We Must Be Doers of God’s Will In This World!

Discipleship Group Questions

for November 20, 2005

Scripture Readings:

Ezekiel 34:

Thus says the Lord GOD:

I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

As a shepherd tends his flock

when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,

so will I tend my sheep.

I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered

when it was cloudy and dark.

I myself will pasture my sheep;

I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD.

The lost I will seek out,

the strayed I will bring back,

the injured I will bind up,

the sick I will heal,

but the sleek and the strong (who don’t need me) I will destroy,

shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,

I will judge between one sheep and another,

between rams and goats.

Psalm 23:

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Matt. 25:31-46:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, at the end of all time - and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate – did you hear that? At the end of it all Jesus will come as King to separate His people – His flock, from all others who are not His. He will come to separate the weeds from the good wheat. This will be truly a time of terrible reckoning! Justice will be absolutely and fully restored! And Jesus will come to separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom already prepared for you from the foundation of the world; Why are they given this great great great reward – look at verse 35 for I – who? I, was hungry and were sad for me. You grieved for me. No!!! No!!! - you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

But now listen to what Jesus the Shepherd King will say to the well intentioned, the careless, those who rejected Him who could not believe in Him or entrust themselves to Him. Listen to what He will most certainly say to them. Look at verse 41:

41 Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. 42 And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

43 I was homeless and you gave me no bed,

I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,

Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’

44 “Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

46 “Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”

Discipleship Questions:

1.How do you know Jesus? Is He a King to you? Is He a Shepherd to you? Who is He to you? Please discuss.

2.This Sunday is “Christ the King” Sunday. It’s commemorates the last day of the Church year and this Sunday is all about Jesus as King – as Shepherd-King. Please read the passage from Ezekiel and discuss what it tell us about our God as a Shepherd.

3.Please read Psalm 23 and discuss what we’re being told about our God in this classic psalm.

4.Please read the Gospel reading above. In this parable we are being told that to enter the Kingdom of God we must “DO” His will. It’s also telling us something else that the story below teases out. What is that other thing that we’re being told. Please read the Gospel reading and the reading below before you answer this questions:

St. Martin of Tours a famous holy man and Bishop about 316. In his early years, when his father, a military tribune, was transferred to Pavia in Italy, Martin accompanied him and when he reached adolescence was, in accordance with the recruiting laws, enrolled in the Roman army. Touched by grace at an early age, he was from the first attracted towards Christianity, which had been in favor in the camps since the conversion of Emperor Constantine. His regiment was soon sent to Amiens in Gaul, and this town became the scene of the celebrated legend of the cloak.

One cold winter day, as he was entering Amiens, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms. Martin had no money; but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold, and Martin gave what he had. He took off his soldier’s coat, worn and frayed as it was; he cut it in two and gave half of it to the beggar man. That night he had a dream. In it he saw the heavenly places and all the angels and Jesus in the midst of them; and Jesus was wearing half of a Roman soldier’s cloak. One of the angels said to him, “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Jesus answered softly, “My servant Martin gave it to me.” And so began the ministry of a saint!

When we learn the generosity which without calculation helps men and women in the simplest things, we too will know the joy of helping Jesus Christ Himself!

5. Now the question remains is Jesus Christ your King? If He is this would be a most perfect time to get down on your knees and recommit your life to Him. If you are in a small group one of you could lead in a time of prayer and recommitment. Amen and Amen!