Moving Forward- Digging Deeper: May 19, 2021

Matthew 5:1-47

The Sermon on the Mount is a lesson in godliness in the midst of a perverse and evil generation. What promise does God give about those who are persecuted (vs. 10-12)? What does that mean? What sort of reward is awaiting those who remain faithful, even when it is hard, even deadly? Beyond your reward, why is it important to others to remain faithful in the middle of persecution? What are we called to do around people who hate us? What sort of testimony are we to have? Look at your own life. What testimony do you have around those who make fun of you or persecute you because you are a Christian? Vs. 39-41 are extremely difficult verses to live out in our culture. Consider carefully what it is saying. How does it differ from our culture? Are you willing to be ‘counter cultural’ for the cause of Christ? Choose to be different in order to win others to Christ.

Moving Forward- Digging Deeper: May 18, 2021

Psalm 69:1-36

What sort of persecution was the psalmist enduring? What does persecution do to a person? What do the persecuted feel like? Have you ever felt this in your own life because you were a Christian? Why does it sometimes feel like there is no help coming? Where is God in such times? Sometimes when everything goes wrong we feel that there might be sin in our lives and this is God’s punishment. How did the psalmist deal with the areas of his life that might have been sin? How are you praying about your sin? Was the psalmist an evil man just getting what he deserved? When God answers, what drives the answer (vs. 16)? Vs. 21 shows that this is a Messianic psalm that foretold the death of the Savior. What hope does this have for you? Why is it good for God to answer the cries of the righteous when persecuted for righteousness?

Moving Forward- Digging Deeper: May 17, 2021

Persecution has always been the bane toward believers of God and His Kingdom. The shepherd who would be king was attacked repeatedly by the rejected king. Those who were being set free from Egypt threatened their deliverer. The prophets encouraging the people to return to God were killed. Jesus Himself was killed. Even Saul the persecutor eventually became the persecuted as Paul. This week we will dig more deeply into the concept of persecution for one’s faith in the true God.

Psalm 9:1-20

Where does persecution come from (vs. 3, 5, 8, 19-20)? Remember who the prince of this world is. Does persecution only occur when we have disobeyed or fallen away like the Jews when Babylon took over? Why would Christians be persecuted by the world for being good people? Whom does the Lord watch over and defend? Why is it dangerous to mess with God and His chosen ones? In the end, what happens to the persecutors? (vs. 5-6, 15-17) What should your response be when the Lord overcomes the persecutor and you are in right relationship with Him? Today, honor God by looking to Him for your refuge. Pray for the persecutors of God’s people that they would be freed from satanic bondage.