Leader Guide week of 2-17-08

Small Group Leaders Guide
February 17, 2008

Getting Started:

1. Do you pull over when you see someone on the side of the road with car trouble? Why or why not?
2. Has anyone ever pulled over for you?

Going Deeper:

3. How would you sum up the law of God?

4. Read Luke 10:25. What did it mean to be an “expert in the law” in that day?

5. In Luke 10:28, Jesus says, “do this.” Now that the lawyer’s question is answered, shouldn’t this be the end of the conversation? Could the lawyer have “done this?”

• It almost seems like Jesus should have used the phrase “if you can do this.

6. In Luke 10:25, Jesus is asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers the question by asking one. Why did Jesus send this particular lawyer to the law? Read Jesus’ answer in verse 28. Is this how people inherit eternal life? Why or why not? Why did Jesus answer in this way?

• This conversation takes place before Christ died on the cross. Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God
• Does this mean that people can be saved by keeping the law? Is it possible for a person to keep the law?
• Romans 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
• Romans 3:9 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
• Galatians 2:15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

7. Read Luke 10:29. What is the definition of the word, “justify?” Why do you think the “expert in the law” wanted to justify himself?

• 1. To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid 2. To declare free of blame; absolve. 3. To free (a human) of the guilt and penalty attached to sin. Used of God.

8. In this parable, why do you think Jesus used a priest and a Levite for examples of people that did not show mercy to the wounded man? Likewise, why do you think He used a Samaritan as an example of someone who did show mercy?

9. The lawyer’s question was, “who is my neighbor?” As you read this parable, do you think the question was answered? If not, what question was answered?

• I think the question that was answered was, “what does it look like to love my neighbor as myself?”

Putting it into practice:

1) What is hardest for you when it comes to loving your neighbor as you love yourself? Pray about this in your group.


Quote Of The Week

The thief’s philosophy is, “What you have is mine.” The philosophy of the priest and Levite is, “What I have is mine.” The philosophy of the Good Samaritan is, “What I have is yours.”
--Dean Brown