Home Group Study - Sermon Date: 20 April 2018

Text: Exodus 20:1-17

Opening Discussion: Have you ever been taught or made to believe that keeping the Ten Commandments is necessary in order to be allowed into heaven?

Observation

What does God’s word say?

As you observe what God’s word says, answer the following questions from the text(s):

• Key words and phrases help us to better understand the verses. Below is a list of key words. Mark each one in a distinctive way in your Bible (either with a symbol, highlighting, or some form of boxing, circling, or underlining). Mark each of these key phrases (imperatives) each time they are used in the text. Key Words: You shall & You shall not. Also mark the word LORD and any personal pronouns that refer to the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
•  What does this text reveal about human nature?
•  What does this text reveal about the character and purposes of God?

Read: Luke 18:18-27

Is Jesus requiring everyone to give up their wealth in order to have eternal life? In what manner is Jesus using the law here in His evangelism?

Meaning

What does God’s word mean?

Jesus knew the idols that this man was worshipping, which was his wealth. He loved his riches. He enjoyed everything that his money could buy. Although he had a spiritual vacuum in his life and was asking a question about how to inherit eternal life, Jesus knew that in order to inherit eternal life, this rich young ruler needed to repent of his sin in order to follow the Saviour. As we see from this text, this man was sadly self-righteous, and was stubbornly going to remain that way. Even though Jesus, by using the Ten Commandments exposed his sin, the rich young ruler was not willing to repent of his own self righteousness and exchange his sin for the righteousness of Christ.

Read: Matthew 14:44-46

From the same two parables we looked at last week, we learn again that God should be more important to us than anything else in the world. The rich young ruler needed to realize this and so do we! Are there things - have there been things that you have struggled to repent of? Help the group understand how these things can lead anyone to harden their hearts and become self-righteous.

Application

How must I change?

• Is there a Truth to be believed?

Do you believe that God’s Word is our ultimate authority?  (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Do you believe that the Ten Commandments are relative for us today?                                            

• Is there an Attitude to be fostered?

The rich, young ruler, was highly respected for his position, power and influence. How did the people respond to Jesus’ conclusion (Luke 18:26) and does this reveal any similar attitude today?

•  Is there a Behavior to be changed?

Would you consider yourself a good person? Are you good enough to gain favor with God? How do you know? What if God pointed out some deficient area of your life? Would you quickly respond in repentance or get ensnared in the fight to keep living the way you had been?

Closing Prayer:  

• Ask the Lord to transform our understanding of law and grace.
• Pray that the Lord would humble us so we would look to Christ alone as the source of our righteousness, and make us effective in reaching the lost world around us.
• As Paul admonished young Timothy, pray that God would teach us how to use the law lawfully. “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully...” 1 Timothy 1:8

Time permitting click on this link:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I4RjTabGbw