Sermons

How to Call Out Evil: Matthew 14:1-4 – 11/17/24 (Week 40)

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Sermon Series:  We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about a an action that John the Baptist took, and how we can do the same.

The Death of John the Baptist

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,[a] 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

In this part of God’s Word, we see that John the Baptist calls out Herod for an evil action that he took. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to be able to do that in our life. By taking a look at John’s example, as well as other parts of God’s Word, we too can learn how to do the same.

How to Call Out Evil:

  1. Be prayerful

2 Sam. 12, James 1:5, 4:3, Eph. 6:18, Matt. 5:44, 1 Cor. 5:9-13

  1. Be Biblically grounded

James 2:10-11, Rom. 2:11, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Heb. 4:11, 2 Tim. 4:2

  1. Remember the purpose

2 Tim. 2:24, Gal. 6:1, Luke 17:3

  1. Don’t pass up the small opportunities

Eph. 4:15, 29, James 1:19, 4:17, Col. 4:6, Matt. 12:36-37, Prov. 27:17

  1. If possible, have private, direct conversations

Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Tim. 5:20

  1. Be honest about your own struggles

James 5:16, Matt. 7:1-5, Rom. 3:10, 23

  1. Remember that it probably won’t go to plan

Rom. 2:4, 1 Tim. 1:16, Eph. 4:2

  1. Offer to walk alongside and restore them

James 5:19-20, 1 John 1:9, Heb. 12:11, Rom. 12:21, 1 Pet. 4:8

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

  • Take some time to read over Matthew 14:1-12 and pray. 
  • Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
  • What surprised you as we talked about it?
  • How does looking at John’s example of calling out Herod help you to do the same? Who comes to mind when you think of that topic? 
  • In the moment, how easy is it for you to call out evil for what it is? What are the top things that stop you from calling out evil for what it is? 

Diving In 

  1. When it comes to calling out evil, how likely are you to pray about how to handle the situation? Why is that? 
  2. In order to call out evil for what it is, we first need to be Biblically grounded. How can you be better Biblically grounded? 
  3. Whenever we call out evil for what it is, our purpose needs to always be pointing people towards Jesus. How easy does that come for you? How can you do that better? 
  4. Even small opportunities have large potentials to point people towards Jesus. How can you better utilize these small opportunities as they come your way? 
  5. Read Matthew 18:15-17. How naturally does bringing up something with someone, in a private, direct way, come to you? Do you struggle with gossipping about the issue before you actually bring it up with the person first? 
  6. How do you think being open and honest about your own struggles would help you to bring up issues with others? 
  7. Oftentimes, it’s not one, neat conversation with someone that fixes an issue. Bringing up a topic of evil in someone’s life rarely goes to plan. How would remembering that help you the next time you have to bring up an issue with someone?
  8. Again, our purpose is always to point people towards Jesus when we bring up issues with them. This is often a very messy process that takes time. How can you offer to walk alongside this person, as they are restored?

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

  • What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
  • How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
  • Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?