JESUSACCORDINGTOMATTHEW|WEEK6:TEMPTATION PAGE1

Weareinweeksixofaseriescalled“JesusAccordingtoMatthew.”Inthisseries,wearetakingalong,slowwalkthroughthebookofMatthew.AsweunpackwhatMatthewwroteaboutthelifeofJesus,wewillexplorewhatJesuswouldsayaboutourworld,ourculture,andeachofourlives.Ifyouweren’table

tohearthesermonthisweekend,checkitoutatfirstdecatur.org/jesusaccordingtomatthew

WEEK 6: FOLLOW Thisweekend,PastorWaynediscussedthebeginningofJesus’ministryasrecordedinMatthew4:12-25.HetalkedabouthowMatthewonceagaindemonstratedthatJesuswastheMessiah,byshowingthathismovementtoGalileeandCapernaumwasafulfillmentofIsaiah9:1-2.HetalkedaboutJesuscallinghisfirstfourdisciplesandwhatitmeanstofollow.Healsotalkedaboutwhatitmeansforeachofusto

belighttotheworldaroundusasJesustaughtaboutinMatthew5:13-16.

OPENING CONVERSATION

Aswebeginthisweek,takeamomenttoanswerthesequestions:� Haveyouevercollectedsomething(e.g.coins,baseballcards,etc.)?Whydidyoucollectthatitem?

Ifmoneywasnoobject,whatkindofcollectionwouldyoubegintoday?� PastorWaynesharedthestoryofWalterCavanaughthisweekend.Walterhasacollectionofnearly

1500activecreditcardsamountingto1.7milliondollarsincredit.Whilethisstorymayseemcrazy,thetruthisweoftenchasethingsinlifewiththewronggoalinmind?Whataresomegoalsthatpeopleareeasilydrawntothatmissthegreatergoalinlife?

JESUSACCORDINGTOMATTHEW|WEEK6:TEMPTATION PAGE2

BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

ReadMATTHEW4:12-25MatthewstartsoutthissectionbydemonstratinghowJesusfulfilledIsaiah9:1-2.AswehavejourneyedthroughtheseopeningchaptersofMatthew,wehaveseentimeandtimeagainthatMatthewwantedhisaudiencetobelieveandembracethatJesusistheMessiah,theSonofGod.Withthatinperspective,Matthewwroteaboutthecallingofthefirstfourdisciples:Peter,Andrew,James,andJohn.Aswetalkedaboutthisweekend,thedisciplespaintanimportantpictureforusofwhatittrulymeanstofollowJesus.MatthewclosedthissectionbygivingthereaderaglimpseoftheamazingteachingandhealingpowerofJesus.� Aswehavediscussedthisseries,theideaofMessiahhascomeupoverandoveragain.Howhave

Matthew’sthoughtschangedthewayyouthinkaboutwhattheMessiahrepresented?

� WhatdoestheexampleofthedisciplesteachusaboutfollowingJesus?Ifyoutookthatseriously,whatwoulditmeanforyourlife?

� Intheendofthischapter,wegetourfirstglimpseofthepowerofJesus.Re-Readverses23-25.

Whatcaptivatesyouthemost?HowdothesewordsimpactthewayyouthinkaboutJesus?

FURTHER DISCUSSION

� PastorWaynesaid,“FollowingJesuschangesyourcourse”.InotherwordsfollowingJesusismore

thanjustobeyingalistof“don’ts”.HowhasfollowingJesuschangedyourcourseinlife?Whenareyoutemptedtomakefollowinghimalistof“don’ts”?

� PastorWaynetalkedabouttheimportanceofbeing“saltandlight”.ReadMatthew5:13-16.What

doesitmeantobesaltandlight?Howareyoudoingthat?Whatwouldyouliketododifferently?� Wetakelightforgranted,butimaginewhatitmusthavebeenlikeforMatthew’saudience.With

thatinperspective,howdoesitchangeyourunderstandingofwhatMatthewwaswritingaboutinthispassage?

JESUSACCORDINGTOMATTHEW|WEEK6:TEMPTATION PAGE3

PRAYER

Asyoucloseyourtime,taketimetopray.� Prayforthisseries,thatthewordsandlifeofJesuswouldtransformus.PraythatGodwoulduse

thisseriestomakeeachofus,andourcongregation,morelikehisSon.

� PrayfortheChristiansyouknowthattheywouldtrulyfollowJesusandbesaltandlighttotheworldaroundthem.

� AskGodtohelpyoubethesaltandlightyouaredesignedtobe.Prayspecificallyforpeopleinyourlifewhodon’tknowJesusthattheywouldseehimthroughyou.

©2017FirstChristianChurch,Decatur,IL