Starter: (In pairs for 5 minutes)
When you have an important decision to make how do you decide what to do?
WORSHIP:
Perhaps focus on the life and death of Christ
READ PASSAGE ALOUD(Imagine you are Peter as you hear this. How do you feel?.)
READING : Matt 16:21-28
RE-READ PASSAGE AND COMMENTARY(Silent personal reflection)
PERSONAL FOCUS(Silent reflection on the passage / commentary & personal focus questions)
Commentary:
Remember that this gospel was written at a time of persecution of the church and when some of the early converts were beginning to fall away.
Right after Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah (16: 16), Jesus tells of his coming suffering and death. Jesus makes it clear that he is not a powerful military and political leader. For Jesus, the Messiah was not someone to raise Israel to a high place. In fact, powerful people in both religious and political circles would reject Jesus. To further emphasise his message, Jesus continues with the demand of discipleship-selfless love, even if it leads to death, because through the cross comes the resurrection. The reading ends with the bright promise of what lies ahead for those who take Jesus seriously.
We do not live in an age of persecution. We live in an age of tolerance and apathy about the life style of Jesus. However we still have to decide on the way we live our lives and those decisions are primarily influenced by what we believe is important in life and in particular how we think a modern day Christ would chose to live his life.
Personal Focus Questions :
(Initially just reflect on the question that chooses you. It may help to clarify your thinking to make notes in the spaces provided. This will also give you material to reflect on in the future)
1. What verse in this reading speaks to you? What is God saying to you?
2. How do you experience the desire to 'save your life' (v.25)?
3. What does it mean to you to 'take up your cross' (v.24)?
PERSONAL FOCUS QUESTIONS (Discuss in triplets /pray for each other –25 minutes)
LIFE FOCUS (Discuss in whole group-15 minutes)
1. The prime concern of Jesus was to build his kingdom (=rule of God) not a church.
In what areas of society should we be active to build the kingdom?
2. What practical outcome is there from our reflection?
Do we need to make any plans to make things happen?
Review Time
What challenged you most in this meeting?
What would you like to do differently next time?
Group Memory Time:
What actions did we plan that need following up?
Prayer Time :
Perhaps pray for those who have difficulty making choices in their lives, those who are persecuted for their faith and for your local church that it may focus on bringing in the Kingdom and not be concerned about its own survival.
Next Meeting :
Arrange date and venue.
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