Opening
Invite your group members to share when they have been tempted to misuse the Bible. How did they learn to do something different with the Bible?
Overview
The Bible is for God’s family, about God’s family, to transform God’s family until Christ’s return. Mistaking the Bible’s purpose will cause us to mistake our purpose as believers. We will become witchhunters instead of waymakers, spending out time searching for people who are wrong instead of making a way for people to know Jesus. We can also become conspiracy theorists instead of contributors, seeing the Bible as a classified document to decode so that we know all of the secrets. These misuses of Scriptures can turn followers of Jesus into mouthpieces of Satan instead of witness of Christ.
Jesus’ testing in the wilderness teaches us to let the Bible root our purpose in God’s bigger story rather than human shortcuts. We need to let the Bible root our purpose in God’s timing rather than human pride. And we need to let the Bible root our purpose in submission and worship of God rather than human idols. Using the Bible correctly can rightly orient us again dark forces and toward divine purpose.
Discussion Questions
- Which misuse of Scripture tempts you the most?
- How are you going to continue relearning the purpose of the Bible?
Practice
Matthew 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” 8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Read the passage out loud slowly. Jesus resisted the attacks of the enemy through the power of the Word of God. Part of Satan’s attacks also involved the use of the Bible. How do we learn together to discern good and bad uses of the Bible? How do we grow in our knowledge of and experience with the Bible? Is there a way your group can do this together?
How has the Bible been a guard in your life against the attacks of the enemy? What did this week’s sermon highlight for you?
Closing
Pray for a deep love for Scripture to be nurtured in your group life.