luke 9-19 study book part 1lakeshorechurch.org.au/.../luke-9-19-study-book-part-1.pdf ·...

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Part 1 – Luke 9:28-‐12:34

Growth Group Study Booklet

Living for Jesus By making, maturing and mobilising disciples

For His Glory

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Part 1 – Luke 9:28-‐12:34

Introduction to Luke -‐ Page 3 Space for Notes -‐ Page 4

Study 1 – Luke 9:28-‐43a -‐ Page 6 Study 2 – Luke 9:43b-‐62 -‐ Page 8 Study 3 – Luke 10:1-‐24 -‐ Page 10 Study 4 – Luke 10:25-‐37 -‐ Page 12 Study 5 – Luke 10:38-‐42 -‐ Page 14 Study 6 – Luke 11:1-‐13 -‐ Page 16 Study 7 – Luke 11:14-‐12:12 -‐ Page 18 Study 8 – Luke 12:13-‐34 -‐ 0 Space for Notes -‐ Page 22 Luke Overview + Map -‐ Page 23

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Introduction to Luke Luke was a physician and a travel companion of the apostle Paul (Col. 4:14). He wrote this Gospel and its sequel, the book of Acts. The earliest possible date of Luke–Acts is immediately after the events that Luke recorded in Acts 28, which would have been c. a.d. 62. Both Luke and Acts are addressed to “Theophilus” (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), about whom nothing more is known. Luke’s broader audience consisted primarily of Gentile Christians like Theophilus. Luke informs us from the beginning (1:1–4) that his is not the only Gospel to have been written nor the only Gospel account that could be written (cf. John 21:25). Nevertheless, the church has always recognized the great gift that the third Gospel is to us. There are many beautiful and essential teachings of Jesus and pictures of the gospel that come to us from Luke alone. While the historical and theological witness of all four Gospels contains many consistent themes, Luke describes for us the gospel and its application in several specific and important ways. At the broadest level we learn from this Gospel account that the gospel is multi-‐faceted and full-‐orbed. That is, the gospel is explained and applied as being about our whole lives, physically and spiritually, externally and internally, for now and for the future, in our relationship with God and with others. The gospel is not simply a message about religion and the “religious” portion of our lives. Rather, Luke’s presentation helps us see clearly that the gospel of Jesus is about the comprehensive blessedness of God available to us through Jesus Christ. At a more specific level Luke retells the stories and teachings of Jesus in a way that consistently emphasizes that the gospel is a matter of the heart, the inner person, not mere external religion. Jesus constantly reveals the heart motivations behind our actions and pushes us toward opening our hearts in humility toward God. As a result, the gospel in Luke is often presented as a call to reevaluate everything in the world according to God’s perspective, not ours. This means valuing humility over prestige, mercy over justice, favor with God over favor with people, and—especially challenging to us—valuing a rich relationship with God over the power of money. To emphasize this comprehensive understanding of the gospel, Luke uses a variety of complementary images to describe it. The gospel includes the message of peace, the offer of forgiveness of sins through repentance, the promise of inheriting eternal life, the invitation to enter the kingdom of God, and the joy of being with Jesus as a disciple. In all of this, the gospel is good news because it announces the grace and peace that have now come to sinners in Jesus Christ.

From the Gospel Transformation Bible (Study Notes for Luke by Jonathan Pennington).

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Notes

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Notes

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STUDY 1

Luke 9:28-‐43a Kick Off: What sorts of things might you ever use the word “glorious” to describe?

Key Verse: Luke 9:29 Big Idea: Jesus possesses the divine glory of the eternal Son of God

Investigate: Read Luke 9:28-‐36 1. List the different things that occur/ are revealed in this passage which demonstrate Jesus’ glory. What does each reveal about him? 2. This passage is rich in Old Testament imagery. What is the significance of each of these Old Testament themes in connection to Jesus? a) The appearance of Moses and Elijah?

b) The description of Jesus’ mission in Jerusalem as an “exodus”? (See footnote on verse 31)

c) The appearance of a cloud? (See Exodus 13:2; Exodus 40:34-‐35, 1 Kings 8:10-‐11 and Ezekiel 10:3-‐4, 18 & 11:22-‐23)

Read Luke 9:37-‐43 3. What do you think Jesus is expressing in verse 41?

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4. How do you think Peter, James and John would have processed all of this? (See also 2 Peter 1:16)

Think & Apply: 5. Because Jesus is glorious, the Father directs the disciples to “listen to him”.

a) What situations or attitudes are present in your life where you need to listen to Jesus instead of other voices?

b) What are the other voices that you are prone to “listen to” instead of Jesus? 6. The desperate father provides a great model for how to respond to the glory of Jesus, when he says, “Jesus, I beg you…” Are there situations in your life where all you can do is pray, “Jesus, help me”? 7. The crowd also shows us how to respond to the glory of Jesus (verse 43a). What can you do to cultivate more of an awareness and amazement at the glory and greatness of Jesus?

