Kingdom Come Week 1 – Discussion Questions
MAIN POINT:
We dug the hole. Jesus built the bridge.
The Kingdom is come and all who choose to cross have access to abundant grace.
ICEBREAKER:
What is your favorite fairytale or movie kingdom?
INTRODUCTION:
The Kingdom of God isn’t like any other kingdom. It’s real, true, and anyone who wants can have access.
There is a large moat (hole, pit, mud, and barrier) preventing entry to the Kingdom. It doesn’t make sense that God would welcome all, yet block the entry. God didn’t build the moat; man did! The moat is built of our sins and the things of this world that distract us from God. When Jesus was born, died on the cross, and defeated Hell, he became the draw bridge. He is our way into the Kingdom. The Kingdom is here if we are willing to cross the bridge and stay focused on the route to the castle. We must put the Kingdom above everything else and God will take care of all of our needs.
ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH BIBLE STUDY:
Read Matt 6:33.
1. We are told to seek the Kingdom of God first. Where do you do well at seeking God first? Where/How can you improve?
Read Luke 10:38-42.
2. Martha was distracted by many things. What are you distracted by? What keeps you from sitting at Jesus’ feet?
Read 1 Cor 15:22-26.
It was a tradition for victorious kings to ceremonially put their foot on the shoulder of a conquered king.
3. How do you think this applies to us today? When you think about God’s kingdom, do you think of the present or the future?
4. What do you think is Satan’s #1 goal?
5. Why do you think God allows us to build the moat?
6. When Pastor says Jesus lowers the drawbridge and He is the bridge, what does that mean for us?
Read John 3:16-21.
7. Who was the first person to hear these words about salvation directly from Jesus?
8. According to John 3:1, Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Pharisees were known for their strict observance of written law and oral tradition. How do you think Nicodemus felt about the grace that Jesus was offering in verse 18?
LEADER NOTES:
This sermon series is based on material in the book
Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God by George Eldon Ladd. You can purchase a copy at FP Resources.
1. We should all seek God first but we all fall short. We should do our best but realize we aren’t capable of perfection. Our inability to be perfect is why we needed Jesus and his strength is perfected in our weakness.
2. This is showing us that when we surrender to Jesus we are leaving all of our sins at his feet. When we leave our sins at his feet and follow him we have access to all that the Kingdom of God has to offer. Jesus’ blood covers all of our past, present, and future sins. He is our bridge over the moat we built.
3. The kingdom of God is NOW (it began when Jesus came to earth), and it is also in the future (when He comes again).
4. “Satan’s goal is to convince each of us to follow our depravity and distract us from the Kingdom of God, in this Age AND in the Age to Come. Satan does not want anyone to experience the abundant life of freedom, power, and joy that is already available.” Pastor Chris
“Satan’s primary concern is not to corrupt morals nor to make atheists nor to produce enemies of religion. Satan’s basic desire is to keep you from Christ.” George Ladd
5. We are allowed to build the moat (sin or be distracted from God) because God gave us free will. He doesn’t want us to be slaves. He wants us to be his children.
6. We all have sin in our life. Jesus knocks on the door of our heart (lowering the drawbridge), We begin crossing the bridge when we accept him as our savior. The bridge is the road to the castle (heaven). We can get distracted, look at the moat, and play in the mess (sin, focus on something other than the Kingdom, or worry). Our distraction may cause us unnecessary pain and keep us from blessings, but it will not keep us from Heaven once we have accepted Christ.
7. Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee. Nicodemus is a Greek name meaning “Victor over People.”. Imagine your name meaning that and being the first person ever offered grace!
8. This is really a question not about Nicodemus, but about how we respond to grace. Are we grateful? Or do we follow the rules and think that we can earn our way to heaven without Jesus? For more on what happened to Nicodemus see John 7:50-51 and John 19:39-42.
