RD35

Q1. (1 Timothy 1:3-7) What were some of the results of false doctrine in the church at Ephesus? How does doctrinal controversy hurt the spirit of a church? How does it prevent growth? How does it keep the church from its mission? The results of false doctrines in the church of Ephesus were Leadership crisis among the elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:17-20), some of whom are false teachers (Acts 20:30). Desire for wealth -- greed (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Divisive asceticism from the Judaizers. Destruction of the faith of some (2 Timothy 2:18). Confusion and controversy that is disturbing the peace and unity of the church. Doctrinal controversy produces twisted, distorted Christians and division in the church. The church will not be able to keep up its mission of continuing Christs Work on the earth.

Why did Jesus give his disciples the Parable of Asking a Father for Bread? What misconception was he seeking to correct? Jesus gave his disciples the parable to encourage them to pray and ask God what one needs and have a relationship with God just like a child has with his father. Jesus is seeking to correct the misconception that the Father will give you what you ask for, even if it will hurt you. No, Jesus is tellling us through this parable that We can trust in our heavenly Father's basic goodness -- even when we might be praying amiss or immaturely or selfishly. Jesus is saying: Don't ever, ever fear to pray to your Father. You can trust him to do you good and not evil, even if you don't know how to pray.

How does the Parable of the Birds and the Lilies teach us not to worry? What does Jesus teach about worrying about the future? Rather than worrying, what does Jesus instruct his disciples to do? What does obeying verse 33 look like in your life? In this parable Jesus asks his disciples to have a look at the birds and the lilies how God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers. We must trust God and not fear thinking God has left us on our own to fend for things. He is very much involved in the life of His creation. If we want to overcome worry, we must focus on God’s providential care for us. The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth (Matthew 13:22) are specific "thorns" that choke out the fruitfulness of the Word in our lives. Jesus says "for the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them." (Matthew 32) Instead, Jesus points out what is most important: " But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34) Verse 33 teaches me to Seek Gods Kingdom. To obey God's Word and pursue after His promises. I should not worry but trust God and wait patiently for His timings. Philippians 4:6-7 says, Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

What are the very subtle ways that we can begin to serve Money rather than God? How can we detect these temptations in our hearts? Some very subtle ways we begin serving money rather than God is when We serve Mammon when you give importance to your wealth. We will put your mind in all our treasures, so we think less about God and Heaven. We accumulate and hoard money in our accounts and not give it to the Lord's work and give to the poor and needy devote more time to work and generate money than spending time with God We prefer prosperity preaching over that of repentance of sin. Why did Jesus tell his disciples the Parable of the Two Masters? Jesus tells his disciples this parable because he wanted his disciples to understand that when we serve two masters, the tendency is that we may develop more affinity for one than the other. If we share our service to God Almighty and things of this world, we will miss fellowship with God. And because of serving two master's at the same time, the disciples could become weak spiritually. Thus, they cannot pray and are not committed to the things of God.

Is being wealthy a sin for a Christian? What was the rich man's actual sin or sinful attitude? How do you sometimes see greed in the people in your neighborhood or social circle? Christians aren't immune. In what ways might greed influence a Christian's behaviors and values? In the parable, the farmer's abundance is far greater than what he needs for his own household. So instead of dumping his grain onto the market during a good harvest year, he plans to hold the grain for the future, when he can get higher prices. He is a shrewd agribusinessman. Jesus doesn't fault him for his business acumen, but for his self-centered attitude. The rich man says to himself: "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." (Luke 12:19) The man actually believes that his riches will now insulate his life from hardship. God isn't in the equation at all. The man's focus is squarely on goods rather than God. "20 But God said to him, 'You fool!41 This very night your life will be demanded42 from you. Then who will get what you have prepared43 for yourself?'" (Luke 12:20) Our life is not ours to control, but God's. He is in charge and can call due the loan of our lives at any moment he chooses. Yes, God will hold us accountable for how we used our lives and the gifts are God's. And we cannot take credit for what is God's. Unfortunately, the rich man's focus is on himself -- "what you have prepared for yourself" -- not on God. And so God chooses to take back that night what belonged to God in the first place.

