3:3-5) What does "entering the Kingdom" have to do with being "born anew"? Which do you think is the best translation here: "born again," "born anew," or "born from above"? Defend your reasoning. John 3:3-5 -3 Jesus replied,

Q1. (John 3:3, 5) What does Jesus teach here about the nature of the Kingdom of God? Do you think Nicodemus understands him? Why or why not? John 3:3, 5 - 3 Jesus replied,

Q4. What does Jesus teach us about the value and worth of the Kingdom? Why are we tempted to value it so little? What helps us to appreciate its true value? How might your testimony help a seeking friend to value the Kingdom more? What does Jesus teach us about the value and worth of the Kingdom? It worth more than anything that we can acquire on earth and therefore we must look toward Him. Why are we tempted to value it so little? Our human senses look toward the things that we can see and we tend to value those things more than what we can not see. What helps us to appreciate its true value? By understanding what Jesus wants of us. When we follow Jesus, we will experience joy in our lives under any circumstances. How might your testimony help a seeking friend to value the Kingdom more? A Christian believer can not hide under a basket. As in Luke 8:16, "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." A true Christian believer will light up the people around them. If a friend can see you act like a Christian, then they will be open to experience the kingdom with you.

Q3. (Mark 10:22) Why is poverty and self-sacrifice an inadequate religion? Why does Jesus ask the man to follow him? In what senses was this a great privilege that the man was offered? Why did he reject the offer? Mark 10:22 - At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Why is poverty and self-sacrifice an inadequate religion? No matter where you are in your like, your trust must be in Jesus. Why does Jesus ask the man to follow him? Jesus wanted to challenge the intentions of the person. In what senses was this a great privilege that the man was offered? He could have walked with Jesus as one of His disciples. Why did he reject the offer? His reliance on his wealth and status.

Q2. (Mark 10:21) Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Why does this trouble us so much? If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? Mark 10:21 - Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Why do you think Jesus requires the rich young ruler to divest himself of his fortune? Jesus loved this person, but Jesus knew that his wealth stood in the way of his spiritual journey. The only way this person could honestly serve Jesus was by getting rid of the impediment of his wealth in order to grow in his Christian life and serve Jesus. Why does this trouble us so much? I believe that this troubles most people because we are a materialistic society and even though most of us have a job and own a home, how can we give that up. I think that we can follow Jesus so long as we are not held captive to our wealth. As our pastor has stated that you can not hook up a Uhaul trailer to the hearse. If there was no other way for the man to be saved, what does that say about the spiritual dangers of wealth? We must focus on Jesus and the talents that we have come from God. We must be aware of that and that any wealth comes from Him and not from our own doings.

Q1. (Matthew 13:44-46) What do the Parables of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl of Great Price have in common? What is the main point of these parables? How should it affect our values? Our lives? Matthew 13:44-46 - 44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. What do the Parables of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl of Great Price have in common? The kingdom is of great value to each of us. What is the main point of these parables? The point is not the monetary value but the kingdom is a treasure that is beyond material costs and we must do everything in our power to achieve that heavenly treasure. How should it affect our values? Our lives? Our values and lives should reflect Jesus' teaching.