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We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about a passage where some people have a question for Jesus, regarding His disciples.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly[a] the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.
Today, we’re continuing on in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is in the midst of His incarnational ministry. Today, we read about how He had some people who were in desperate situations come up to Him so He could fix them. These people both took huge risks, and by taking a look at their stories, we can learn how to do the same.
Realize that following Jesus well always involvesrisk
With that in mind, what practical steps can we take next?
1. Start with worship
Matt. 9:18, Rom. 12:1, 6:13, Eph. 4:1, Ps. 19:14, Heb. 13:15, Ps. 71:8
2. Using Biblical discernment, don’t let what others opinion get in the way
Matt. 9:18, 21, Gal. 1:10, John 12:43, 1 Thess. 2:4, Acts 5:29, Eph. 6:6
3. Be willing to lose everything
Matt. 6:33, John 6:27, Luke 14:26, Acts 20:24
4. Imagine what impact could be made
Matt. 6:10, Heb. 12:28, Matt. 28:19-20
5. Give your situationto the Lord, fully
Gen. 50:20, Rom. 8:28, Phil. 4:6-7, Prov. 8:17, Ps. 63:1
6. Ask the Holy Spirit to grow your faith
Mark 9:23-25, Heb. 11:6, Luke 17:5, 2 Cor. 12:8-10
7. Remember, with God all things arepossible
Eph. 3:20, Matt. 19:26, Luke 1:37, Phil. 4:13, Mark 10:27
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Matthew 9:18-26 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?
- Have you ever thought about all relationships involving risk before? How does that affect the way you view your relationship with the Lord?
Diving In
- In this passage of Scripture, both of the people who come up to Jesus risk a lot to come before Him with their needs. This not only shows us their desperation within both of their situations, but also that they had a deep level of faith in Jesus, and the healing that they knew He could bring. What situation in your life do you need to do the same thing with, and bring before the Lord (i.e. your marriage, health, relationship with kids, job sin, finances, ect)?
- How long has this situation been an issue in your life? Have you ever brought this to the Lord before? What has stopped you from bringing it to God before?
- Have you ever tried taking care of this issue on your own before? What happened?
- Do some imaging: What could God do with your situation if you were to bring it to Him fully? What impact could that have on your family tree, and ultimately God’s Kingdom?
- Looking at your answers from question #1, what risk is involved with taking your situation fully before the Lord (i.e. having a conversation, looking incompetent, admitting you were wrong, ect)?
- What could stop you from taking your situation to the Lord?
- Who can you ask for help with this?
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?