Prayer: In your group prayer time: 1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group. 2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church.

Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 9:43b-‐62.

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STUDY 2

Luke 9:43b-‐62 Kick Off: Do you think you would be a Christian today if you lived in a country where Christians were severely persecuted?

Key Verse: Luke 9:51 Big Idea: Following Jesus means adopting the same attitude of sacrifice and humility that caused him to go the cross.

Investigate: 1. Read Luke 9:43b-‐50 a) How is Jesus’ plan to die in Jerusalem (verse 44) a powerful demonstration of his teaching in verse 48? b) What is driving the disciples’ attitude in verse 46 and verse 49? 2. Read Luke 9:51-‐56. James & John’s desire for revenge in verse 54 shows that they haven’t understood Jesus’ plan to die on the cross (verse 44-‐45 & 51). How does trusting in Jesus as our suffering saviour stop us from seeking revenge on people who offend or hurt us? 3. Read Luke 9:57-‐62. Why is Jesus so harsh with these would-‐be followers? Is there something wrong with following Jesus but still valuing family, comfort and possessions?

Think & Apply: 4. a) Do you sometimes have similar attitudes to the disciples (in verse 46 & verse 49)? How/where are they revealed in your life?

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b) How can you obey Jesus’ command to welcome insignificant people and see yourself as “the least” (verse 48)? 5. Do you feel a desire for revenge sometimes? Does this passage help you know how to respond to that desire? 6. Do you think we are really counting the cost of following Jesus? Is it possible to truly count the cost of following Jesus without surrendering our comfortable, affluent lifestyles?


Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 10:1-‐24

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STUDY 3

Luke 10:1-‐24 Kick Off: Have you ever been on a mission trip? If so, share what your experience was like with the rest of the group.

Key Verse: Luke 10:2 Big Idea: God’s people play a key role in the spread of the gospel by sharing it with others.

Investigate: Read Luke 10:1-‐16 1 a) What job does Jesus give the 72 messengers? b) Why does Jesus give instructions to make sure the disciples travel light? What’s the hurry? c) What sort of response does Jesus tell the 72 to expect from people? d) What will be the result for those who reject the kingdom of Jesus (verses 12-‐15)? 2. In what ways do you think Christians today are like the 72 messengers, and in what ways are we not? Look through the passage and consider this question with regard to each command. 3. Read Luke 10:17-‐20. a) What should we hope for when we tell people about Jesus? b) What should we be thankful for when we tell other people about Jesus?

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3. Read Luke 10:21-‐24. From these verses, and from what we’ve seen earlier, what can we say about: a) God’s role in people becoming Christians? b) Our role in people becoming Christians?

Think & Apply: 4. Think of one specific person you know who you hope & pray would become a Christian: a) What might be the next step for them in moving closer to becoming a Christian?

b) How can you be a part of this happening? Be specific. (For example, is there a way you can spend more time with them, a particular thing you’d like to talk to them about, a person you could introduce them to, an event you could invite them to, or some other step?) c) Commit yourself to pray regularly for this person. When will you do this, and how will you remind yourself to do so? 5.

Prayer: In your group prayer time, pray specifically for people you know who are not Christians

Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 10:25-‐37.

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STUDY 4

Luke 10:25-‐37 Kick Off: Who are your neighbours?

Key Verse: Luke 10:37 Big Idea: We must be careful not to destroy the power of the gospel by twisting it or watering down the demands Jesus makes on us.

Investigate: Read Luke 10:25-‐37 1. Consider the standard that Jesus sets in verses 27-‐28. Do you think it is possible to live up to it? If “no”, then why does Jesus set this standard? 2. What sort of person do you think this lawyer is? What verses in this passage ,ake you think this? 3. a) Imagine you were the Priest or the Levite (which were very respected positions). List as many reasons as you can why it might be a mistake to help the wounded man. (For example, see Numbers 19:11) b) Would these reasons have also applied to the Samaritan (who was despised in Jewish society)? Would there have been other reasons that the Samaritan might have hesitated before helping the man? 4. By the end of the encounter in verse 36-‐37, Jesus had changed the focus from “who is my neighbor?” to “who was a neighbor to the man?”. What difference does this make to how we think about “loving our neighbor as ourselves”?

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Think & Apply: 5. Since the Samaritan is Jesus’ example of how to love your neighbor, what do his actions tell us about what love is like? How could you put this into practice: a) At home? b) At work or study? c) At church? 5. Now that you have studied this parable, do you need to add to or change your initial response to the question, “Who are your neighbours”?

Prayer: In your group prayer time: 1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group. 2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church. Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 10:38-‐42.

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STUDY 5

Luke 10:38-‐42 Kick Off: How often do you find yourself saying things like “I’m really busy” or “I’m too busy” in your conversations with others? Share whether you are happy or concerned about the answer you gave.

