Sunday Sermon Notes from May 2, 2021
Read Matthew 25:31-46
- Who is Jesus talking to in this passage?
- He was talking to his disciples in a private conversation, see Matthew 24:3
- What Message is Jesus trying to teach to his disciples?
- He was preparing them for the events to come in the future, ie. judgement in their lives, the destruction of Jerusalem etc.
- He was providing them with examples of how they should be living ie. serving the poor, giving to others and being generous with their time
- How did Jesus differentiate between the “Goats” and the “Sheep”?
- He judged them based on their actions and their motivations for doing what they did or did not do
- Sheep in general are animals that are obedient or docile or reliant on a Shepherd, but Goats in general are independent, disobedient and difficult to manage. Are you more goat like or sheep like?
- God gave humans free will to live as they choose. How are you choosing to live?
- When we are close to Jesus, our actions should reflect his character and we should want to do the things described in this text
- Jesus was commending the small and private things these people were doing because it reflected their true and good hearts.
- In Luke: the rich man could not give up his riches and give to the poor because in his heart, he was having a hard time obeying Jesus. He would not make it because of his unwillingness to yield to his own will.
- As Christians, we should be willing to yield to Jesus in our hearts and allow Jesus to influence our lives personally in order to pursue what God wants us to pursue.