Kingdom Come

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Kingdom Come Week 5: Kingdom Priorities Main Passage: Matthew 4:18-22 Leader Focus: When I was six years old, my father brought out my brother’s old bike one day and said that it was finally time for me to learn how to ride. I was so excited about this, because in my mind, riding a bike meant I would be able to keep up with my brother and his friends and do everything they were allowed to do! (I had some pretty naïve ideas about how life worked when I was six…) In our house, there were no training wheels. Learning to ride a bike meant some quality father-child time, with Dad holding onto the back of the seat, running alongside us as we wobbled our way from one end of the street to the other. All the while, he coached us on how to recognize when we were out of balance, how fast we needed to pedal to maintain the right speed to stay upright, and exactly when to start braking to avoid crashing into a bush. After a few days of practicing like this, my father decided I was finally ready to try it on my own. So, after I had gotten up to speed, he said those fateful words: “I’m going to let go now”. I was totally cool with this – I knew what I was doing and I was ready to do it on my own. He let go, and I took off. Straight for a dumpster. In the excitement of being on my own, I forgot a few little bike riding details – like how to turn or use the brakes. I still have a scar on my right index finger from the piece of glass that got embedded in it when I crashed and fell. But, I do know how to ride a bike today, because after my dad had bandaged me up (and apologized profusely for not reminding me to brake or turn), we marched right back outside and tried again because, in spite of the blood and tears, I had tasted freedom, and right then, the most important thing I could do was learn to ride a bike! Our priorities often make our decisions for us. The things that are most important to us – family, career, leisure time – are the driving force behind everything we do and don’t do. But Jesus calls us to something higher – He calls us to trust Him enough to allow Him to set our priorities for us. When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John, the most important part of their story is what they didn’t do: When Jesus called, these men didn’t say that they needed to pray about it, and they didn’t say they needed to check with their family and friends to see if they thought it was a good idea. When Jesus called, they followed. Immediately. Completely. Permanently. Even to death. Few of us are brave enough to do that, and that’s completely understandable. But when we learn to recognize God’s voice through the Holy Spirit, and we learn that God is 100% trustworthy, we begin to allow Him to influence our priorities, which in turn, influences our decisions. When we learn to trust and obey, like little six-year-old me on that bike, we get to taste the freedom and adventure that only come from following Jesus!

Group Focus: • •

In what situations is it easiest for you to be brave? In what situations is it hardest for you to be brave?

Open the Word:

♦ Have a volunteer read Matthew 4:18-22. § How many times did Jesus ask Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him? § What was their response? § How did Zebedee respond when Jesus called his sons to follow? § What shift do you see in the priorities of these five men? ♦ Have a volunteer read Luke 9:57-62. § How is the response of these potential disciples different from the responses we saw from Peter, Andrew, James, and John? § [LN: Most scholars agree that the potential disciple in verse 59 wasn’t asking Jesus if he could go hold his father’s funeral before following Him because his father had recently died. Rather, he was telling Jesus that he would follow Him after his father died, which could have been years later.] What do their responses tell us about their priorities? § How do Jesus’ answers back to each of these people make you feel? § What was Jesus trying to teach even those who were already His disciples in the way He answered these people? ♦ Have a volunteer read Proverbs 11:14 & 15:22. § What wisdom do we find in these two proverbs? § How does the wisdom of these verses compare to what we read in Matthew and Luke? § How do we reconcile these two apparent contrasts in Scripture? § What is missing from these verses in Proverbs that we do see in the Gospels, and how does that help us discern when we’re supposed to seek wise counsel, and when we’re just supposed to follow?

What do we do with this?: § § § § §

What is usually our first inclination when we think God is asking us to do something? Who do you usually consult with when you have a life-changing decision to make? We try to teach our children to obey the first time we ask them to do something. Besides the promise of punishment for disobedience, why do children eventually learn to obey their parents? What is required for us in our relationship with God as we learn to obey Him quickly? How do we learn to trust God and to recognize His leading in our lives so that it’s easier to follow Him?

Things to think about: [LN: These questions are for personal reflection. Have your group members write them down to think about and talk to God about later, rather than to answer now.] § How much trust in God do your priorities really reflect? § How much effort do you put in to learning to discern promptings from the Holy Spirit from your own thoughts and ideas? § What changes do you need to make that will help you recognize God’s voice more easily, and trust Him enough to obey Him more quickly? § How can you teach the children in your life how to trust God and obey Him?

Wrap up: Our priorities often make our decisions for us. But Jesus calls us to something higher – He calls us to trust Him enough to allow Him to set our priorities for us. When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John, the most important part of their story is what they didn’t do: When Jesus asked them to follow Him, they didn’t tell Him they needed to pray about it, or that they needed to check with their families first. They simply dropped everything, and said “yes” with their whole lives. Few of us are brave enough to do that, and that’s completely understandable. But when we learn to recognize God’s voice through the Holy Spirit, and we learn that God is 100% trustworthy, our hesitations grow shorter, and we’re much more willing to launch ourselves into the adventure that is following Jesus!

Pray together: [LN: These are just suggestions if your group needs some prompts. Feel free to pray whatever God puts on your heart!] § § §

Ask God to help you learn how to recognize His voice. Ask God to grow your faith and the faith of those closest to you, so that if and when He calls you to follow, you’ll be quick to trust and obey. Thank God for calling you to follow Him, and for the adventures you’ll get to go on with Him.

Challenge: [LN: Encourage your group to memorize Scripture as part of their own spiritual growth. For those who don’t think they can do this, remind them it’s not about perfection and knowing every word – it’s about allowing God’s truth to fill our hearts and minds! The Verses app is a great tool for this!] Memorize Romans 10:17.