tgp01v01s unit3 session8 personalstudyguide

7/30/2019 TGP01V01S Unit3 Session8 PersonalStudyGuide

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FALL 2012: Personal Study GuideEd StetzerGeneral EditorTrevin WaxManaging Editor


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A D V I S O R Y C O U N C I L

Tese Christian leaders were part of a team who consulted on the creation of Te Gospel Project.

James MacDonald

Senior Pastor at Harvest BibleChapel, Chicago, IL

Daniel Akin

President of Southeastern BaptistTeological Seminary, WakeForest, NC

J.D. Greear

Pastor at Te Summit Church,Raleigh, NC

Eric Mason

Pastor of Epiphany Fellowship,Philadelphia, PA

Kimberly Thornbury

Dean of Students at UnionUniversity, Jackson, N

Jay Noh

Director of Missional Leadershipand Mobilization, ChicagoBaptist Association

Joe Thorn

Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship,St. Charles, IL

Juan Sanchez

Pastor of High Pointe BaptistChurch, Austin, X

Collin Hansen

Editorial director, Te GospelCoalition / editor-at-large,Christianity oday

THE GOSPEL PROJECT FOR STUDENTS

PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE, FALL 2012

VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1

PRODUCTION AND MINISTRY TEAM

EDITORIAL PROJECT LEADER: Chad Jordan

CONTENT EDITOR: Chad Jordan

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST: Edward A Craword

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Charles Long

CONTRACT GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Susan Maywald

PRODUCTION EDITOR: Scott Latta

STUDENT MINISTRY SPECIALIST: Paul Turner

Send questions/comments to: Content Editor, The Gospel

Project for Students, One LieWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-

0174; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com

MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY PUBLISHING: Jef Pratt

DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY: Ben Trueblood

DIRECTOR, SUNDAY SCHOOL: David Francis

Printed in the United States of America

The Gospel Project for Students (ISSN 1939-0742; Item 005508013) is

published quarterly by Li feWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza,

Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President.

2012 LifeWay Christian Resources.

For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com or write LifeWay

Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville,

TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription addre ss changes,

e-mailsubscrib [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above

address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail

[email protected],fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the

above address.

We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for i ts end;

and truth, without any mix ture of error, for its matter and that all

Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWays doctrinal

guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline .

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the

Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003,

2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quota -

tions marked (NIV) are f rom the Holy Bible, New International Version,copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New

Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permi ssion of Tyndale House

Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reser ved.


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70 TGP Personal Study Guide

SESSION 8

JESUS: THE FAITHFULTEACHER

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED to put something together,

but the instructions were in a diferent language

and the picture on the ront o the box didnt even

show the product? It isnt enough to have a set

o instructions. You have to be able to read and

understand them. It also not enough or someone to simply tell

you how to do something. They need to actually be able to do it

themselves.This week we will see that Jesus was the Faithul Teacher.

Not only did He correctly teach us all we need to know

concerning Gods Word, He also modeled the lie that He was

teaching about. He both set the standard and met the standard

God is asking us to meet.


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READY YOUR HEART

7FALL 2012

Matt. 5:17 Dont assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not cometo destroy but to ulfll.

I RECENTLY WENT on a mission trip to Haiti In Haiti, Creole and French are the dominant

languages English, my dominant and secondary language, is not spoken by many othe native Haitians Right away, I knew this was going to be a difculty we would haveto deal with

On this trip I was with several pastors and we were working with multiple indigenousHaitian churches We taught a pastors conerence, a youth conerence, and worshiped

in their churches on Sunday morning It was amazing being able to worship alongsidethese believers, but the language barrier kept presenting problems

One o our main issues became the lack o interpreters We had plenty o EnglishBible teachers and plenty o Haitian churches to teach in, but we did not have enoughtranslators Having someone to interpret, and interpret correctly, is very important in

communication With matters as weighty as salvation and the things o God, you do notwant something you say to be interpreted incorrectly and since I didnt know any Creole

and very little French, having a trusted interpreter was essentialWhen you begin to think about how important this is, take into consideration the

importance o Jesus coming to us to teach us what the Old Testament is really aboutThink about how incapable we are o knowing the way o the kingdom o God without

Jesus He perectly interpreted to us things known only in the wisdom o God and madethem available to us He showed things to us only discernible by the Spirit o God, and

then gave us His Spirit to keep guiding us into these truths (John 16:13) He was not onlythe perect teacher but also the perect interpreter

What a perect and matchless Savior we have in Christ, our Great Interpreter o the

truths o God!