Key Verse: Luke 10:42 Big Idea: Cultivating a close relationship with Jesus is more important than living a life that is constantly filled with busyness and activity.

Investigate: 1. Read Luke 10:38-‐39. In verse 39, what does Mary’s activity reveal about her attitude towards Jesus? 2. Read Luke 10:40. In verse 40, what do Martha’s words and activities reveal about her attitude towards Jesus? Read Luke 10:41-‐42 3. What do you think of Jesus’ response to Martha in these verses? How do you think that you might have felt if you were in Martha’s place? 4. How did Mary’s actions demonstrate that she had “chosen the good portion” (v.42)? What exactly do you think that Jesus meant by this?

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Think & Apply: 5. Have you found yourself identifying more naturally with Mary or with Martha as you’ve looked at this passage? 6. What things in your life tend to undermine your devotion to Jesus by distracting you or making you too busy? 7. What is one thing that you could spend less time on this week so that you might have more time to spend with Jesus?

Prayer: In your group prayer time: 1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group. 2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church. Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 11:1-‐13.

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STUDY 6

Luke 11:1-‐13 Kick Off: How good are you usually at persisting with tasks until they are finished?

Key Verse: Luke 11:9 Big Idea: Jesus encourages us to be thoughtful, persistent, and expectant as we pray.

Investigate: 1. Read Luke 11:1-‐4. Spend time working through each line of the Lord’s Prayer. Share what you think each request means and why it is important. 2. Read Luke 11:5-‐8. In verses 5-‐8, what is the main point of Jesus’ parable? 3. Read Luke 11:9-‐10. What do you think that Jesus means by his commands to “ask”, “seek”, and “knock” in verse 9? 4. Read Luke 11:11-‐13. What point is Jesus making in these verses when he compares human fathers with our Father in heaven?

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Think & Apply: 5. Which of the priorities for prayer from verses 1-‐4 do you find that you most easily neglect? 6. Would you describe your prayer life at the moment as persistent & expectant? Why or why not? 7. What is one thing that you can be working on to cultivate a more thoughtful, persistent, & expectant prayer life?

Prayer: In your group prayer time: 1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group. 2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church. Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 11:14-‐12:12.

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STUDY 7

Luke 11:14 – 12:12 Kick Off: In light of last week’s study share how you’ve been doing at remaining persistent & expectant in prayer over the last week.

Key Verse: Luke 11:27 Big Idea: The reality that Jesus is Lord frees us from fear and hypocrisy.

Note: Because there is a large amount of ground to cover in this week’s passage each of the questions below will be addressing quite a large section of the passage. Feel free to focus more on particular sections by asking additional questions if you’d like to.

Investigate: 1. Read Luke 11:14-‐26. Why do you think that some of the people accuse Jesus of casting out demons by means of other demonic powers? How does Jesus’ response undo their accusations? 2. Read Luke 11:27-‐36. What is the main point that Jesus is making in each of these short sections?

a. v. 27-‐28 – The woman’s blessing

b. v. 29-‐32 – The sign of Jonah

c. v. 33-‐36 – The light in you

3. Read Luke 11:37-‐12:3. Identify the different ways that Jesus describes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and lawyers. What do their actions reveal about what is going on in their hearts?

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4. Read Luke 12:4-‐12. What examples does Jesus give of the right and wrong kinds of fear is verses 4 and 5? Why do you think he follows this with a reminder of God’s care for his people in verses 6 and 7?

Think & Apply: 5. Why is hypocrisy such a danger for us as Christians? Are there particular areas of your life where you think you could be in danger of acting hypocritically? 6. Do you ever find yourself feeling afraid of what people think of your because you follow Jesus? 7. How can the truths of the gospel help us to fight against hypocrisy and fear?


Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 12:13-‐34.

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STUDY 8

Luke 12:13-‐34 Kick Off: Have you ever made a poor investment with your money, time, or efforts? In hindsight, what lessons did you learn from this?

Key Verse: Luke 12:32 Big Idea: The investments we make in God’s kingdom will gain us the only treasures that will ultimately last.

Investigate: Read Luke 12:13-‐21 1. Is it the rich man’s attitude or actions that are foolish? Or is it both? 2. Does this story teach that it is wrong to store up things for the future? If not, what is the point that the story is meant to make? Read Luke 12:22-‐34. 3. What reasons does Jesus give in this passage for why we shouldn’t be anxious? 4. List some of the ways that Jesus’ commands in verses 31-‐34 stand in stark contrast with the way that the rich fool lived.

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Think & Apply: 5. Do you ever find yourself tempted to believe that your life consists “in the abundance of your possessions”? 6. Share something in your life that tends to make you anxious. Is there something practical that you can take away from this passage that will help you to make progress in this area? 7. What practical thing can you do in response to Jesus’ command to “sell your possessions and give to the needy”? (v. 33)


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Notes

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Term 1 2017 Growth Group Booklet

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