From Jesus' images of wolves in sheep's clothing, good and bad fruit, and the treasure chest of the heart, how does he teach us to discern false leaders? Why is this so important in our churches? Why must we distinguish flawed Christian leaders from dangerous false prophets? Jesus teaches his disciples that you can tell a false prophet by carefully examining their Actions and outcomes (Analogy of the Tree and Fruit), Words (Analogy of the Treasure of the Heart). They come in "sheep's clothing," that is, they look like other members of the flock -- harmless, innocuous, friendly. They're also "prophets," that is, they are active in the church, typically opinion leaders, influential, and vocal. Discerning False prophets is important in our churches because they destroy the unity of the flock and pull away the sheep who are at the edges to fulfill their own personal agendas. Their lives may be corrupt, turning people to sin. False prophets ravage the flock and destroy sheep. They teach one thing and then live another way and when their lifestyle is exposed, it devastates the congregation who had been taken in by their hypocrisy. Believers who are thus hurt by the false prophets can become very bitter because of the fraud and some even leave the faith. They may never be able to trust another Christian leader or prophet again. However, we must not take a person's minor flaw turn it into them being a false prophet! we shouldn't expect perfection in our leaders. None of us is perfect. We all have weaknesses and flaws. We must be gracious towards one another and bear with each other's weaknesses.

Why is hypocrisy easy to detect in others, but difficult to detect in ourselves? because we easily judge others and not ourselves. Why is hypocrisy so deadly to spiritual growth? To witness? To obedience? To being a disciple? What is the antidote for hypocrisy? If we disciples fail to take heed, our hypocrisy is capable of so clouding the gospel of God's love, that it will prevent millions from being saved. The antidote to hypocrisy is transparency, integrity between our beliefs and our actions, with confession and apology when we are inconsistent.

Why do people push themselves forward? People push themselves forward to promote themselves. to show and make known to others that he or she is a person of a particular position. According to verse 11, what will happen to them? They will be humbled. Why is humility so important a lesson for Jesus' disciples? Pride is destructive, selfish, and poisonous to Christian service and Christian maturity. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 'Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:5b-6) What is the danger to us, if we don't learn and internalize this lesson? "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).

According to Mark 10:13-16, what characteristic of children is necessary for salvation? Humility What characteristic were the disciples showing in rebuking the parents? Arrogance When arguing about who was greatest? Why is humility essential to repentance? To learning? To obedience? Pride can prevent a person from entering the Kingdom. Why did Jesus give his disciples the saying of becoming like little children? These parables of becoming like children teach us that we must come to Jesus with lack of pretension. Humility is appropriate, with a recognition of God's grace and mercy allowing us to approach at all. We can only enter the kingdom when we come depending upon Jesus and not ourselves. Coming to Jesus has nothing to do with our worthiness and everything to do with his willingness to forgive, cleanse, and transform us.

Why do you think the Pharisee is so convinced of his righteousness? Because the pharisee followed the law accurately - fasting twice a week and scrupulously tithing. What do you think are his actual sins? Pride and sense of superiority What is so remarkable about the tax collector's prayer? The tax collector's prayer is remarkable and short. Instead of telling God all the good things about himself, he describes himself as a sinner. He makes no excuses for his behavior, offers no mitigating circumstances. He confesses his sinfulness before God and takes full responsibility for it. Then he asks for mercy Why is it easier to promote ourselves in front of others rather than humble ourselves? To make ourselves look good in our sight and in the sight of others. Why did Jesus tell this parable for his disciples? so that the disciples will not make the mistake of trusting in their righteous living to impress God. that way the disciples would have become proud and looked down upon others around them. this parable attacks any pride and sense of superiority that our piety and obedience may foster. Faith and humility are marks of the men and women who follow Jesus.

If you were to objectively assess your life, career, family, values, and possessions, is there anything more important, anything of greater value to you than your relationship with Jesus? No nothing is more important to me or of more value to me than Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. How would you objectively prove to a friend that Jesus is first in your life? My life has to be a living testimony of my love, obedience and dedication to God. When they see the fruit of the Spirit in me it will be proved to them.

What does it mean to take up your cross daily? What does this have to do with "losing your life for me." What are the consequences in one's Christian walk if a disciple wants to take this step of commitment? How does this contrast with trying to save one's life? Just as a condemned man would carry the cross-beam of his cross to the place of crucifixion according to Roman custom, so each of Jesus' disciples must daily be willing to die. Prepared to die, if necessary. The reason is this: when a disciple has accepted death, then no man can control him with fear; he belongs fully to Jesus, come what may. he commitment is so great that it even overrides the ties of family.

What do these three analogies tell us about Jesus' requirements for his disciples? Why is Jesus so urgent? What was he seeking to teach would-be disciples about their priorities? In these three analogies Jesus teaches his disciples that one cannot be a casual follower of him. Jesus seems to be setting up barriers to discourage those who aren't serious. The urgency is because the harvest is plenty, the kingdom of God is near. Following Jesus comes before every responsibility. Jesus must be number one.