THE GREAT INTERPRETER

PAUSE AND REFLECT What qualities does an interpreter need to possess?

How was Christ the perect interpreter? How does the right understanding change everything? Have you ever been in a situation where you thought

something was true only to nd out you didntunderstand it correctly?


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READY YOUR HEART

Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28 You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder,and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry

with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, Fool! will

be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, You moron! will be subject to hellfre.

You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who

looks at a woman to lust or her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

HAVE YOU EVER WITNESSED someone doing the right thing with the wrong motives?

It happens all the timepeople serving and helping others, not because o their sinceredesire to help, but out o their sincere desire to be praised or helping

There are people who attempt to do the right things morally, not because theyseek to honor God, but because they seek relie rom guilt or public shame In thesecases, it is evident that someone may be doing the right things, but with the wrong

motives Is it possible to do the right things, but still have a corrupt heart? God does notseek people who look only to do the right things, He searches the heart o man when

judging our actionsWhile teaching during his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains this reality to the

onlookers and listeners Jesus teaches about the laws they had grown accustomedto hearing, but He immediatelysurprises everyone by raising the bar on those laws He

reminds them that it is not enough to avoid murder, but our hearts should be such thatwe avoid hatred It is not enough that we resist adultery, but our hearts should be such

that we resist lustThe issue is not about the external sin being avoided, but about the internal workings

o the heart behind the sin It is not enough to do good or right things: Jesus teaches us to

interpret the law by showing the heart behind it

PAUSE AND REFLECT Describe a time when you did the right thing but or the

wrong reasons? What was the result o those actions? Which rules do you easily obey by ocusing on the rule

and not the intent?

THE HEART BEHIND THE ACTIONS


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READY YOUR HEART

7FALL 2012

Matt. 5:43-48 You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.But I tell you, love your enemies and pray or those who persecute you, so that you may

be sons o your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good,

and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For i you love those who love you,

what reward will you have? Dont even the tax collectors do the same? And i you greet

only your brothers, what are you doing out o the ordinary? Dont even the Gentiles do the

same? Be perect, thereore, as your heavenly Father is perect.

I REMEMBER GROWING UP playing sports, and even in the Army as a soldier, times when

a coach or superior ofcer would command me to do something that they themselvescould not do Have you ever experienced this? A coach tells you to run ve laps around

the eld, but you know he could not manage one lap without needing oxygen A parentrequires you to clean your bedroom when theirs would qualiy to be eatured on anepisode o Hoarders These situations bother us so much because there is a part o

us that expects the people giving the commands and making the rules to be doing thethings they are dictating This just makes sense right?

Thankully, Jesus does not all into this category He taught us the lotiest o truthsHe raised the bar to highest levels He revealed to us the mysteries o the kingdom o

God hidden rom eternitys past (Matt 13:11) These are the biggest, most gigantic truthsin all the world

However, He never commanded or laid out one expectation o God that He Himseldid not meet and ulll This is the amazing thing about Jesus He not only came to teach

us what the Kingdom o God was like and what citizens o this kingdom were supposedto live like, but He came to model it and ulll those requirements at the same timeWhen He met Gods expectations, He did so or us In our place He did this not only

because he was the perect Savior, but because he was the Master Teacher As ourgreat teacher, he modeled with his lie the very things he taught us with His words

EXPECTATIONS SET AND MET

PAUSE AND REFLECT How do you respond when someone commands

something they either dont do or cant do? Would you hire a badly out-o-shape person to be your

personal trainer? Why or why not? How does knowing Christ has both set and met Gods

standards in your place impact your lie?


