Sermon Questions for May 2, 2021
Matthew 14:1-12
Recap:
1. What impact would the Kingdom of God have in the Gospel of Matthew? (Matt. 4:12-17, 23-25; 8:14-17) What type of response might follow those whose lives were impacted by an encounter with Jesus and His Kingdom?
2. What does the parable of the Treasure and Pearl teach us about the Kingdom? (Matt. 13:44-46)
Reteach:
3. What was the message of John’s original message? (Matt. 3:2)? Why is repentance necessary to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? (Matt 5:20; 48) What caused Herod to place John in prison? (Matt. 14:3-4)
4. What is the fear of man and what effect did it have on Herod?* (Matt. 14:5, 9) Why would the fear of man be categorized as sin? How could the fear of man effect how we live for the Kingdom? How does the Gospel help situate our identity against the fear of man? [The Gospel reminds us that we are freed from looking horizontally for the approval of man because we have been approved by God through Jesus Christ]
5. Why do you think that John proclaimed the message of the Kingdom even in the midst of opposition from the Pharisees and from Herod? (Consider the parables of Matthew 13:44-46) What did Jesus say John would ultimately obtain? (Matt. 5:10)
6. How might the fear of God effect how we live for the Kingdom today?
Reflect:
7. Considering the stories found in Matthew 13:51-58 and Matthew 14:1-12 who had and did not have eyes to see and ears to hear? As you’ve been reading and listening to Matthew write about Jesus and His Kingdom, have your seen their true value?
8. Is your life exemplified by living in the fear of men or the fear of God? Have you believed and trusted the Gospel to help situate your identity against the fear of man?
* A simple definition of the Fear of Man is being provided by Ed Welch’s “When People are Big and God is Small” – “[Fear] includes being afraid of someone, but it extends to holding someone in awe, being controlled or mastered by people, worshipping other people, putting your trust in people, or needing people.” p.14Print Questions