Beyond the message that few will be saved, what is the unique message of the Parable of the Narrow Door? Why must would-be disciples be aggressive in order to enter the Kingdom? What happens if we don't aggressively seek God? Why do you think Jesus told this parable to his disciples? To enter the narrow door requires our earnest effort to follow Jesus and obey His commands, It requires a genuine repentance of sins and change from our old life. we have to have a sense of urgency to enter because the time is coming soon when the door will be shut. it's not enough to have a casual acquaintance with Jesus but have a personal relationship with him. One major evidence of such a relationship is that you are growing in holiness, not just outwardly, but in your heart. The closed doors make a final separation between the inside and outside without anything in the middle.

How do "thorns" prevent the Word of God from maturing in our lives? What is the difference between a genuine "disciple," follower or learner of Rabbi Jesus, and a person who holds a Christian belief system? What can you do to clear your life of the thorns that prevent Christ's work from maturing in you? 1. Worries, Cares (Matthew, Mark, Luke). At the top of the list are "worries" /cares". Worry is the opposite of trust -- and trust is the root idea of faith. All of us have anxieties; Jesus certainly did. But it is how we handle them that decides whether they choke out spiritual life or cause it to flourish. Being consumed with life's worries may be choking your spiritual life. Worry competes with faith for your time and your very life-force. It strangles your relationship with God and the growth of the Word in your life. Determine now to call on him continually to help you, and then trust that he will keep his promises. Cultivate an attitude of trust. 2. Deceitfulness of wealth (Matthew, Mark), riches (Luke). Second on the list is "riches" or "wealth," that is, "the abundance of many earthly goods, wealth."Especially dangerous is the "deceitfulness" or "lure"of wealth (Matthew, Mark). Riches aren't evil in themselves. It is the "love of money" that is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10a). Riches aren't evil in themselves, but "eagerness to be rich" can cause people to wander from the faith (1 Timothy 6:10b). Riches aren't evil, but Mammon can become a very real competitor to serving God himself (Matthew 6:24). The problem is that riches touch the covetousness or greed deep within fallen man and often take a powerful hold. Money can deceive us, and when it does it can keep fruit from ripening on your seedheads so there is no crop for the harvest. 3. Desire for Other Things (Mark). Desire for things not ours is the root of the Tenth Commandment, "You shall not covet" (Exodus 20:17). We see and hear advertisements day by day that make us desire things we don't need. Add to that a corrupt heart, and it is easy to choke off the growth of the Word in us. 4. Pleasures (Luke). Finally, we come to "pleasures" (Luke 8:14), Greek hēdonē, from which we get our word "hedonism." Everybody wants to be happy. But sometimes our pursuit of happiness can be twisted into an all-out pursuit of pleasure. Our society has turned "duty" into a negative, and "self-indulgence" into a positive. Our songs croon, "How can it be so wrong, when it feels so right?" Too often we have replaced righteousness and honor and self-sacrifice with a pursuit of pleasure, of recreation, that can choke the growth of Jesus' Word in us and keep us from maturing and producing usable fruit. Weekend sports and recreation has displaced church-going in many a family.

Why, according to the Parable of the Sower, why do some people fall away so quickly? What is their problem? The rock represents people who have surface enthusiasm, but a hard heart. These people can be sorry for their sins and pray the "sinner's prayer." But, in fact, they haven't really internalized King Jesus' teachings and restructured their lives around him. They have sorrow over their sins but lack real repentance. true repentance is necessary for Salvation. Where this doesn't happen, we have the kind of people whom Jesus describes here, with surface growth, but who fall away in time of testing.

Why is knowing the Shepherd's voice and obeying it so very important for disciples? What happens when we act independently of the Shepherd? What causes sheep to stray? Knowing the Shepherd's voice and obeying it is important for disciples because only then Jesus can guide us, teach us, and use us much more effectively than before for His kingdom and His purposes.

What did Jesus intend his disciples to learn from the Parables of the Unshrunk Cloth and the Wineskins? Why are we tempted to say, "The old wine is better?" How might our church traditions limit the Holy Spirit's work in our day? How do these parables illustrate the need for newly planted churches? Jesus intends to teach his disciples that his coming Kingdom is different than what people expect. It doesn't follow the old tried-and-true traditions. It is new and exclusive and must not be considered the same as the past. We can be tempted to say the old wine is better because it is easier to fall back to what is familiar and comfortable, rather than launch out into a life guided not by laws and regulations, but led by the Voice of the Spirit of God. The two are opposites, the old and the new. Church Traditions, Legalism and External Faith do not let the Holy Spirit to an internal work in the believers life. We will end up only following a religion and people pleasers than have a relationship with Christ.

