The Kingdom of Heaven — Week 2

Matthew 13.24-30 & 36-43: “Urgency”

Discussion notes based on the sermon preached the morning of 13 March 2022 am

STUDY MATERIAL

Read the passage again and don’t forget to start your meeting in prayer.

Particularly ask that the Holy Spirit would guide your discussion and help you to apply what is said in Scripture to your lives today. Sermons are available on the St John’s website or YouTube channel.

Sermon points:

Introduction: What is the kingdom of God like?

How does evil get here? Answer: The enemy sowed it!
What to do about evil? Answer: (i) Discern (ii) Refer (iii) Wait
What will happen to evil? Answer: It will be judged and destroyed

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Opener: When you look at the world do you get overwhelmed by the evil you see?  Discuss why this might be.

  1. According to the passages, who sows the good seed and who sows the bad seed? Where does evil come from? Why is this important for the Christian response?
  2. In verse 38 Jesus explains ‘the field is the world’, why is it important not to confuse the field as the church?
  3. The parable shows us a very binary nature of the two kingdoms, what does this tell us about the urgency of our witness and how we are to enter the kingdom of heaven (see also Colossians 1.13)?
  4. The weeds mentioned in the parable are not just plants out of place but poisonous, how does this help us understand sin and evil?
  5. Read verses 27-29 again, how does this parable shape the way we should respond to evil in the world, in our street, workplace etc.? What does this look like in practice for you?
  6. Read verses 40-43a again, what happens to evil?  In what ways is this sobering and in what ways is this also comforting?
  7. ‘Whoever has ears, let them hear’ (verse 43b) is a phrase we heard last week. How would you summarise what Jesus wants us to hear in this parable?

PRAYER

Pray for the world, where we see evil causing destruction, remember the war in Ukraine and all those who are suffering. Remember also other conflicts that are still ongoing but don’t grab the headlines, wars in Yemen, Myanmar, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Eritrea.   

Pray for our nation, where we see evil causing destruction, remember especially those affected by institutional abuse in Northern Ireland, in church and state run facilities that allowed abuse of children over seven decades. 

Pray for our community, where we see evil causing destruction, remember those who are homeless and hungry, those who the victims of crime and those who are on the brick of breakdown and suicide.  

Pray for our family, friends and colleagues, where we see evil causing destruction, that they may see the urgency of responding to Jesus.

Pray for ourselves, where we see evil causing destruction, let us confess our sin and seek the Lord to transform you into the likeness of King Jesus.  

Lord God,

we have sinned against you;

we have done evil in your sight.

We are sorry and repent.

Have mercy on us according to your love.

Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.

Renew a right spirit within us

and restore us to the joy of your salvation,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Finally, pray for the Lord’s return!  That he will finally deal with evil.

‘For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.’ 

– Colossians 1.13-14