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Jesus ulflls the law by...Jesus teaching did not contradict the Old Testament.

Instead, Jesus was and is the ulfllment o all that

the Old Testament pointed to. Jesus upheld the Old

Testament in its entirety by correctly interpreting it in

light o Himsel, by explaining Gods original intention

in giving the law, and by ulflling the righteousnessthat Gods law requires.

RightlyInterpreting It.Contrary to the assumption that Jesus

came to destroy the Old Testament, Jesusdeclared that His teaching was in completeharmony with itall o it What negative images o the God o

the Old Testament do you or the peoplearound you have? How might negativeviews o God afect a persons desire toread and study the Old Testament?

With unique authority, Jesus taughtthat we cannot understand theOld Testament apart rom Him;He is the interpretive lens throughwhich we must understand theHebrew Scriptures.

What are some other OldTestament commandsor institutions Jesus setaside? Think o somestories when Jesus acted ina way that challenged theprevailing understandingo the law in His day (seeMatt. 9:1-8,14-15; 12:1-13).

The Gospel is theulfllment o thepromises o the OldTestament. Withouit, the Gospel hangssuspended inthe air.

Herman Bavinck(1854-1921)


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Understandingthe True IntentAs the One to whom the Law and

the Prophets pointed, Jesus was thaithul interpreter o Gods Word.

Examine your heart.Are you harboring bitter thoughts

toward people right now? Haveyou been angry with someone andnot taken steps to reconcile?

What sins do you struggle with?How are you ghting against sinand temptation? How do thesestruggles with sin afect yourunderstanding o whether ornot you will enter the kingdomo heaven?

There are all sortso ways to obey theletter o the law andmiss its intention.

Do you know o anystrange laws stillon the books, laws

that have outlivedtheir useulnessbecause theirpurpose is no longerrelevant? Why is itimportant that weunderstand Godsintentions when weseek to apply theScriptures?

Meeting GodsExpectations.The standard o righteousness that Godrequires is perection. None o us can meethat standard. The good news o the gospis that Jesus came to ulll the law.

Conclusion When we recognize that Jesus ulflled thdemands o the law perectly on our behal, we are transormeBy aith in Jesus, the righteousness o Christ is accounted to us,and the penalty or our breaking the law is accounted to Christ.

How does understanding the Great Commission inlight o Jesus teaching help you to ulll the churchsmission to the world?

How does it help you nd your place in Gods mission

Since the scribes and thePharisees were amous orkeeping the law, how couldanyones righteousness surpasstheirs? Just what kind orighteousness doesGods law require, orin todays terms,How good is goodenough?


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ENCORE

1. RIGHTLY INTERPRETING IT (MATT. 5:17).

Contrary to the assumption that Jesus came to destroy the Old estament, Jesus declared that Histeaching was in complete harmony with itall o it. In act, Jesus said that not even the smallest,seemingly inconsequential parts o the words o the law would pass away until all things areaccomplished (Matt. 5:18).

Te Law and the Prophets pointed to a uture time when all o its commands, promises, andinstitutions would be ullled. With Jesus coming, the time o ulllment had arrived. Tat is why

Jesus explained His mission in relation to the Old estamentI [came] to ulll (v. 17). Jesusullled the Law and the Prophets because they pointed to Him.

Te right way to interpret the Old estament is by ollowing Jesus lead in seeing how it is allabout Him. Jesus is the true and aithul Israel whom God called out o Egypt (2:15) and who didnot put the Lord to the test during His wilderness wandering (4:1-11). Jesus is the new temple whoullls the old one that was destroyed (John 2:18-22), the real bread rom heaven (manna) that giveslie to the world (6:30-35), the Lamb o God who takes away the sin o the world (1:29).

With unique authority, Jesus taught that we cannot understand the Old estament apart romHim; He is the interpretive lens through which we must understand the Hebrew Scriptures. Tismeans that Jesus was aithul to teach Gods Word precisely because He explained Gods Word inlight o Himsel. Only Jesus could provide the aithul and true interpretation o Gods Word.

2. UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE INTENT (MATT. 5:21-22,27-28).As the One to whom the Law and the Prophets pointed, Jesus was the aithul interpreter oGods Word. Te scribes and Pharisees ollowed an oral tradition that represented a moralisticinterpretation o the law. Tey were all about the letter o the law, but they had missed the heart.

Jesus, on the other hand, explained the true meaning o the law as God intended. Contrary towhat the people had heard, Jesus declared that the intention o the law was not about checking of alist o moral requirements but total obedience that owed rom a pure heart. Anything less excludesone rom the kingdom o heaven. Consider just two examples o Jesus teaching in relation to Godslaw.

Te phrase You have heard that it was saidBut I tell you distinguished Jesus teaching rom

that o the scribes and Pharisees and established Jesus as the authoritative interpreter o Gods Word.Jesus wasnt just revealing the true interpretation o Gods law. He was also revealing His authorityto say so.

In His teaching, Jesus exposes the corruption o the human heart, the seriousness o sin, and thecertainty o punishment or lawbreakers. Clearly, when we understand the law as God intended it,

we are all shown to be lawbreakers. Jesus taught that we must deal with sin seriously because thosewho continue in unrepentant sin will be excluded rom the kingdom o heaven and experiencethe res o hell (Matt. 5:29-30; 7:21-23). Tankully, this word o judgment leads to the ofer osalvation.

JESUS: THE FAITHFUL TEACHER

Jesus ulflls the law by...


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7FALL 2012

3. MEETING GODS EXPECTATIONS (MATT. 5:43-48).

Te standard o righteousness that God requires is perection. None o us can meet that standard.Gods law reveals the perect character o God, and perection is precisely what God expects o us.Te problem is that we have all broken Gods law. Tis is the great human dilemma.

Te good news o the gospel is that Jesus came to ulll the law. It was Jesus who loved Hisenemies ully, even praying or those who tormented Him on the cross. It was Jesus who welcomedtax collectors and sinners to His table. It was Jesus was showed us the perection o the Father.

Te law has two basic demands. First, the law demands perect obedience that ows rom a pureheart. Because our hearts are corrupt, we cannot ulll this demand. Jesus, however, could and didby obeying the law at every point; He did not leave out even the smallest, seemingly insignicantparts o the words o the law.

Second, the law also demands the death penalty or lawbreakers. Te good news is that Jesusullled this demand by taking upon Himsel the curse o the law on our behal. Te death penaltyor lawbreaking was administered to Jesus on the cross.

Tose who gain entrance into the kingdom o heaven, then, are not those who try to work at it butthose who trust in Jesus ullling o the law in their place. And those who truly believe will obey

Jesus teaching.Trough aith we are enabled to begin living in accordance with Jesus teaching! As the apostle Pauldeclares, the righteous will live by aith (Gal. 3:11). Tis is the righteousness that surpasses that othe Pharisees.

CONCLUSION

Te Sermon on the Mount pushes us to the end o ourselves by exposing the corruption o our sinul

hearts. When we recognize that Jesus ullled the demands o the law perectly on our behal, we aretransormed. By aith in Jesus, the righteousness o Christ is accounted to us, and the penalty or ourbreaking the law is accounted to Christ. Tis is the great exchange!

Even better, by aith in Christ, we receive new hearts that allow us to obey all that Jesus taughtto love the Lord our God with every ber o our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Tistoo is a ulllment o the Law and the Prophets (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:24-27).

Now our mission is dened in relation to Jesus teaching. Since Jesus aithully ullled the Lawand the Prophets, the Father has granted Him authority over heaven and earth. As the sovereignKing, Jesus commands us to go out under His authority into the world with this good news.Our commission is not simply to baptize but to make disciples by also teaching them to observeeverything that Jesus commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). Let us thereore embrace Jesus teaching and

tell others what He has taught us.

tgp01v01s unit3 session8 personalstudyguide

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