What lesson did Jesus intend his disciples to learn from the Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast or Leaven? Why might the disciples be discouraged by the "size" of the Kingdom? Why are we sometimes discouraged in Christian work? Why are patience and faith so important for disciples? By teaching the Parables of the Mustard Seed and the yeast Jesus wanted his disciples to learn that thought the Kingdom of heaven is small now, it will grow exponentially into a large kingdom with major significance of its own. The disciples may have felt discouraged about the size of the Kingdom of God. They have their expectations of a messianic overthrow of the Roman oppressors and a restoration of David's throne. But here is an itinerant carpenter-preacher speaking in villages in a minor Roman province. Not very impressive when they looked at the big picture. We are sometimes discouraged in Christian work because we fail to see the whole picture through the eyes of Jesus. What we've worked so hard to do seems so small and insignificant, like a mustard seed or a bit of yeast -- so small, so hopeless, so tiny. Many times we may not have the patience to wait for God's timings or for the mustard seed to grow into the tree. But the seeds we sow today will grow great crops in season, even if we never live to see them. "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7, KJV).

In the Parable of the Binding of the Strong Man, who is the strong man? Who is the stronger warrior? How does this explain Jesus' power to cast out demons? How does it explain Jesus' power to set you free? To set your friends free? Jesus is the Stronger Man who has the power to overcome the lies, enticements, and deception of the enemy that you and I face. In Him is power for our deliverance. He is our Stronger Man. He is our Savior. He is our Rescuer. He is the power of God working in us who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13; Philippians 2:12-13).

Why do you think people try to distort Jesus' Saying of the Camel and the Needle from a parable of impossibility? Why is salvation impossible to humans? Salvation is not man's work, but God's. God can do what is impossible to man. He can open the most distracted heart, cleanse the most polluted person, and flood the soul with his life-giving Holy Spirit.

If water is symbolic of life, what is flowing or living water symbolic of in these passages? Who creates this spiritual thirst in a person? How are these promises fulfilled in believers? Flowing water suggests a continuous flow. So "living water" is a symbol not just of life, but continuous, eternal, everlasting life. Jesus creates the thirst in us. He invites anyone even in our day who thirsts for healing, for reality, for truth, for love. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will flow from within like an artesian well, never stopping.

In what way is becoming a believer in Jesus similar to a second birth? What aspects of physical birth are analogous to spiritual birth that Jesus seeks to clarify with this analogy? What about wind's characteristics are we to attribute to the Spirit? It is a birth and a new life that the Spirit gives. This "new birth," or "second birth" is as radical as our physical birth was, and is necessary to "see" and "enter" the Kingdom of God that Jesus is talking about. The Holy Spirit like the wind cannot be manipulated. He is completely beyond man's control. "The wind (pneuma) blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (pneuma)." (John 3:8) People who have been born of the Spirit, Jesus is saying, are motivated, guided, and moved by an unseen but powerful force beyond themselves. The life of the Spirit is a new level of spiritual existence, a different plane entirely. Only people who have been born of the Spirit can perceive and enter the Kingdom of God.

What does the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard teach us about God's generosity? About grace? What in our heart rises up to demand recognition and fairness when we feel we are overlooked and taken for granted? How much of this is a godly sense of fairness and how much is pride? Jesus is teaching that God, represented by the landowner, operates on the basis of generosity, not fairness. This is grace -- unearned and undeserved -- even though that offends people who demand absolute fairness, a fair wage for a day's work. This is a parable of outrageous grace. If we demand fairness from God, then we are lost, since "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). It doesn't matter that some are better than others. Fairness demands absolute justice and justice requires that sin must be punished. This parable teaches that God is generous. He doesn't give us salvation based on what we deserve, but out of his own generosity. Praise God!

What is similar about the Parable of the Weeds and the Parable of the Net? What belief are these two parables meant to counter? How does a belief in the ultimate triumph of righteousness encourage Christians? In both the parables Jesus illustrates the final judgement, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked. There will be a final judgement where the righteous will be recognized and rewarded, and the wicked will be punished. Judgment is not immediate, but it is sure. The disciples, who were hoping that Jesus Messiah would destroy evil and set up the ancient Kingdom of God in their lifetime, were wrong. Judgment will be delayed but will surely come at the End of the Age. These parables encourage me not to give up hope in my Lord even when i see evil all around me. It encourages me to live right and wait for the day when Jesus will come in glory and judge the world. Evil continues on up to the Last Judgment. Only then are true believers separated from the false, and reward and punishment executed.