Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

Those who enter the kingdom depend on Jesus completely and treasure him supremely.

I. Who enters: those who depend on Jesus completely (vv. 15-17)

II. Who enters: those who treasure Jesus supremely (vv. 18-30)

III. How Jesus makes entry possible: suffering in our place (vv. 31-34)

IV. How entry looks: dependent faith produces joyful following (vv. 35-43)

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 18:15-43

1. Jesus exhorts us to receive the kingdom of God like a child, in complete dependence. How does this help us in entering his kingdom?

2. What’s the opposite of being like a child in approaching God? How could/does this show up in your life?

3. Wealth isn’t evil, but it is a danger. How is wealth a powerful rival to God?

4. Where do you struggle when thinking about money? Greed? Discontentment? Jealousy? Overreliance on it for security? What might you do or change to grow in this area?

5. Those who follow Jesus give up much now, but also receive much now. If you follow Jesus, what good things have you already experienced because you are a part of God’s kingdom now?

6. It was asked in the sermon, “Do you see Jesus’s love?” What does it mean to see His love, and how does it help us enter his kingdom?

7. The blind man at the end of the passage is a picture of the one who enters the kingdom. How do we live our lives marked by the kind of joyful following that the blind man exhibits upon being healed?

8. What is one specific thing that keeps you from entering the kingdom? Self-righteousness? Pride? Wealth that consumes your life? How do you flee from it?

9. How can we live in such a way that witnesses to unbelievers about the goodness of entering the kingdom of God?

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

Come to God, trusting not in yourself, but in Jesus. God's saving mercy and grace are only for those who know they don't deserve it.

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 18:9-14

1. In our passage, the Pharisee comes to God trusting in himself (and how good he is). Where do we see this in the text?

2. What are subtle or obvious ways we can trust ourselves instead of Jesus?

3. “Whenever we feel God does not love us because we have failed, we have adopted the Pharisee's approach.” Do you experience this? If so, how can you respond to these feelings? How can we help each other?

4. One of the ways Pharisee-like self-righteousness reveals itself is in a propensity to treat others with contempt (cf. v.9b). Reflect on some of the words (and tone) you have used with others around you in the past. Do you see any supporting evidence that you may have, at times, been guilty of treating others with contempt? What heart-level attitudes might such words reveal?

5. How tempted are you to compare yourself with others to determine how good or bad you are? A lot? A little? Something else?

6. What’s the problem with assessing yourself based on comparison to others?

7. How easy is it to view yourself like the tax collector, claiming no righteousness of your own?

8. It was said in the sermon, “... we are all far more sinful than we think. And it is only when we grasp this that we can receive the good news.” What was meant by this? Do you agree?

9. How might we use this parable (and the truths it teaches) to engage with unbelievers about the good news of the Gospel?

10. What one specific application from this passage might God want you to consider and take with you into the week ahead? Please share.

Prayer

Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

Jesus' sure and sudden return calls for wholehearted loyalty and persevering prayer.

Digging Deeper

Read Luke 17:20-18:8

1. Did this sermon help you in your understanding of what the Kingdom of God is? How so?

2. How does Daniel 7:13-14 shed light on what Jesus meant when he spoke of “the kingdom of God” and “the Son of Man”?

3. The coming of the Son of Man will be unmistakable to all (17:22-25). Why do you think Jesus wants his disciples (including us) to know this? What does this truth help guard against?

4. The coming of the Son of Man will be unexpected by many (17:26-30). In mercy, Jesus is warning his people, lest we be numbered among those who are not ready for his return. How can we help one another guard against complacency and against living with no sense of urgency (as those in Noah’s and Lot’s day did - until it was too late)?

5. The coming of the Son of Man will be for salvation and judgment (17:27, 29, 34-35). Apart from God’s grace, we can be inclined to think that we’re really not all that bad, and certainly not worthy of God’s judgment. How might we use the truths taught in this passage to help unbelievers see both the sober reality of coming judgment and the salvation Christ offers?

6. One rightful response to what Jesus shows us in this passage about his return is to live with wholehearted loyalty to God. Is there a specific area of your life in which you are okay with something less than wholehearted loyalty to God? Please share. What would be a good next step toward change in this area?

7. Another rightful response in light of the second coming of the Son of Man is persevering prayer to God (18:1-8). Are there things you have prayed for, and yet God has not answered the way you hoped he would? Have you found yourself tempted to give up praying, and “lose heart”? Please share.

8. It was said in the sermon that “the key to not losing heart (in prayer) is the character of God.” What aspects of God’s character would you say are most important for you to be mindful of as you seek to persevere in prayer until the Son of Man comes again?

9. What might be some ways we can encourage one another to persevere in prayer until the Son of Man returns?

Prayer