05-03-2020
05-03-2020
Dr. E. Dale Locke and Pastor Efrain Silva
Sermon Series: “Amazed! A Closer Look At One Amazing Life”
Week 3 – “Amazed by His Calm and His Care”
English PDF file for printing.
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español.
Each week, our Sermon Discussion Questions are here to help the sermon go deeper into your life. You can think these questions through on your own, or discuss them with your spouse, family, or small group.
Icebreaker: Which national park is your favorite of those you’ve visited? What did you like about it?
2. Try to say our theme verse for this sermon series together from memory. Mark 7:37a: “People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said.”
3. Read Mark 4:35-41:
“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’
41 They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’”
What thoughts or questions come to your mind as you read this passage?
4. In Mark 4, the disciples experienced fear in a dangerous storm. John Ortberg said of fear, “At its simplest and most benign, fear is an internal warning cry that danger is nearby and we had better do something about it. It is designed to be what researchers call a ‘self-correcting mechanism’ to be unpleasant enough to motivate us to take action and remove ourselves from whatever it is that threatened us. It readies our body to flee, hide, or fight.” What was Ortberg’s point here?
5. In our current world situation, a lot of people are talking a lot about choosing faith over fear. What does faith look like in situations where there really are some frightening things happening?
6. The disciples asked Jesus, “Don’t you care?” Many of us have experienced a painful loss or a difficult season in life that caused us to wonder if Jesus cared. If you’ve ever had that feeling before, share about it with your group.
7. What has helped you get back into a good place, when you’ve begun to wonder if Jesus cared?
8. Jesus asked his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Being in a frightening situation can help us uncover and recognize things we’ve been putting our faith in more than God. If you’ve ever experienced that in your own life, share about that.
9. Read Jesus’ words in Luke 12:4-5: “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” What was Jesus’ point here?
10. In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Aslan the lion represents Jesus Christ. Regarding Aslan, Susan asks, “Is he quite safe, for I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” Mr. Beaver responds, “Of course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king.”
What does Mr. Beaver mean? How does this help your understanding of Luke 12:4-5?
11. After seeing what Jesus did, the disciples asked, “Who is this?” What were they beginning to understand about Jesus? Why is this such an important question to ask, even for us today?
12. Read about Peter and John’s response to another frightening situation in Acts 4:1-21:
“The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: ‘By what power or what name did you do this?’
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.’
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened."
Why did Peter and John respond so differently to this frightening situation compared to their reaction in Mark 4?
13. How has Jesus’ calm and care impacted your life?
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