Faithful Shepherd | Past, Present, and Future | Week 2

Opening 

Consider opening your group by asking your group members how they reacted to the statement “We look like the Magi but we live like King Herod.” Where is that true or not true of their lives? Perhaps offer a few moments of quiet reflection before inviting people to share their responses.  

Overview  

The sermon opened with a contrast of the magi and King Herod. One left everything to go worship a king and bring gifts. Another wanted to kill the king so that his rule was not threatened. In their contrast, we are presented with a question for ourselves: do we want Jesus to save us, but not rule us? 

When we live in our own kingdoms that we rule ourselves we find ourselves lost in crippling insecurity, constant chaos, and complete collapse. We are not enough; we never have enough; and eventually we find ourselves replaced. But when we surrender rule to God, we find divine identity, contagious peace, and eternal perspective.   

Discussion Questions  

1. Where are you attempting to rule your own life?   
2. Where is God inviting you into increased obedience and holiness?  

Practice 

Matthew 16:21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”  24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. 

Read the passage aloud and talk through the passage. In what ways are we tempted to only have human concerns in mind? What cross is God inviting us to take up? Read the passage again inviting people to listen to the Spirit’s voice and establish a few minutes of silence for reflection. What did the Spirit say?  

Closing  

Invite your group members to pray over each other based on what was shared in the conversation.