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We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we get to look at a passage of Scripture where Jesus heals multiple people, and see how His actions inform us of who He is.
Jesus Cleanses a Leper
8 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper[a] came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”3 And Jesus[b] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”
The Faith of a Centurion
5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
Today, we’re continuing on in the Gospel of Matthew. In this passage of God’s Word, we see Jesus heal many different people. By taking a look at these encounters that people have with Jesus, we can see different attributes of God, and how we are to respond to them. By studying this part of God’s Word, we see can…
Recognize God’s:
1. Power
Matt. 8:3, 7, 13, 15-16, 19:26, 1 Chron. 29:11, Eph. 3:20, Rom. 1:20, Col. 1:16
2. Sovereignty
Matt. 8:2, Ps. 115:3, 135:6, Prov. 21:1, Job 42:2, Gen. 50:20
3. Authority
Matt. 8:7-12, 28:18, Rom. 13:1, Acts 5:29, James 4:7, 1 Pet. 5:6
4. Mercy
Matt. 8:3, 10-12, 14-16, Heb. 4:16, Ps. 86:5, Eph. 2:4-5, Luke 6:36, Micah 6:8
In light of this, we realize God’s plan for salvation and:
1. Repent of our sins
Acts 2:38, 17:30, 26:20, 2 Pet. 3:9, Luke 13:3, Heb. 11:6, 1 John 1:9
2. Accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior
Rom. 10:9, John 3:16, 14:6, Eph. 2:8-10
3. Allow Him to transform our lives
Rom. 12:1-2, 2 Cor. 5:17, 3:18, Gal. 2:20, Ps. 51:10-12
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
● Take some time to read over Matthew 8:1-17 and pray.
● Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you
as we were talking about it?
● Among unbelievers and society in general, what do you think is the
most common misconception about who God is?
● Among Christians, what do you think is the most common
misconception about God?
● What in your past has been your biggest misconception about who
God is? How did you overcome that misconception?
● What, during this season of your life, is the biggest misconception
about who God is that you’re trying to overcome? Where does that misconception come from? How is the process of overcoming that misconception going? Who in your life can you ask to help you through that process?
Diving In
As you read through these few different stories of healings in Matthew 8:1-17, which attribute of God stands out to you the most? Why?
● Do you observe any additional attributes of God represented in these stories that we didn’t cover during the message?
● Which of the attributes of God that we talked about during the message do you struggle with the most? Why?
● Take a look at the cross references of Scripture that are beneath the attribute of God that you struggle with the most, and read through them. Take your time, praying that God would open your eyes to who He is, and how you can better know His character, so you can interact with Him on a more intimate level.
How can you help others with their misconceptions about who God is?
● Who in your life is an unbeliever because they have misconceptions
about who God is? Take some time to pray for this individual, and ask the Lord to give you opportunities to have encounters with this individual, and use you to show him or her a better picture of God’s character.
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?