The Kingdom of God Advances: The Path of Following Jesus

Matthew 8:18-27

By Pastor Terry Janke, January 15, 2023

The Path of Presumption or Pride (vs. 18-20)

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he told his followers to go to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, I will follow you any place you go.“ 20 Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes to live in, and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head.“

The Path of Procrastination or Lesser Priorities (vs. 21-22)

21 Another man, one of Jesus’ followers, said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.“ 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the people who are dead bury their own dead.“ The Path of Presence & Power (vs. 23-27) 23 Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with him. 24 A great storm arose on the lake so that waves covered the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. 25 His followers went to him and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We will drown!“26 Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You don’t have enough faith.“ Then Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves, and it became completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!“

Discussion Questions:

In what ways has presumption or pride impacted your walk with Christ?

How could your love of family endanger your worthiness of God (Matthew 10:37)?

What about your work? Hobbies?

What do you tend to trust in first when you are afraid?

The disciples asked: “What kind of man is this?” How would you respond?

How is your response evident in your life this past week?

Application:

LifePath Journey (LPJ) Winter 2023

  • The Kingdom of God Advances (Matt 8-10)

Ways to be involved!

  • Attend/Watch our The Kingdom of God Advances series (Sunday Services)

  • Make use of an ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal: Matthew

  • Creatively engage with God's Word as we go on our LifePath Journey together this Fall! Cost: $10

  • Attend Come to the Table - A Weekly Gathering of our Church Family, Wednesdays, January 18 – March 29, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (seating till 7:00pm). Cost: $7/person; $25/family (max 5)/$5.

  • Register for January 18: Come to the Table Registration January 18. Registration deadline is Sunday, January 15.

  • Join a Discussion Group (DG) - Tuesday or Thursday, 7:00pm. Initial meetings will be Tuesday, January 17 and Thursday, January 19 at the church. DGs are led by a HOST who leads by example and helps the conversation stay focused on our experiences with Christ.Our DGs meet during our LifePath Journey and are made up of 3-6 people (max 8) who come to each meeting prepared to:

    o Share an insight gained from reading Matthew o Participate in the sermon discussion question o Debrief on their experience of our weekly LPJ Challenge o Develop Christ-Focused friendships

  • Wednesday Night Discussion Groups - Begin immediately after the meal (7 pm – 8:30 pm). Two ways of participating: Solid Grounds (Front Foyer) for drop-in attendance or Fireside Room (room off auditorium) for regular attendance (same DG each week). At either location, you are welcome at any table that has a free chair.

  • Participate with your LifeGroup - Find all our LPJ Resources on RightNow Media.  Follow along alone, with some friends, or with your family.

Links and details [HERE]https://www.whyteridgebaptist.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Sermon-Notes-January-15.22.pdf