Mango Home Groups – 29th September 09 – meeting from 7.45pm

Jesus said to Simon 'Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’

We’re continuing on our theme of Mission and Vision, having looked last week at Simon and Lizzie’s call out to mission work in Sudan, this week we’re going to look at the time when Jesus first called his disciples and in particular, the fishermen Simon Peter, James and John.

Read through the account from Luke’s Gospel Ch5:1-11

At first it would seem that Jesus had caught up a with a group of tired, busy, reluctant fishermen, but in the things that followed, these people were in for a surprise awakening. We can probably think of all sorts of good and reasonable excuses for not having time to reach out to our ‘so-called neighbours’ today with good news about Jesus – we’re probably too busy, unsure where to start, not wanting to embarrass them (or ourselves) and so on; but similarly here we meet a bunch of reluctant fishermen who encountered Jesus and were clearly not so willing to go along with the Son of God’s game plan:

1. Jesus’ request in vs 3 probably required the help of several men. How do you think Simon felt about this inconvenient interruption?

2. Why do you think Simon is reluctant to comply with Jesus 2nd request vs (4-5)?

3. Why does this event create such strong reactions in Simon and his companions (vs6-10)?

4. How do you suppose Simon Peter’s new self evaluation (v8) affects him as he considers this new assignment?

5. Note Jesus statement in vs 10, how do you think these rustic fishermen felt about this ‘call’ from a purely human perspective?

6. We’re all called to be ‘fishers of men’ if we take seriously Jesus command in the great commission: (Matt 28:17-20), how do we feel about that ‘call’ on our lives?

7. In what ways might we, like Simon, have a sense of fear or inadequacy at such a calling?

8. How would the experience of the big catch have prepared Peter and his companions for their new work?

9. In the same story as told by both Matthew and Mark, Jesus is quoted as saying ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’. What did following Jesus mean for them and what may it mean for us?

Do make sure you leave some time for prayer at the end of the evening. Perhaps it would be good to pray for Si and Lizzie too as they prepare for the Sudan. Maybe now is a good time to start a home group list of things to be praying for, not just this evening but throughout the week.

Have a great evening

Scott

Mango Home Group Study - 15Sept09

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

We’re continuing on our theme of Mission and Vision, having looked last week at the meeting between Jesus and a Samaritan Woman at a well (John 4). This week we look at Matthew 25, almost the end of the gospel and almost the last instructions of Christ prior to his arrest after the ‘last supper’ In this chapter Jesus tells three stories and we’re looking at the last of these, concerning God identifying people according to what they’ve done – see Matt 25: 31-46

Jesus’ talk reflects his mission to ‘reach out to the poor’ and here he implicitly encourages us to do likewise, telling us that each time we do so, it’s as if we are doing it directly for Him.

1. In what ways do we and can we reach out to the poorer sections of our community? Indeed, in today’s terms what constitutes being ‘poor’?

2. The passage talks of an inheritance awaiting us in heaven. What conceptions do we have of our ‘heavenly inheritance’ and to what degree are we motivated by ‘what is to come’ when we do our day to day things here on Earth?

3. v41-45 tell a shocking story for those that God has not ‘called’ to be with Him. How do we feel about this part of the story?

4. God’s promise for us and for all those who genuinely believe in Him and accept Jesus as Lord and saviour is eternal life, regardless of what we have done, do or don’t do – this is the wonder of the grace of God. How then do we reconcile this view with the imagery of this passage from Matthew?

5. Jesus was commissioned by the Father to be ‘good news to the poor and needy’. Paul too was authorised to minister for the Christian church and told not to forget the needs of the poor. Given that is was Jesus’ desire that we too should reflect Him in the way we live our lives, what more could we do, to make a ‘joined-up’ difference for the sake of the poor and needy of our community?

6. Although the bible talks of the poor in regard to material wealth, we could arguably also consider those around us who are poor in spirit – indeed there is almost certainly a Spiritual poverty that is shared by many around us. 12 people were called by Christ and made a difference by the way they chose to serve him – as a result today we have the Christian church. In what ways can we, Mango, serve more effectively to make a difference to the spiritually poor with whom we co-exist day by day?

Perhaps it would be good to close by spending some time praying for opportunities to make a difference this week, to ask that God might lay certain people on your heart and to commit to bringing them back before God regularly in prayer, and that God might inspire us all to consider what little acts made in love can go a long way for the Kingdom!

Scott